Benzinga | Dec 1, 2020 07:02AM EST

Nova Announces Launch of Nova ELIPSON, A Breakthrough Materials Metrology Platform

Nova (NASDAQ:NVMI) today announced the launch of Nova ELIPSON(tm), a revolutionary materials metrology solution. The new in-line standalone metrology platform is designed to measure materials properties such as stress, strain and surface for both Memory and Logic applications. Built from the ground up, combining breakthrough capabilities, Nova ELIPSON(tm) delivers new materials information and characteristics unmatched by any other in-line materials metrology system. Nova ELIPSON(tm) is already installed at several customer sites and the Company expects to recognize initial revenue in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The evolution of semiconductors requires performance improvement in each new technology generation introduced to the market. Dimensional scaling is no longer the only method to deliver the performance required for advanced technology nodes today. Driven by the need to improve performance beyond dimensional scaling, materials engineering is gaining momentum in many production steps as part of the wafer fabrication process. Alongside the introduction of novel materials and compounds, new advanced process control capabilities are necessary to shorten time to market.

Nova ELIPSON(tm) utilizes advanced Raman Spectroscopy technology for Optical Materials Metrology (OMM) to extract materials properties of in-die structures by fast and non-destructive means. Since its discovery, Raman Spectroscopy has been increasingly adopted for research and diagnostics in laboratory environments. However, the exceptionally tight requirements on accuracy, stability, and reliability prevented adoption in semiconductor fabrication facilities. Nova has taken this technology to the next level, offering high metrology performance, field-proven reliability and an advanced algorithm suite, making this versatile metrology solution highly suitable for in-line high-volume manufacturing. Nova ELIPSON(tm) has been demonstrated on a rich portfolio of applications across all semiconductor segments.

"Nova's innovative approach is demonstrated again with the launch of this breakthrough platform. Materials engineering is becoming a crucial element in developing new semiconductor devices and our goal is to expand our Materials Metrology portfolio to meet the challenging demands arising from this technology evolution. Nova ELIPSON(tm) is the first significant milestone towards meeting this goal," said Eitan Oppenhaim, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nova. "Investing in research-grade innovative technologies, such as Nova ELIPSONTM, represents a major strategic milestone to propel our organic growth and enhance our differentiated offering in evolving markets."