Lasertec Corporation has released MZ100, a photomask edge inspection system that contributes to quality enhancement and yield improvement in the production of leading-edge semiconductor photomasks. It enables high-sensitivity inspection, review and measurement of the edge region of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and deep ultraviolet (DUV) photomasks.

MZ100 enables manufacturers to conduct defect inspection and process metrics control on the side face and bevel sections of mask edge, for which no inspection on control has hitherto been available, thereby, helping them achieve higher yields and better quality.

Lasertec has developed this mask edge inspection system by combining its core expertise in confocal optics, inspection and mask handling technologies accumulated through the development of advanced photomasks inspection system, and the optics-driving mechanism of its EZ300 wafer edge inspection system. Lasertec is dedicated to addressing the needs of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturers and contributing to yield improvement and quality enhancement in the photomask manufacturing process.

Because of the continuous growth of the IC chip market driven by 5G, high-performance computing and other applications, semiconductor device manufacturers are expected to keep increasing device performance  by pursuing the further scaling of IC designs. Amid this trend, the manufacturers of mask blanks and photomasks are also expected to keep improving the quality of photomasks to meet the need of leading-edge semiconductor device production.