Against a background of demand for generative AI and data centers, scaling and 3D realization of semiconductors are advancing at unprecedented speed. Needs are growing for next-generation memory such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and 3D DRAM as well as 2 nm and subsequent generations of logic semiconductor. To secure high performance in these devices, chipmakers are increasingly adopting superlattices (nanoscale integrated structures) using Si/SiGe (silicon/silicon-germanium) processes. To control these advanced internal structures appropriately, measurement technology that can accurately assess the composition and thickness of Si/SiGe films is indispensable, as it holds the key to improving product performance and yield.

To answer these needs, Rigaku developed the XTRAIA XD-3300, an original metrology system, designed and built entirely in-house, from the X-ray optical system to the detector and diffraction software. It is the world’s only system capable of performing of direct, non-destructive diffraction measurements of superlattice structures with the highest resolution on microscopic pads on wafers.

XTRAIA XD-3300’s original X-ray optical system is the key performance enabler. Combining ultra-high-performance mirrors with bent crystals, this system enables measurements to be completed at up to 100 times the speed of previous products. The diffraction measurement tasks that once took several hours can now be completed in just a few minutes.

Moreover, advanced diffraction software delivers accurate numerical results of the periodicity and boundary-surface quality of these complex, multilayer superlattices.

Rigaku expects sales of this product to exceed JPY 1 billion (approximately USD 6.9 million, based on an exchange rate of JPY 145 = USD 1) in FY2025. The Company has already completed expansion of production capacity, including completion of a new factory building and increasing the number of production booths to 15. From Q4 FY2025 onward, Rigaku expects to realize a rapid expansion in sales through deliveries to multiple global semiconductor manufacturers. The Company is aiming for sales of around JPY 10 billion (approximately USD 69 million) in FY2030.

Kiyoshi Ogata, Senior Executive Vice President and Product Division General Manager, offered the following remarks:

XTRAIA XD-3300 represents the crystallization of Rigaku’s leading-edge technologies. We have already delivered this system to multiple leading-edge semiconductor manufacturers that are developing next-generation semiconductors using Si/SiGe superlattices. As manufacturers move toward mass production of next-generation semiconductors, Rigaku expects to expand deliveries of XTRAIA XD-3300. We are confident that high-resolution, non-destructive measurements using X-ray diffraction will become increasingly important in the months and years ahead as a core technology supporting quality control in next-generation semiconductor production.

Features of XTRAIA XD-3300

·Direct visual non-destructive observation of microscopic structures with high-resolution
Provides detailed, non-destructive diffraction of the interiors of nanoscale, multi-layer structures, on fine pads less than 40 µm across. World-top-class resolution feeds directly into improved yield.
·100-fold increase in measurement speed compared with previous models
By using X-ray convergence optics with the latest mirror technology, the XTRAIA XD-3300 delivers the world’s brightest small-spot X-ray beam. This enables it to complete vast measurement tasks with blazing speed. Its high throughput makes easily adaptable into production lines.
·Incorporates of the only software capable of analyzing diffraction of complex superlattice structures
The advanced diffraction software delivers accurate numerical analysis of the periodicity and boundary-surface quality of Si/SiGe and other multilayer structures. This powerful capability supports both high volume manufacturing and the development phase of leading-edge memory and logic semiconductor devices.