FLX Series
Laser based film stress measurement for substrates up to 300 mm, built on KLA-Tencor’s patented dual wavelength design. Trusted in production fabs and research labs to detect cracking, voids, and drift.
FLX-2000-A
1 to 4,000 MPa
Stress measurement range
1.3 MPa
Repeatability
−65 to 500 °C
Temperature range with cooling option
25 to 300 mm
Substrate diameter across the series
Models
Four Configurations, One Measurement Platform
Models are grouped by maximum wafer size. The suffix indicates the stage: -S and -T add a temperature platform for stress versus temperature studies, and -R adds automated rotation for room temperature mapping.
200 mm · Entry platform
FLX-2000-A
High quality stress and radius measurement at a streamlined and affordable price. The same dual wavelength optics as the FLX-2320 models, without temperature control or the automated stage. Ideal for academic settings and low volume fabs.
Side by Side
Shared across all models: accuracy better than 2.5% or 1 MPa, whichever is larger, and a measurable radius of curvature from 2 m to 33 km. On mobile, the table shows the model selected above.
Automated platform
FLX-2320-L Automated Thin Film Stress Analysis
The FLX‑2320‑L is a fully automated thin‑film stress metrology platform engineered for high‑throughput production environments, featuring cassette‑to‑cassette robotic wafer handling and patented dual‑wavelength laser scanning for accurate stress characterization across reflective, transparent, and translucent films.
It delivers 1–4000 MPa stress measurement capability with 1.3 MPa (1σ) reproducibility and integrated 3D topography mapping, enabling precise monitoring of bow, curvature, and stress uniformity on 4–8 inch wafers.
Measurement stage
Cassette-to-cassette wafer handling robot
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Built on the FLX-2320-R measurement platform
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Single SEMI E1.7 cassette port for 25-slot cassettes
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Single-arm robot with a ceramic, Teflon-coated backside vacuum gripper
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Backside vacuum alignment and three-point PEEK wafer support
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Two configurations: 150 and 200 mm, or 100, 125, and 150 mm wafers
Measurement principle
Stress from Curvature, Measured by Laser
Stress forms when materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion are bonded together. As a coated wafer cools, film and substrate contract at different rates and the wafer bends. The FLX scans the substrate before and after deposition and calculates film stress from the change in radius of curvature.
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Patented dual wavelength laser selects the optimal wavelength for difficult films such as silicon nitride
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A single moving optical element keeps vibration low and accuracy high
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Works on all reflecting films and a wide range of substrate materials
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Stress measured and displayed as a function of time or temperature
Applications
Find Stress Related Failures Before They Reach the Next Step
01
Cracking and Voids
Identify metal and dielectric films at risk of cracking, voiding, and lifting, including passivation layers.
02
Thermal Behavior
Plot stress versus temperature to extract biaxial modulus and linear expansion coefficient.
03
Multilayer Stacks
Minimize net stress in multilayer films and characterize stress in membranes.
04
Process Control
Trend stress and uniformity across lots with SPC plotting and full wafer maps.
Software
Analysis Tools Included as Standard
Windows based software displays any combination of stress, time, surface deflection, and reflected light intensity.
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Biaxial modulus, linear expansion coefficient, and stress uniformity
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Water diffusion coefficient in dielectric films
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2D and 3D views of wafer topography
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Stress versus temperature curves and file subtraction
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Automatic recalculation when film or substrate thickness is corrected
3D wafer topography and stress map
Stress versus temperature curve
Surface deflection graph
Related systems
Pair Stress with Thickness, Resistivity, and Surface Profile
TohoSpec 3100
Spectroscopic film thickness from 100 Å to 30 µm on a tabletop platform.
View in Products
Napson Resistivity
Contact and non-contact sheet resistance mapping for metal and doped films.
View in Products
FPM Series
Non-contact 3D optical profiling for step height, roughness, and film topography.
View in Products
Evaluate the FLX on Your Wafers
Send coated and uncoated samples to our Chicago lab. An applications engineer will measure them and recommend the right configuration.