Dektak Stylus Profilers
Best-In-Class Stylus Profilers
Bruker's Dektak® stylus profilometers are the culmination of over five decades of proprietary technology advances. They provide repeatable, reliable, and accurate measurements — from traditional step height measurements and 2D roughness surface characterization to advanced 3D mapping and film stress analyses. With over 10,000 systems installed around the world, Dektak surface profilers have been widely accepted as the gold standard for measuring thin film thickness, stress, surface roughness and form in diverse applications areas from academic research to semiconductor process control.
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Over Fifty Years of Profiling Innovation
The Dektak brand boasts the first profiler for thin film measurements, the first microprocessor-based profiler, the first profiler with 3D capability, the first PC-based profiler, the first automated 300mm profiler, the first profiler to implement a single-arch design, and the first to harness 64-bit parallel processing architecture. Now, Dektak Pro provides an expanded measurement area up to 200 mm of full-sample access for semiconductor applications, as well as a shortened time to results.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stylus Profilometry Technology
Stylus profilometers trace a low force, sharp tip across the surface to record height as a function of position. From that line trace, surface roughness, step height, waviness, and form can be calculated. Modern systems also support recipe based workflows for these measurements.
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Though the native measurement for stylus is a line profile, 3D maps are built by stitching multiple line traces across an area, providing areal visualization and statistics.
Stylus can be a good choice when sample surfaces are transparent or non-reflective surfaces, and when long scan lengths or large vertical ranges are needed. It is also often the most economical path to traceable roughness and step‑height metrology for growing labs. Optical methods often deliver faster 3D areal maps; AFM excels at ultra‑high lateral resolution over small fields of view.
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Stylus profilers are typically used to measure Ra, Rq, Rz, step height, waviness, and form. Parameters like Ra, Rq, and Rz come from the filtered profile, while step height, waviness, and form are computed from leveled, standardized traces. Proper cutoff selection and leveling are essential so results are comparable across sites and operators.
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For step height, typical vertical repeatability is on the order of a few angstroms to ~1 nm under controlled conditions, with sub‑nanometer repeatability possible on optimized setups and certified standards. Some key variables affecting accuracy and repeatability are tip condition/geometry, applied force, sample fixturing, vibration/thermal stability, and analysis procedures.
Typically, in fact our acceptance criteria is on a 100nm step height with 4 angstrom repeatability, which is about a .4% repeatability.
Benchtop systems can accommodate small coupons up to 8-inch full wafers, while production models (like DektakXTL) support up to 12-inch wafers and panels up to 350mm square; including encoded stages and multi‑site automation. Exact limits depend on the model, stage travel, and accessories.
Sample thickness can be up to 50mm. Geometries are typically flat. Wafers held down with vacuum chuck to limit contact of wafer surface.
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Lateral resolution is limited by tip radius, so choosing an appropriate tip is important. Steep slopes and narrow features can be misrepresented if the tip cannot access them fully. Very soft or tacky films may require minimal force and specific tips; in some cases, an optical profilometer may bebetter suited.
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