The MAGICS series mask blank inspection systems are a highly reputable de facto standard tool. Over the years, many of them have been used for outgoing inspection at mask blank¹ manufacturers and for incoming inspection and process control at mask shops. Recently, various innovations have been made in the field of mask technology, such as the introduction of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and new architecture masks, to meet the needs of semiconductor lithography in the cutting-edge nodes. Because of this, it is imperative that mask blank inspection can be performed with higher sensitivity and at higher throughput.

Lasertec has developed M8650/51 to achieve higher throughput and higher sensitivity than available with M8350/51, the current line of MAGICS system released in April 2014.

M8650/51 has adopted a 355nm laser as its light source while using the core technology of MAGICS series as its base. Compared with M8350/51, M8650/51 uses twice as many beams and completes inspection in half as much time. In the high-density scan, M8650/51 achieves a 1.5-times higher sensitivity than M8350/51 does for the same inspection speed. M8650/51 is field upgradable from M8350/51. Lasertec has received many inquiries for the new systems and already won multiple-unit orders.

Lasertec will keep making its contribution to enhancing the quality control of the next-generation high-quality mask blanks and to improving incoming inspection and mask making process control at mask shops.