As reported, Applied Materials Inc. has rolled out separate tools in two critical areas: chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and rapid thermal processing (RTP).

In another major rollout, Axcelis Technologies Inc. announced the Optima HDx high dose implanter. An extension of the company's Optima HD platform, the Optima HDx is a high current implanter.

The system's pot beam technology and short beamline deliver the industry's highest drift beam currents up to 36mA, or 38 percent, higher than its competitors, according to Axcelis.

Its AutoTune beam tuning system has accelerated both tune times and success rates, providing up to a 60 percent advantage over competitive systems, for increased fab productivity. Key to the systems enabling technology is the RadiusScan, which ensures the best across-wafer dose and angle process uniformity, as well as repeatability, according to the company.

Meanwhile, KLA-Tencor Corp. has expanded its wafer inspection portfolio, by rolling out the ICOS WI-2250. The system's automated optical inspection capabilities enable LED and MEMS products at increased yields, according to the San Jose-based company.

The new system also offers advanced rule-based binning (RBB) for real-time defect classification, advanced metrology capabilities, and faster throughput for inspection.

The new system will allow defect inspection of whole and diced wafers up to 200-mm, with macro inspection sensitivity in the pre- and post-dice inspection of high-brightness LEDs and MEMS wafers.

"The new ICOS WI-2250 addresses our customers' pre- and post-dice decision needs by helping them overcome the challenge of removing dies that have passed probe, yet still have visible defects, preventing these defective die from entering the expensive packaging process," said Jeff Donnelly, group vice president of the Growth and Emerging Markets Group at KLA-Tencor, in a statement.

"In addition, the improved, automated real-time classification and metrology capabilities of the ICOS WI-2250 are designed to reduce operator reclassification and manual metrology measurements, while improving inspection accuracy,'' he said.