Overview

The NanoSpec 8300X is a film thickness measuring system designed by Nanometrics for the semiconductor industry. It was first introduced in July 1996 at the SEMICON/West trade show and is capable of handling both 200mm and 300mm diameter wafers. The system incorporates both a spectroscopic ellipsometer and spectrophotometer, enabling it to accurately measure and analyze virtually any dielectric film used in semiconductor manufacture today. The development of the NanoSpec 8300X was part of a project launched by SEMATECH, a consortium of large U.S. semiconductor manufacturers, to develop tools for the eventual industry shift to the manufacture of ICs on 300mm semiconductor wafers, which are designed to allow lower production cost due to the ability to simultaneously manufacture many more chips per wafer.