This Guide provides recommendations for specifying scanning surface inspection systems (SSIS) for the 130, 90, 65, 45, 32, 22, 16, and 11　nm technology generations. The number and size of localized light scatterers (LLS) on silicon wafers are specified by customers of silicon wafer suppliers and are usually part of Certificates of Compliance. Suppliers of silicon wafers and their customers might measure these parameters using measurement systems provided by different manufacturers of such systems or using different generations of measurement systems from one supplier. Therefore, standardization of various aspects of such measurement systems both improves data exchange and data interpretation and aids in procurement of appropriate measurement systems.

This Guide outlines and recommends basic specifications for SSIS equipment used for the 130, 90, 65, 45, 32, 22, 16, and 11　nm technology generations as driven by the 2010 edition of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) and in the forecasts of the major manufacturers of semiconductor devices.

The Guide covers generic equipment characteristics of (Table 1), materials to be measured by (Table 2), and metrology specific equipment characteristics of (Table 3) measurement systems used for verifying the quality parameter LLS counts per wafer in large scale production of bare polished or epitaxial surfaces of silicon wafers, the back surface of which may be polished or acid etched, either bare or covered by an unpatterned, homogeneous layer of polysilicon or low temperature oxide (LTO). Reference materials for calibrating measurement systems might have different properties.

The Guide also applies to measurement systems that provide only a subset of the measurement features outlined in Table 3.

This Guide does not apply to measurement systems used to control intermediate process steps during silicon wafer manufacturing. However, it may be completely or partly used for measurement systems for those applications provided corresponding constraints are appropriately identified.

This Guide does not apply to measurement systems for silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers or patterned wafers.