ABSTRACT
As integrated circuits (IC) are incorporated into more and more products, the market demand for lower cost, higher performance devices continues to grow. In order to design and manufacture a high performance integrated circuit cost-effectively, the parameters o f the manufacturing process need to be carefully controlled: film thicknesses and material properties must be accurate, uniform and controlled; linewidths and edge profiles must fall within tight limits, and the devices need to be free o f defects that affect yield.
