Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics, Past Conferences

Past Conferences

2013 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics

March 25-28, 2013
NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland

The 2013 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics, held at NIST in Mar. 2013, was an enormous success, bringing in ≈170 attendees from all over the world. The bi-yearly conference, the ninth in the series, focused on the frontiers and innovation in characterization and metrology of nanoelectronics for semiconductor manufacturing, a $300 billion industry.

Keynote talks by Mike Mayberry, VP and Director of Component Research, Intel; Naga Chandrasekaran, VP of Process R&D, Micron; and Gyeong-Su Park, Leader of Analytical Science Group, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, set the tone early on the first day, driving home the message that metrology is critical as chip sizes shrink to 20 nm. Nearly 30 other invited talks and 70 poster presentation followed over the three-day event.

"Audience feedback on the talks was extremely positive," stated David Seiler, chair of the conference. "Many of the people I spoke with thought that this was the best conference we've had yet and that it was very well-organized. I was pleased with the high quality of the invited talks and posters."

The 2013 FCMN was sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, CEA-LETI, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SEMI, International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), IEEE/Electron Devices Society, American Physical Society (APS), AVS, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Future Fab International. Gold Sponsors included Jordan Valley Semiconductors Ltd.; CEA-LETI; NIST; Intel; Cameca; Metryx; and weSRCH.com. Silver Sponsors included ReVera and NanoMEGAS. Bronze Sponsors included Lake Shore Cryotronics, Inc. and Metrologia. The 2013 FCMN welcomed Angstrom Scientific, Inc. as an exhibitor.

2011 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics

May 23-26, 2011
MINATEC Campus, Grenoble, France

The 2011 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics was held May 23-26, 2011, at the MINATEC Campus in Grenoble, France.The conference was a success, bringing in nearly 150 attendees from countries all over the world, including the United States, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Denmark, South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Finland, Taiwan (ROC), Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Switzerland. The conference offered over 70 poster presentations and over 35 invited oral presentations. This was the first time the conference will be held outside of the United States.

This conference was a continuation of a series of conferences (formerly titled "Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology") that began in 1995. The presentations focused on the frontiers and innovation needed in characterization and metrology. The goal was to bring together scientists and engineers interested in all aspects of the technology and characterization techniques for nanoelectronic materials and device research, development, manufacturing, and diagnostics. Among the many topics covered were 3D Integration Metrology, Atom Probe Tomography, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), CD Metrology, Electron Tomography, Ellipsometry, Helium Ion Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Scatterometry, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and X-Ray Diffraction/Reflectometry.

After a few opening remarks by Dr. Seiler, keynote presentations were given by Michel Brillouet (Deputy Director, CEA LETI) and Marc Heyns (Fellow, IMEC). The conference continued through Thursday afternoon with additional oral presentations and posters that examined the latest advances in characterization and metrology that will help shape the future of nanoelectronics.

The hardbound proceedings, which contains full manuscripts for the poster and oral presentations, was published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in Dec. 2011.

Sponsors of the conference included NIST, CEA-LETI, MINATEC, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SEMI, Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), AVS, National Science Foundation (NSF), American Physical Society (APS), and IEEE/Electron Devices Society.

2009 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics

May 11-14, 2009
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, NY, USA

The 2009 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics was held at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, NY, on May 11-14, 2009. The conference was very successful, defying the tough economic times for the industry by bringing nearly 170 attendees from countries all over the world, including France, Germany, Belgium, Taiwan, China, Singapore, and Japan. The conference offered nearly 100 poster presentations and over 30 invited oral presentations. Many of the metrology advances presented will help provide the basis to revise the metrology section of the ITRS Roadmap.

This conference was a continuation of a series of conferences (formerly titled "Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology") that began in 1995. The presentations focused on the frontiers and innovation needed in characterization and metrology. The goal was to bring together scientists and engineers interested in all aspects of the technology and characterization techniques for nanoelectronic materials and device research, development, manufacturing, and diagnostics. Topics covered ranged from difficult measurement challenges for FinFET transistor characterization and lithographic patterning to novel techniques in determining the properties of beyond CMOS devices.

After a few opening remarks by Dr. Seiler (NIST), keynote presentations were given by T.C. Chen (VP, Science & Technology, IBM), Hans Stork (Group VP and CTO, Silicon Systems Group, Applied Materials), Gisele Roesems-Kerremans (Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission, Information Society and Media / Nanoelectronics), and Dan Hutcheson (Chairman and CEO, VLSI Research, Inc.). The conference continued through Thursday afternoon with additional oral presentations and posters that examined the latest advances in characterization and metrology that will help shape the future of the nanoelectronics revolution.

Sponsors of the conference included NIST; the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, University at Albany; Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International; the Semiconductor Research Corporation; International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative; Semiconductor International; the National Science Foundation; the American Physical Society; and the American Vacuum Society.

2007 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics

March 27-29, 2007
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA

The 2007 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics (formerly titled Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology) was held March 27-29, 2007, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The conference was an overwhelming success, bringing more than 230 attendees from countries all over the world, including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The conference, a continuation of a series (formerly titled "Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology") that began in 1995, has evolved from previous entries to emphasize the frontiers and innovations needed in characterization and metrology for the semiconductor industry. The conference brought together leaders from industry, universities, and government interested in all aspects of the technology and characterization techniques for nanoelectronic materials and device research, development, manufacturing, and diagnostics for CMOS. For the first time in the series, the 2007 Conference emphasized new thrusts in beyond CMOS nanoelectronics.

The conference proceedings, produced by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in a hard-bound volume with CD-ROM, was published in September 2007. Books may be ordered through AIP.

2005 International Conference on Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology

March 15-18, 2005
University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA

The 2005 International Conference on Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology was held March 14-18, 2005, at the University of Texas at Dallas Campus in Richardson, Texas. This was the fifth meeting in the only conference series devoted exclusively to characterization and metrology for the ULSI silicon industry. The conference was extremely successful, assembling more than 250 attendees from industry, government, and university backgrounds representing more than 20 different states within the United States and more than 10 different countries.

The conference consisted of invited presentation sessions and poster sessions for contributed papers, which covered new developments in characterization/metrology technology. Michael Polcari, President and CEO of International SEMATECH, Hans Stork, CTO of Texas Instruments, and Dan Hutcheson, CEO and President of VLSI Research Inc., presented keynote talks while Bernard Meyerson, IBM Fellow and Chief Technologist and VP of STG, spoke at an evening banquet.

The conference proceedings, produced by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in a hard-bound volume with CD-ROM, was published in September 2005. Books may be ordered through AIP.

2003 International Conference on Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology

March 24-28, 2003
J.J. Pickle Research Campus, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

This Conference brought together scientists and engineers interested in all aspects of the technology and characterization techniques for silicon device research, development, manufacturing, and diagnostics: chemical and physical, electrical, optical, in-situ, and real-time control and monitoring. The Conference was dedicated to summarizing major issues and giving critical reviews of important semiconductor techniques that are needed by the semiconductor industry. The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors was reviewed as a benchmark for all characterization and metrology needs. Revisions of the ITRS were discussed, along with the Metrology Roadmap.

The Conference provided a forum to present and discuss critical issues, problems and limits, evolving requirements and analysis needs, future directions, and key measurement principles, capabilities, applications, and limitations. The Conference comprised formal invited presentation sessions and poster sessions for contributed papers. The poster papers covered new developments in characterization/metrology technology.

The Conference was the fourth in the series.

2000 International Conference on Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology

June 26-29, 2000
NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA

Topics for the 2000 International Conference on Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology included challenges, front-end processing, contamination and defect analysis, lithography, interconnect and back-end processing, thin films, and critical analytical techniques. Keynote speakers included Dennis Buss, vice-president and director, Texas Instruments; Kenneth Schroeder, president and CEO, KLA-Tencor; and Jaim Nulman, vice president and general manager for Applied's Factory Efficiency Technology group, Applied Materials. Additional speakers included representatives from International SEMATECH, Lucent, Sony Corp., IBM, Texas Instruments, Motorola, and other powerhouses of the semiconductor industry.

Along with extensive coverage of in-line and in-situ characterization methods, perspectives on industrial metrology requirements and a review of the 1999 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors as a benchmark for characterization and metrology needs were presented.

1998 International Conference on Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology

March 23 - 27, 1998
NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA

This Conference brought together scientists and engineers interested in all aspects of the technology and characterization techniques for silicon device research, development, manufacturing, and diagnostics: chemical and physical, electrical, optical, in-situ, and real-time control and monitoring. The Conference was dedicated to summarizing major issues and giving critical reviews of important semiconductor techniques that are needed by the semiconductor industry. The 1997 National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors was reviewed as a benchmark for all characterization and metrology needs. Revisions of the NTRS were discussed, along with the 1997 Metrology Roadmap.

Semiconductor characterization is a key enabler in the development of semiconductor technology and in improving semiconductor manufacturing. It provides necessary infrastructure for the marketplace, and for continued advances in the R&D laboratory and manufacturing line.

The Conference was the second in the series.

About the Proceedings:

This volume summarizes major issues and gives critical reviews of important techniques that are crucial to advancing semiconductor technology for the silicon industry, including development, manufacturing, and metrology. Characterization and metrology are key enablers for developing semiconductor process technology and improving manufacturing. The metrology needs of the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors are presented and discussed. This is one of the few books available today that emphasizes the science and technology of semiconductor characterization in the factory environment. This book provides a concise and effective portrayal of industry needs and some of the problems that must be addressed by industry, academia, and government. The increasing importance of monitoring and controlling semiconductor processes makes it particularly timely.

Semiconductor Characterization: Present Status and Future Needs

January 30 - February 2, 1995
NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA

Semiconductors form the backbone of all modern-day microelectronic and optoelectronic devices. Semiconductor characterization has proven to be fundamental for the advancement of semiconductor technology. This comprehensive, "world-class" workshop was dedicated to summarizing major issues and giving critical reviews of important semiconductor characterization techniques that are useful to the semiconductor industry. Because of the increasing importance of in-line and in-situ characterization methods, the workshop placed a strong emphasis on ascertaining the present status and future needs of these methods.

The workshop provided a forum to present and discuss critical issues, problems and limits, evolving requirements and analysis needs, future directions, and key measurement principles, capabilities, applications, and limitations.

The purpose of this workshop was to bring together scientists and engineers interested in research, development, manufacturing, diagnostics, and other aspects of the characterization of semiconductor materials, processes, and devices. Methods for chemical, physical, electrical, optical, in-line, off-line, ex-situ, in-situ, and real-time control and monitoring were all included in the scope of the workshop.

The workshop goals were: (1) to provide a forum in which measurements and technical issues of current and future interest to the semiconductor industry could be reviewed, discussed, critiqued, and summarized; (2) to demonstrate and review important applications for diagnostics, manufacturing, and in-situ monitoring and control in real-time environments; (3) to provide a silicon integrated circuit process- and materials-based view of requirements for off-line, in-line, and in-situ analysis/metrology; and (4) to act as an important stimulus for new progress in the field by providing new perspectives.

About the Proceedings:

From the Foreword... Characterization and modeling of semiconductors are increasingly becoming a crucial part of semiconductor manufacturing. This book provides a concise and effective portrayal of industry characterization needs and the problems that must be addressed by industry, government, and academia to continue the dramatic progress in semiconductor technology.

- Craig Barrett, Chief Operating Officer, Intel, and Arati Prabhakar, Director, NIST

The book Semiconductor Characterization covers the unique characterization requirements of both silicon IC development and manufacturing and compound semiconductor materials, devices, and the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. Additional sections discuss technology trends and future requirements for compound semiconductor applications. Recent developments in characterization, including in-situ, In-FAB, and off-line analysis methods Are also highlighted. The book provides useful insights on the capabilities of different characterization techniques, gives perspectives on industrial metrology requirements, and explores critical needs and issues in semiconductor metrology research. This book will serve as a base-line reference in this rapidly growing field for the next decade. The work is based on papers given at the International Workshop on Semiconductor Characterization: Present Status and Future Needs, held in Gaithersburg, Maryland, January 30 to February 2,1995. Sponsors included NIST, Advanced Research Projects Agency, SEMATECH, and Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).