N&k Technology

n&k Technology, Inc., of San Jose, California, was founded in 1992 by Drs. Rahim Forouhi and Iris Bloomer. n&k Technology manufactures state-of-the-art optical metrology tools for the semiconductor, photomask, data storage, flat panel display and solar cell industries. The company offers exceptionally high resolution thin film and scatterometry measurement systems. n&k's thin film measurement systems accurately and repeatably determine thicknesses, n and k spectra and energy band gap of ultra-thin and ultra-thick films comprising single-layer and multi-layer film stacks. Films can be deposited on either rough or smooth surfaces." n&k's scatterometers accurately and repeatably determine depth, CD, and profiles of simple and complex trenches and contact holes, with small or large pitches. In addition, n&k scatterometers measure ultra-thin films incorporated in such 2-D and 3-D structures; plus n&k scatterometers measure structures with high aspect ratios, as well as Epi-Silicon layers and ultra-thick films. The core technology is based on DUV-Vis-NIR (or IR) broadband spectrophotometry utilizing patented reflective optics, in conjunction with the Forouhi-Bloomer dispersion equations and Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis. n&k's metrology tools are field-proven, production-worthy, fast, and non-destructive, enabling process control and yield improvement of technological devices involving thin films, trenches, and contact holes.