DURHAM, UK-Bede X-ray Metrology, a global provider of X-ray metrology systems to the semiconductor industry, announces that a new book titled "X-ray Metrology in Semiconductor Manufacturing" has just been published. The book, written by Keith Bowen, Bede's chief scientist, and Brian Tanner, a co-founder and director of Bede, focuses on the practical aspects of X-ray metrology and its application in solving new materials problems associated with device fabrication.

The book is split into three sections. First the book outlines the applications of X-ray metrology and the techniques that are best suited to each application. The second section delves into the techniques and theory behind the applications such as specular X-ray reflectivity, diffraction imaging and defect mapping. The final section provides technological details of each technique, answering questions commonly encountered in practice. The book provides real solutions to semiconductor manufacturing, with a focus on accuracy, repeatability and throughput.

Dr. Keith Bowen, FRS FREng, who established the company's U.S. office in 1996, was a director of Bede until retiring from the Board in 2005. His current position is chief scientist. Professor Brian Tanner, professor of physics and director of technology transfer at Durham University, is a co-founder and a non-executive director of Bede. Keith and Brian have been at the forefront of technological innovations in the field of non-destructive X-ray metrology at Bede since the early 1980s. The two have collectively published more than 400 scientific papers, and co-authored another book published in 1998 titled, "High Resolution X-ray Diffraction and Topography."

Professor Tanner says, "As device sizes reduce to the nanometric regime, X-ray metrology will become an ever more vital tool for materials processing control, since it measures materials with a radiation whose wavelength has atomic dimensions." Dr Bowen adds, "We have written a handbook that we believe will address the real needs of the fab engineer, taking into account the theoretical basis, its practical realization, and the critical issues of absolute traceability, repeatability and throughput in the fab."

The book has been published by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group (ISBN: 0-8493-3928-6) and was launched in January 2006. An order form may be obtained from the publishers or from the Knowledge Base of the new Bede X-ray Metrology Web site, www.bede.com

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