Ben Tsai: Inspection and Metrology to Support the Quest for Perfection

Photolithography for the Sub-10nm Nodes

In order to successfully realize the sub-10nm lithography roadmap, photolithographers and equipment and materials suppliers must work in close collaboration to mitigate yield-limiting defects and process variations in order to raise device yields and ensure robust progress in innovation. For more than 40 years, inspection and metrology equipment suppliers have led the semiconductor industry with innovative breakthroughs in process control; developing inspection and metrology solutions that address key lithography challenges.

This presentation outlines the process control challenges that lay ahead, highlight examples of technology innovations and those that are under development that will support the ecosystem of innovation and collaboration to help realize the sub-10nm lithography roadmap.

Ben (Bin-Ming) Tsai has been the Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Alliances at KLA-Tencor Corporation since October 2006. Dr. Tsai has more than 23 years of semiconductor industry experience and deep insights into future trends in semiconductor technology.

He started his career at KLA Instruments in 1984 and held a variety of management positions. He served as Group Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Systems of KLA-Tencor from 2000 to 2004 and was responsible for some of its key technology alliances for optics and sensors. He also served as General Manager for the Wafer Inspection Division at KLA-Tencor.

Prior to returning to KLA-Tencor in October 2006, Dr. Tsai served as a Senior Vice President of Technology at Tokyo Electron Limited from January 2005 to October 2006. He has been a Director of Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. since May 2008. He has served as a Director at Ultratech Inc. since October 2009. He has been granted more than 30 patents.

He received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Taiwan University and a Master's and a PhD in Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Tsai has also completed Executive Business Administration courses at the Stanford Executive Institute and the Japanese Efficiency Institute in Tokyo.