Inotera Accepts SiGlaz Intelligent Defect Analysis Software

    /24-7PressRelease/ - SANTA CLARA, CA, May 11, 2008 - C SiGlaz, a world leader in defect spatial signature analysis (SSA) software, today announced that Inotera Memories, Inc, a leading memory manufacturer in Taiwan, has installed and accepted SiGlaz Intelligent Defect Analysis (IDA) software system. IDA software automatically analyzes the spatial distribution of defects on the wafer, using its patented algorithms, and notifies the user when it recognizes a signature. Defect spatial signatures may result from process excursions or from failures in process equipment.

At Inotera, IDA is playing a key role in process optimization and yield improvement. With the Defect Signature Analyzer application, Inotera engineers can develop custom signature libraries, as well as analysis and reporting recipes that will characterize a targeted production process step. As changes are made to the process, IDA will automatically monitor the results and precisely identify the number of occurrences of each signature type. As the process is improved, the number of signatures occurrences decreases.

Inotera has found that the flexibility of IDA to create new signature types is a major advantage over other SSA products. According to Daniel Chen, Department Manager of the Inotera Defect Team, ¡°We are very happy with the ease with which we can create new signatures. The speed and accuracy of IDA signature recognition is very high so it makes the defect engineer much more productive, and allows us to optimize the process more quickly.¡± IDA is configured to communicate directly with Inotera¡¯s MES System.

SiGlaz IDA software automatically classifies defects associated with a spatial signature. When the performance of the software is compared to a human expert, the average performance of classification has been above 90%.

Victor Luu, SiGlaz President and CEO said, ¡°We are very pleased to have an opportunity to work with Inotera to incorporate our SSA during the process optimization phase of the yield ramp. It allows us to experience a wide range of permutations for each signature type so that the signature libraries can be optimized, as well as the process. When the process is transferred to production, the signature libraries will be very well established and very accurate. When a defect signature is recognized, IDA will point the customer directly to the root cause.¡±

About SiGlaz

SiGlaz is a privately held corporation that provides manufacturers of integrated circuits, magnetic media and flat panel displays with intelligent software to increase productivity and yield. SiGlaz provides advanced image processing products and spatial signature analysis (SSA) software products that automatically analyze the large volumes of data that generated by inspection and metrology tools to determine the root cause of manufacturing problems in seconds.

About Inotera

Inotera Memories, Inc. was incorporated on January 23rd, 2003. Inotera is a joint venture between Qimonda AG and Nanya Technology Corporation. Inotera's production facilities have been designed to manufacture high-density and high-performance commodity DRAM ¨Dynamic Random Access Memory products using state-of-the-art trench technology. The combination of Qimonda's (the former Memory Products Group of Infineon Technologies) world leading technology and Nanya's cost-efficiency in mass production has resulted in an innovative company that is highly productive, highly competitive and at the leading edge in the DRAM industry.

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