November 1, 2004, Leuven, Belgium--IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) and ASML have agreed on the installation of a full-field extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pre-production tool, to be installed in IMEC's 300-mm research facility in late 2005. An IMEC Industrial Affiliation Program on EUV lithography will begin in early 2006 and will focus on the 32-nm node and beyond.
To ensure that EUV technology is ready when the transition from 193-nm immersion lithography takes place, IMEC initiating an industrial affiliation program to gain early insight into EUV lithography issues. The program will include investigation into the following areas:
- Optical path stability and monitoring;
- EUV lithography reticle handling (including cleaning) in a wafer fab and defect printability;
- Assessment of line edge roughness (LER) in EUV lithography and its relation to shot noise;
- EUV lithography resist assessment and process optimization, in particular searching for a resist with the required sensitivity for EUV, but with acceptable line edge roughness and capable of a 32-nm half pitch resolution;
- 32-nm node critical layer patterning;
- Printable defects of EUV masks.
The program details will be defined in collaboration with IMEC's core partners--including Infineon Technologies, Intel, Matsushita, Philips, Samsung, and Texas Instruments--over the next six months.
According to IMEC, there is a growing consensus that 193-nm immersion lithography will be introduced for 65-nm half-pitch in 2007, and the outlook is positive for its extension to 45-nm half-pitch. However, it will be very hard to get to the 32-nm half-pitch since this will require a very high-NA lens and a high-index fluid, which are very uncertain at this moment. EUV lithography is a potential candidate for semiconductor volume product imaging at and below 32 nm.
"This agreement enables us to provide our partners with one of the world's first full-field EUV lithography tools," said Luc Van den hove, vice president, silicon process and device technology, IMEC. "With ASML's cooperation, IMEC's core partners and other participating companies will have the opportunity to develop the necessary critical knowledge and early process expertise well before 193nm immersion runs out of steam."