Nick Keller

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Nick Keller has been with Onto Innovation since its founding in 2019 and prior to that Nanometrics, which merged with Rudolph Technologies to become Onto, since 2007. Keller is now a Director of Applications Development and has been instrumental in developing infrared critical dimension technology and providing pathfinding simulations in support of other new products at pre-initiation phases. He has seven issued patents and over 25 publications.

Author's Latest Posts

Using Picosecond Ultrasonics To Measure Trench Structures In SiC Power Devices

By Nick Keller - 12 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

The road to the future is not always a smooth, trouble-free drive. Along the way, there may be unforeseen detours, potholes and accidents, each one capable of setting progress back. But for those behind the wheel, those obstacles are just a part of the journey. Such is the case for the automotive industry as it continues to steer away from gas-powered vehicles and turn toward hybrid and elec... » read more

Using OCD To Measure Trench Structures In SiC Power Devices

By Nick Keller - 08 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

You don’t have to be a dedicated follower of the transportation industry to know it is in the early stages of a significant transition, away from the rumbling internal combustion engine to the quiet days of electric vehicles. The signs of this transition are right there on the streets in the form of electric-powered buses, bikes and cars. The road to our electric future is before us, but we w... » read more

Using FTIR To Improve SiC Power Device Performance

By Nick Keller - 09 Jan, 2024 - Comments: 0

The figures alone are impressive: SiC power devices are experiencing an annual average growth rate approaching 34% through 2027, according to the Yole Group. However, the potential for this amongst other compound semiconductor-based power devices such as gallium nitride (GaN) to change the world around us is even more impressive. Thanks to the role that SiC-based devices play in the increase... » read more

3D NAND Needs 3D Metrology

By Nick Keller - 08 Aug, 2023 - Comments: 0

By Nick Keller and Andy Antonelli You’ve read the reports: the memory market is floundering as the semiconductor industry moves through another scarcity/surplus cycle. Be that as it may, innovation is happening as the industry continues to pursue increasingly higher three-dimensional stacks, with 3D NAND stacks taller than 200 layers entering production. However, there are challenges... » read more

Critical Moves: Advanced Logic Devices And CIS Benefit From Applications Using IRCD Metrology

By Nick Keller - 08 Feb, 2022 - Comments: 1

As 3D NAND continues to scale vertically — all in the name of increasing capacity and speed and reducing inefficiency and cost — maintaining channel hole critical dimension (CD) and shape uniformity becomes even more challenging. Faced with rising high-aspect ratios, addressing these challenges requires new inline non-destructive metrology to provide real-time process control. Infrared crit... » read more