Science & Technology 
Science and Technology
Science and Technology 
Tue, December 2, 2008
Rudolph s New Explorer Macro Defect Inspection System Gains Traction with Low Cost-of-Ownership
TOKYO--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--[ Rudolph Technologies, Inc. ] (NASDAQ: RTEC), a worldwide leader in process characterization solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, today announced the shipment of its new [ Explorer ][ ™ ][ Inspection Cluster ] to a major chip manufacturer located in Japan.
The Explorer Inspection Cluster meets the I.C. industry's need for an edge and backside inspection system with low cost-of-ownership to solve critical defectivity issues in advanced manufacturing processes. Rudolph pioneered the [ field of edge ] and [ backside inspection ], now in its third generation, with over 120 modules in the field.
"We are very pleased to see rapid acceptance of the new Explorer in spite of the currently challenging market conditions," said Ardy Johnson, Rudolph's vice president of marketing. "Controlling edge and backside defectivity has become one of the critical factors for enabling 45 nm and 32 nm processes, and the Explorer offers the right combination of sensitivity and cost of ownership to address these issues. In addition, our [ Discover™ ] data analysis software, offered as an option, further enhances efficiency by finding and classifying defect pattern signatures, thus eliminating the time-consuming task of classifying thousands of individual defects. The Explorer Inspection Cluster can be configured with the optimum combination of inspection capabilities to minimize cost-of-ownership and maximize return on investment."
The Explorer's flexible cluster design allows manufacturers to configure frontside, edge and backside inspection capabilities to meet specific process requirements. The edge [ (E30) ] and backside [ (B30) ] modules both use image-based inspection to provide a much richer data set than light scattering techniques, thereby enhancing accuracy in the sizing and classifying of defects. The improved sensitivity of the E/B permits the detection of defects down to 2 µm and 3 µm, respectively, on patterned wafers. The E30 module also provides metrology capability for the edge bevel profile and for multi-film edge bead removal and bevel clean processes. When the E30 and B30 modules are paired with the [ AXi940™ ] frontside module, the system can provide the all-surface data to correlate wafer edge and backside inspection results with improved yield.
Rudolph Technologies is a worldwide leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of high-performance process control metrology, defect inspection and data analysis systems used by semiconductor device manufacturers. Rudolph provides a full-fab solution through its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down costs and time to market. The company has enhanced the competitiveness of its products in the marketplace by anticipating and addressing many emerging trends driving the semiconductor industry's growth. Rudolph's strategy for continued technological and market leadership includes aggressive research and development of complementary metrology and inspection solutions. Headquartered in Flanders, New Jersey, Rudolph supports its customers with a worldwide sales and service organization. Additional information can be found on the company's web site at [ www.rudolphtech.com ].
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). In some cases, you can identify those so-called "forward-looking statements" by words such as "may," "will," "would," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "feels," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of those words and other comparable words. Rudolph wishes to take advantage of the "safe harbor" provided for by the Act and cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rudolph's control. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the impact of the slowdown in the overall economy, the uncertainty of the current global political environment, the potential for terrorist attacks, the potential for business disruptions due to infectious diseases, changes in customer demands for our existing and new products, the timing, cancellation or delay of customer orders and shipments, the timing of revenue recognition of shipments, new product offerings from our competitors, changes in or an inability to execute Rudolph's business strategy, unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems and changes in tax rules. Rudolph cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties as summarized in Rudolph's Form 10-K report for the year ended December 31, 2007 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are available at [ http://www.sec.gov ], the SEC's website, and at [ http://www.rudolphtech.com ], the Rudolph website. While these factors may be updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the SEC, Rudolph does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.