NOVA Measuring put its fate in 3D-IC

11 March, 2013

The Optical CD measurements is NOVA's core expertise. The transition of the semiconductor industry to full 3D Integrated Circuits is about to triple its total available market

During FY 2012, it reached total sales of $96.2 million with net income of $14.2 million

NOVA_V2600Nova Measuring Instruments (Nova) moved it attention to the emerging market of metrology solutions in the 3D-IC market. According to the company presentation, introduced today to investor in Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, the company believes the new semiconductors technology will widen its target markets.

Nova from the town of Rehovot, Israel, was founded in 1993 and employs approximately 370 employees. It provides metrology testing equipment for semiconductor manufacturing plants (FABs) around the world. During FY 2012, it reached total sales of $96.2 million with net income of $14.2 million.

The company eyes the 3D-IC market, following it successful launch of the innovative NOVA V2600, in July 2012. The System was developed in cooperation with IBM to control the production process of multi-chip integrations that rely on TSV (Through Silicon Vias). It allows for the first time accurate measurement of critical TSV features such as side-wall angle, bottom diameter, and bottom curvature.

The solution delivers complete TSV dimensional metrology in a high-throughput production-ready system for the industry’s transition to 3D integration in production. Soon after the introduction, Nova announced that two major customers ordered the Nova V2600 and there are “several engagements with other key customers.”

Yet, TSV technology is not a full 3D. It allows to vertically connecting different semiconductors dies, to achieve higher density inside the package. In its presentation today, the company predicted that during the next couple of years, the majority of leading semiconductor producers will adopt 20-14 nanometer processes of FinFET transistor type semiconductors.

This call for a new metrology systems for the industry, based on Optical Critical Dimension techniques. The OCD is NOVA’s core expertise and the transition to 3D Integrated Circuits is about to triple its total available market. Gabi Seligsohn, President and CEO of Nova, also said that the move to true 3D-IC will increase the number of measurements during the production process. Thus expand the company’s foot print in the production floor.

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Posted in: News , Semiconductors , Technology , Test and Measurement

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