MILPITAS, Calif., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today KLA-Tencor Corporation (Nasdaq: KLAC), the world's leading supplier of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related industries, introduced the latest addition to the Aleris family of film metrology tools. The Aleris 8330 is a reliable, production worthy, low cost of ownership metrology solution for measuring thickness, refractive index and stress of non-critical* films at the 32nm node and beyond, complementing the existing Aleris 8350 system, which is designed to measure critical* films. The cost-effective Aleris 8330 and the high sensitivity Aleris 8350 form a comprehensive metrology solution for a broad range of film layers, helping fabs identify process issues and maintain high yield during production.

"Many semiconductor manufacturers have adopted the Aleris platform to take advantage of its high performance and extendibility, but want a low cost of ownership version of the tool to handle production monitoring for non-critical films. The Aleris 8330 provides a cost-effective means for fabs to adopt the Aleris platform, or for fabs with Aleris tools to expand and optimize their film measurement capacity," stated Ahmad Khan, vice president and general manager of KLA-Tencor's Films and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) Division. "The Aleris 8330 provides improved throughput compared to our previous-generation ASET-F5x tools. Moreover, recipe sharing and tool matching among the different Aleris models facilitates a mix-and-match tool strategy that can help minimize production integration time and contribute to efficient fab operations. These attributes are appealing to all chipmakers, particularly to memory manufacturers who face exceptionally difficult market forces today."

The Aleris 8330 includes several features designed for cost-effective films process control:

    --  Patented Broadband Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (PBSE), white light
        reflectometry (WLR) and optional ultraviolet reflectometry (UVR) optics
        technologies built on an established platform are designed to produce
        the precision, stability and matching performance required for
        production monitoring of films
    --  Up to 1.85x throughput increase compared to KLA-Tencor's previous
        generation film metrology tool provides low cost-of-ownership film
        process control
    --  Recipe import from the previous generation platforms (ASET-F5x and
        SpectraFx™) and remote recipe management ease tool integration into
        production
    --  Recipe sharing among different Aleris tools facilitates a flexible
        process control strategy within a fab, covering both high-end and
        low-end film applications
    --  Optional StressMapper provides advanced stress measurement capability,
        helping chipmakers identify process issues that can lead to cracked or
        delaminated films or cause overlay errors
    --  Reliable, extendible architecture protects fabs' capital investments

Aleris systems have been shipped to major semiconductor manufacturers worldwide, where the tools are being used for 2Xnm development and 4Xnm/3Xnm production. To maintain high performance and productivity, Aleris tools are backed by KLA-Tencor's global, comprehensive service network. For more information on the Aleris 8330 film metrology tool, please visit the product web page at: http://www.kla-tencor.com/metrology/alerisfamily.html.

*Critical films, such as ultra-thin diffusion layers, typically have the smallest dimensions and narrowest process tolerances. Non-critical films, which comprise the majority of film layers in the semiconductor manufacturing process, have more tolerance for process variations and include layers such as inter-metal dielectrics, photoresists, bottom anti-reflective coatings, thick oxides and nitrides, and back end of line layers.

About KLA-Tencor:

KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC), a leading provider of process control and yield management solutions, partners with customers around the world to develop state-of-the-art inspection and metrology technologies. These technologies serve the semiconductor, data storage, LED, photovoltaic, and other related nanoelectronics industries. With a portfolio of industry-standard products and a team of world-class engineers and scientists, the company has created superior solutions for its customers for over 30 years. Headquartered in Milpitas, California, KLA-Tencor has dedicated customer operations and service centers around the world. Additional information may be found at www.kla-tencor.com. (KLAC-P)

Forward Looking Statements:

Statements in this press release other than historical facts, such as statements regarding Aleris 8330's expected performance and the anticipated cost, operational and other benefits realizable by users of the Aleris 8330 tool are forward-looking statements, and are subject to the Safe Harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such statements due to various factors, including delays in the adoption of new technologies (whether due to cost or performance issues or otherwise) or unanticipated technological challenges or limitations that affect the implementation or use of our products.

SOURCE KLA-Tencor Corporation