TOKYO — Rigaku Corporation has officially launched mass production of its XTRAIA XD-3300, a high-resolution microspot X-ray diffraction system aimed at addressing the evolving demands of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.
As the global semiconductor market pushes forward with advanced 3D chip architectures and smaller process nodes to meet surging demand from generative AI and data centers, precise and non-destructive metrology solutions are becoming increasingly critical. The XD-3300, developed entirely in-house by Rigaku, offers what the company claims is the world’s only system capable of direct, non-destructive diffraction measurements of superlattice structures on microscopic wafer pads with top-tier resolution.
Designed for use with nanoscale integrated structures such as Si/SiGe superlattices—key to the performance of cutting-edge memory technologies like high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and 3D DRAM, as well as logic chips at 2 nm and beyond—the XD-3300 enables rapid, accurate assessment of film composition and thickness, vital for optimizing yield and performance.
“XTRAIA XD-3300 represents the crystallization of Rigaku’s leading-edge technologies,” said Kiyoshi Ogata, Senior Executive Vice President and Product Division General Manager. “We have already delivered this system to multiple leading semiconductor manufacturers. As they enter mass production, we anticipate expanding shipments significantly.”
A standout feature of the system is its original X-ray optical technology, which uses ultra-high-performance mirrors and bent crystals to achieve measurement speeds up to 100 times faster than earlier models. Tasks that previously required several hours can now be completed in minutes, the company said.
The XD-3300 also includes proprietary diffraction software capable of precise numerical analysis of multilayer superlattice structures. It can evaluate periodicity and surface boundaries even on fine pads less than 40 micrometers across—critical for ensuring quality in high-density semiconductor designs.
Rigaku has ramped up production infrastructure to meet anticipated demand, completing a new factory and expanding to 15 production booths. The company projects sales exceeding ¥1 billion (approximately $6.9 million USD) in fiscal year 2025, with a longer-term goal of ¥10 billion (around $69 million USD) by FY2030 as adoption scales globally.
With non-destructive, high-throughput, and high-resolution measurements becoming essential for advanced semiconductor quality control, Rigaku positions the XD-3300 as a core technology for the next era of chip manufacturing.
