KLA-Tencor (San Jose, CA) has acquired Nanopro (Frieburg, Germany), a privately held company specializing in advanced interferometric technology for measuring semiconductor-wafer shape and thickness. Critical for quality control during wafer manufacturing, wafer-shape measurements are also used by manufacturers of integrated circuits to monitor incoming wafer quality. The acquisition will extend KLA-Tencor’s existing technology portfolio for measurement of surface topography, which includes stylus profiling and laser-based stress management. Under the terms of the agreement, KLA-Tencor will create a surface-metrology research and development center in Freiburg, chartered with developing tools that incorporate the advanced interferometric technology.