Machine Learning

With technology nodes continuing to shrink, wafer structure – with its increasing levels of ambiguities – has become more complicated.

Nova is continuously developing deep machine learning capabilities enabling the company’s tools to learn without human programming. This multidisciplinary area involves computer and mathematic sciences, statistics, data mining, and information theoretic approaches. Nova’s innovative and unique approach to Machine Learning models enables the development of state-of-the-art solutions specifically tailored to the needs of the semiconductor industry.

Nova’s Machine Learning algorithms extract valuable information from input data regardless of training sample availability. In addition, they simultaneously extract accurate information, while maintaining the smallest possible computation load and training set size.

­­Machine Learning

Highlights and Benefits

Automated Procedures

Training Set Availability

Short Setup Time

High Stability

Automated Procedures

Training Set Availability

Short Setup Time

High Stability

Automated Procedures

Machine leaning model is fully automated, as opposed to full model construction that requires expert optimization work

Training Set Availability

Model requires only an input dataset, which is usually present on customer sites

Short Setup Time

Nova’s algorithms utilize advanced computational methods to minimize training time

High Stability

Models are easily updated, due to automated training, after the detection of baseline changes, while results are kept stable over time

­­Machine Learning technology

Why Machine Learning?

As technology nodes continue to shrink, wafer structure – with its increasing levels of ambiguity – has become more complicated. Though physical modeling is the measurement method of choice, a model-less approach such as machine learning may provide a more rapid solution.

How it Works?

Machine learning receives input data and corresponding responses, and then learns the relationship between them. The learning process is an optimization problem that minimizes errors between the predicted output and reference response. The output is an estimator used to predict the future response of unseen data. Suggesting a correct tunable mapping of input into output is the root of the process: Nova’s vast experience with model-based approaches helps devise these mappings.

By perusing the most accurate prediction, the algorithm developer needs to determine the type of algorithm (e.g. neural network, support vector machine, PCA) and the optimized set of hyper-parameters. Deep knowledge of Nova’s tools enables the company to characterize expected tool noise characteristics at an unprecedented level of accuracy.

Since training, validation and testing are done at the customer’s site, Nova’s algorithm needs to be fully automated. The hyper-parameter selection algorithm is generic and versatile enough to produce correct predictions on data coming from different technology processes and measurement tools. The solutions are also designed to be robust to variations in training set sizes. These requirements are achieved while maintaining the accuracy demanded by customers.

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Press Releases

Global Logic Manufacturer Selects Nova’s Latest Materials Metrology Platform

Global Logic Manufacturer Selects Nova’s Latest Materials Metrology Platform

12 Oct, 2021
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IBM Research and Nova Jointly Awarded the “Best Metrology Paper” at SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference

IBM Research and Nova Jointly Awarded the “Best Metrology Paper” at SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference

26 Apr, 2022
Read More

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Authored by: Sasmita Srichandan, Franz Heider, Georg Ehrentraut, Stephan Lilje, Christian Putzi, Sanja Radosavljevic, Egidijus Sakalauskas
Authored by: Hyunwoo Ryoo*a, Seul Ji Songb, Min Ji Jeona, Juhyun Moonb, JiHye Leea, ByungHyun Hwanga, Jeongho Ahna, Yoon-jong Songb, Hidong Kwaka, Lior Neemanc, Noga Meirc, Jaehong Jangd, Ik Hwan Kimd, Hyunkyu Kimd
Authored by: Stefan Schoeche*a, Katherine Siega, Daniel Schmidta, Mohsen Nasseria, Shogo Mochizukia, Marinus Hopstakenb, Yaguang Zhuc, Li Xiangc, Julia Hoffmanc, Daniel Lewellync, Paul Isbesterc, and Sarah Okadac
Authored by: Jaesuk Yoona, Jongmin Parka, Minjung Shina, and Dongchul Ihma, Oshrat Bismuthb, Smadar Ferberb, Jacob Ofekb, Igor Turovetsb, Isaac Kim, aFlash Process Development Team MI, Samsung R&D Center, Hwaseong, Korea, NOVA Ltd, Rehovot, Israel, Nova Measuring Instruments Korea Ltd., Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Authored by: Jun Chen, Xinheng Jiang, Keisuke Goto, Takashi Tsutsumi, Yasutaka Toyoda Hitachi High-tech Corp.,
Authored by: Stefan Schoeche, Daniel Schmidt, Junwon Han, Shahid Butt, Katherine Sieg, Marjorie Cheng, Aron Cepler, Shaked Dror, Jacob Ofek, Ilya Osherov, and Igor Turovetsc IBM Research, 257 Fuller Road, Albany, NY 12203, USA Nova Measuring Instruments Inc., 3342 Gateway Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538, USA Nova Ltd., 5 David Fikes St., Rehovot, 7632805, Israel