Agile systems engineering approach towards high-throughput 3D metrology equipment for semiconductor process control

In the semiconductor industry, Moore’s law comes with increasing and complex demands and the need for advanced process control metrology. Nearfield Instruments fulfils these needs with their high-throughput scanning probe metrology (HT-SPM) systems. January 2018, they started working on their first product, QUADRA. By rigorously adhering to an agile systems engineering methodology and promoting the concept of a minimum viable product, as described in this Mikroniek article, Nearfield Instruments was able to develop, integrate, test, and subsequently ship their first QUADRA to a major semiconductor fab in December 2020.