Timing is everything in thin film etching. Having the process halt at the right moment is critical to protecting underlying layers, maintaining uniformity, and maximising yield. This level of control hinges on thin film end point recipes, logical frameworks that interpret real-time secondary ion mass spectrometry signals to detect when a target layer has been removed. Developing these recipes, however, has traditionally required time-consuming, wafer-dependent trials that drain resources and make it difficult to test and optimise detection methods. Data replay offers a more precise approach to developing and refining thin film end point recipes, enabling engineers to analyse actual SIMs signals offline and adjust detection logic with greater accuracy and confidence. Read more
