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To Step Up, Semiconductor Lithography Steps Down – Way Down

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Hank Hogan, Contributing Editor, [email protected]

For semiconductors, smaller is better. That’s why the industry may soon take a big step down. On the horizon is a switch from 193- to 13.5-nm-wavelength lithography. This extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) technology eventually could allow an almost tenfold shrinking of current chip features. The surest sign that EUV is about to be deployed after years of development is money, said Stefan Wurm. He is associate director of lithography at the Albany, N.Y., branch of Sematech, the Austin, Texas-headquartered semiconductor research consortium. In July 2009, leading lithography toolmaker...Read full article

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    Published: August 2010
    Glossary
    aperture
    An opening or hole through which radiation or matter may pass.
    chip
    1. A localized fracture at the end of a cleaved optical fiber or on a glass surface. 2. An integrated circuit.
    extreme ultraviolet
    Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) refers to a specific range of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. EUV radiation has wavelengths between 10 and 124 nanometers, which corresponds to frequencies in the range of approximately 2.5 petahertz to 30 exahertz. This range is shorter in wavelength and higher in frequency compared to the far-ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet regions. Key points about EUV include: Source: EUV radiation is produced by extremely hot and energized...
    light
    Electromagnetic radiation detectable by the eye, ranging in wavelength from about 400 to 750 nm. In photonic applications light can be considered to cover the nonvisible portion of the spectrum which includes the ultraviolet and the infrared.
    lithography
    Lithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the surface of substrates, typically silicon wafers. It involves the transfer of a desired pattern onto a photosensitive material called a resist, which is coated onto the substrate. The resist is then selectively exposed to light or other radiation using a mask or reticle that contains the pattern of interest. The lithography process can be broadly categorized into several...
    microscope
    An instrument consisting essentially of a tube 160 mm long, with an objective lens at the distant end and an eyepiece at the near end. The objective forms a real aerial image of the object in the focal plane of the eyepiece where it is observed by the eye. The overall magnifying power is equal to the linear magnification of the objective multiplied by the magnifying power of the eyepiece. The eyepiece can be replaced by a film to photograph the primary image, or a positive or negative relay...
    node
    In a communications network, a point at which data are received or from which they are sent. Though the term often is used synonymously with workstation, interconnection points in a network also are called nodes.
    plasma
    A gas made up of electrons and ions.
    reflective
    The term reflective is an adjective that describes the ability of a surface or material to reflect light or other forms of radiation. It implies the capability of bouncing back or redirecting incident light waves. The reflective property is often quantified by the reflectivity or reflectance, which is the ratio of reflected light intensity to the incident light intensity. Key points about the term reflective: Surface property: When a surface is described as reflective, it means that the...
    refraction
    The bending of oblique incident rays as they pass from a medium having one refractive index into a medium with a different refractive index.
    scanner
    1. A device used to trace out an object and build up an image. One of the most common of these types is video scanning. The scanning takes place inside the television tube as electrons, guided by electron optics, sweep linearly across a tube face coated on the inside with a phosphorescent material. A scanner can convert a paper drawing or photograph into pixels on a display screen. Scanners are also used to relay information in optical data processing. 2. A device that automatically measures or...
    wavelength
    Electromagnetic energy is transmitted in the form of a sinusoidal wave. The wavelength is the physical distance covered by one cycle of this wave; it is inversely proportional to frequency.
    AmericasapertureArF laserAsia-PacificASMLASML NetherlandsBrian TrafasCarl Zeiss SMTchipCommunicationsconversionCymer Inc.DARPAdeep-ultraviolet light sourceelectrodeEUVEUV Litho Inc.EUV scannerextreme ultravioletFeaturesGermanyGigaphoton Inc.Hank HoganHawaiiindustrialinspectionJapanKLA-Tencor Corp.KrF laserlightlithographylithography wavelengthLucas van GrinsvenMark Twainmask inspectionmaterials handlingmicroscopemicroscopic molten tin dropletNigel FarrarnodeplasmaprototypereflectiverefractionscannerSematechsemiconductorsStefan WurmTest & MeasurementWaferswavelengthWinfired KaiserLasers

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