Summary

• Oxfordshire-based Infinitesima has introduced a new brand marking 25 years since its foundation in 2001.
• Its Metron3D system combines Rapid Probe Microscopy with optical measurement technology to deliver detailed three-dimensional surface measurements at manufacturing speeds.
• The company is targeting hybrid bonding, high-bandwidth memory, advanced packaging, and high-NA EUV applications while expanding its support capabilities in Korea and Taiwan.

Oxfordshire semiconductor metrology company Infinitesima is expanding its focus on high-speed, three-dimensional process measurement as advanced packaging and increasingly complex chip architectures place greater demands on semiconductor manufacturing.

The company has introduced a new brand identity to mark its 25th anniversary, reflecting its development from university research into a specialist equipment supplier serving major semiconductor manufacturers.

Founded in 2001 by Professor Andrew Humphris to commercialise work undertaken at the University of Bristol, Infinitesima has developed technology intended to combine the spatial detail of atomic force microscopy with the speed required for production environments.

Its Rapid Probe Microscope technology forms the basis of the Metron3D platform, which has already been qualified for high-volume semiconductor production. Infinitesima identifies SK hynix among its customers, with ASML and imec participating in research and development collaborations.

Chip manufacturing needs more detailed measurements

Semiconductor fabrication depends on controlling the physical characteristics of extremely small structures across repeated manufacturing steps. Variations in dimensions, surface shape, and material processing can influence whether a device performs within its intended specifications.

Metrology equipment provides measurements that engineers use to monitor these processes. Results collected during production can help identify variation, investigate defects, and determine whether equipment or operating conditions need adjustment.

The required measurement precision has increased as semiconductor architectures become more complex. Modern devices contain structures measured in nanometres, while some process-control tasks require sensitivity at the angstrom scale, where one angstrom equals one-tenth of a nanometre.

Optical metrology can inspect many features quickly, making it useful for high-volume manufacturing. However, particular three-dimensional structures and extremely small surface variations can be difficult to characterise adequately using optical measurements alone.

Atomic force microscopy offers a different approach. A highly sensitive probe examines the physical surface of a sample, allowing detailed information about its topography to be collected.

The technique has long been valuable in research and process development, but conventional scanning speeds can limit its suitability for manufacturing lines where substantial numbers of wafers must be inspected without interrupting production.

Infinitesima’s technology was developed to address that limitation. Its Rapid Probe Microscope combines high-speed probe actuation with optical and interferometric measurement techniques, providing detailed information about surface height while allowing the probe to operate more quickly.

Interferometry uses the properties of light to support highly precise measurements of position and displacement. In the company’s system, it contributes to the accuracy needed to reconstruct small surface features while the probe moves across the sample.

Infinitesima has also developed modes of operation intended to improve probe lifetime and support measurements of structures with substantial differences in height.

Production speed changes the commercial application

Metron3D is designed for 300mm semiconductor wafers, the substrate format widely used in advanced chip manufacturing.

Its automated functions include wafer handling, probe exchange, and the collection of measurement data. These capabilities are intended to support extended operation without requiring technicians to intervene after every measurement.

In July 2025, Infinitesima confirmed that SK hynix had released the system for use in high-volume DRAM manufacturing following an evaluation programme covering several process steps.

The company reported imaging throughput between ten and 100 times that of typical atomic force microscopy equipment, depending on the operating conditions and comparison being made.

Its published product specifications also describe throughput of up to 170 wafers per hour for particular automated inline process-control applications. Such figures represent technical capabilities under defined conditions rather than the performance of every inspection task.

Manufacturers must balance measurement detail against the time required to obtain information. An instrument can provide exceptionally accurate results but still be unsuitable for routine production if inspection delays exceed the limits of the manufacturing process.

Higher throughput can allow more measurements to be incorporated into process control, provided the equipment maintains the required accuracy and repeatability.

The results can help engineers assess whether changes in fabrication conditions are producing unwanted variation. Effective use also depends on how measurement information is connected to other manufacturing systems and decisions.

Advanced packaging introduces new interfaces

Semiconductor development increasingly involves combining several components within one package rather than relying entirely on a single large chip.

These architectures can use chiplets manufactured through different processes before being integrated into a more complex device. They offer opportunities to combine specialised computing and memory functions, but introduce additional physical interfaces requiring precise control.

Hybrid bonding is one example. The technique joins semiconductor structures through closely controlled surfaces and electrical connections, making surface topography and preparation important to the quality of the resulting interface.

Small variations can affect bonding performance or introduce defects, particularly as the dimensions of individual connections decrease.

High-bandwidth memory creates related challenges because multiple memory components are integrated into dense assemblies designed to deliver the data transfer rates required by advanced computing systems.

As manufacturing becomes more three-dimensional, measurements must account for the shape and condition of features that cannot necessarily be understood through a simple two-dimensional representation.

Infinitesima identifies advanced packaging, hybrid bonding, and memory manufacturing as areas in which its technology may support more detailed process control.

The company is also working on applications associated with high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet lithography, commonly known as high-NA EUV. This technology is intended to support smaller semiconductor features, creating additional requirements for monitoring the structures produced during fabrication.

In July 2025, Infinitesima announced a three-year development project involving ASML and imec. The programme includes placing a Metron3D system at imec to investigate capabilities relevant to hybrid bonding, advanced lithography, and three-dimensional logic devices.

The development project is separate from the system’s existing production deployment at SK hynix. Its objectives concern future applications and enhancements, rather than proof that every proposed process-control capability is already in routine commercial use.

Manufacturing adoption depends on reliability

Semiconductor equipment must meet demanding requirements for availability, repeatability, maintenance, and compatibility with automated production lines.

Probe-based metrology introduces particular considerations because the measurement tip can experience wear or damage during operation. Infinitesima’s automated probe library and exchange mechanisms are intended to help maintain operation as probes require replacement.

Customers also need reliable alignment and data management, allowing measurements to be associated with the correct wafer features and manufacturing processes.

As the complexity of chips increases, process-control systems must provide information quickly enough for engineers to respond before defects affect further production.

The commercial benefits of better measurements depend on whether that information helps improve yield, reduce unnecessary process adjustments, or identify manufacturing problems earlier.

Metrology contributes to those outcomes, although the quality of the complete production process also depends on materials, equipment settings, fabrication procedures, and engineering decisions.

Asian expansion follows established customer activity

Infinitesima plans to strengthen its applications and manufacturing presence in Korea and Taiwan, working with local partners to support semiconductor customers.

Both markets contain important fabrication and packaging operations, with manufacturers requiring specialist technical assistance when qualifying and maintaining equipment.

Local support can influence adoption because production customers may need rapid access to engineers, replacement components, calibration, and assistance connecting measurement systems with existing process-control infrastructure.

The company estimates that its addressable semiconductor metrology market could exceed US$6 billion over the next decade. This is Infinitesima’s own market projection, and the figure is not evidence of revenue already secured or a confirmed market share.

Its rebrand marks a corporate milestone, while the commercial development programme centres on further qualification of measurement technology for increasingly complex semiconductor structures.

With Metron3D already deployed in DRAM production and additional work under way with research partners, Infinitesima’s next phase will depend on expanding the range of manufacturing applications in which its instruments can meet the required standards for precision, speed, and operational reliability.