KLA-Tencor Announces New FlashScan™ Product Line for Inspection of Optical and EUV Reticle Blanks

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"Advanced lithography begins with a well-characterized reticle blank," said Yalin Xiong, Ph.D., general manager of the Reticle and Broadband Plasma Wafer Inspection Division at KLA-Tencor. "Defect-free EUV blanks have been notoriously difficult to manufacture, driving up costs and delaying the benefits that EUV lithography may bring to next-generation chip manufacturing. Our new FlashScan blank inspectors capture a broad range of defect types on bare substrates, absorber films and photoresist coatings. In addition, FlashScan systems feature higher throughput and sensitivity than other systems currently on the market, accelerating cycles of learning for blank manufacturers and mask shops."

Leveraging laser scattering technology from KLA-Tencor's wafer defect inspection portfolio, the FlashScan systems meet sensitivity and speed requirements for all optical and EUV blanks currently in production or development. The three-channel collector, unique in the reticle inspection market, is designed to detect, size and discriminate among various types of reticle blank defects, such as pinholes in photoresist and fall-on particles that may appear during blank manufacturing or shipping.

Strong customer interest from leading mask shops testifies to the market's need for a high sensitivity, high productivity system promising the full range of defect type capture. To maintain the high performance and productivity demanded by blank and patterned reticle manufacturers, FlashScan systems are backed by KLA-Tencor's global comprehensive service network. More information about the new FlashScan product line, including a description of current models, can be found on the FlashScan web page.

About KLA-Tencor:
KLA-Tencor Corporation, a leading provider of process control and yield management solutions, partners with customers around the world to develop state-of-the-art inspection and metrology technologies. These technologies serve the semiconductor and other related nanoelectronics industries. With a portfolio of industry-standard products and a team of world-class engineers and scientists, the company has created superior solutions for its customers more than 40 years. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., KLA-Tencor has dedicated customer operations and service centers around the world. Additional information may be found at www.kla-tencor.com (KLAC-P).

Forward Looking Statements:
Statements in this press release other than historical facts, such as statements regarding the expected performance of the FlashScan systems and the effect of defect reduction in reticle blanks on the economic impact of EUV lithography, are forward-looking statements, and are subject to the Safe Harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in such statements due to various factors, including delays in the adoption of new technologies (whether due to cost or performance issues or otherwise), the introduction of competing products by other companies or unanticipated technological challenges or limitations that affect the implementation, performance or use of KLA-Tencor's products.

*Reticle blanks are composite substrates onto which the reticle pattern is written.

SOURCE KLA-Tencor Corporation

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