Qnity Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: Q) has installed a Surfscan SP7XP unpatterned wafer defect inspection system from KLA at its New England Manufacturing & Technology Center in Marlborough, Mass., according to a press release from the company.

The system is designed to support defect detection and process control during materials development and manufacturing. Qnity said the equipment expands its characterization capabilities and is intended to help identify sources of variation earlier in materials development.

The installation is part of Qnity's broader investment strategy aimed at supporting the development of advanced lithography materials, including its Epic photoresist family for ArF lithography, its Eon photoresist family for extreme ultraviolet lithography, and related underlayer materials.

"Developing breakthrough materials for advanced semiconductor technologies requires deep insight into performance and quality at every stage of development and manufacturing," said Julia Woertink, VP of Technology, Semiconductor Technologies, Qnity.

James Seale, general manager at KLA, said in the release that "process qualification, monitoring and defect characterization are key enablers for the quality and reliability required in advanced semiconductor applications."