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Schott Researchers Develop New Phase-Shift Material

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Anne L. Fischer

A research and development team in Meiningen, Germany, has developed an advanced phase-shift material for Schott Lithotec AG of Jena, Germany. The material is suitable for 157-, 193- and 248-nm lithography, such as for use in DRAM memory and logic applications.

Schott Researchers Develop New Phase-Shift Material
Mask blanks offer the ability to independently adjust phase and transmission for specific applications in 157-, 193- and 248-nm lithography.

As feature sizes on semiconductor integrated circuits have shrunk, the wavelength used in the lithographic patterning of those features has become increasingly important. Schott's material features tantalum and silicon-dioxide layers rather than molybdenum silicide. The thickness of two layers can be fine-tuned for the desired lithography wavelength and transmission value, which defines the resolution and the minimum feature size that can be printed on a wafer.

Günter Hess, R&D manager at Schott Lithotec, said that the material makes the wafer fabrication process more productive and that it yields more reliable devices because it is designed for specific applications. For example, if a 10-nm-thick tantalum layer is needed to act as a reliable etch stop, a maximum transmission of 28 percent for 157- and 193-nm and 30 percent for 248-nm wavelengths can now be achieved.
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Published: July 2004
Glossary
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...
DRAM memoryindustriallithographylogic applicationsphase-shift materialResearch & Technologyresearch and developmentSchott Lithotec AGTech Pulse

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