Metrology Analysis Tool For Photolithography Process Characterization At Advanced Nodes


Continued scaling of integrated circuits to smaller dimensions is still a viable way to increase compute power, achieve higher memory cell density, or reduce power consumption. These days, chip makers are using single-digit nanometer figures or even Angstrom to label their manufacturing technology nodes, which are associated with the size of features patterned during the lithography process. ... » read more

European Mask And Lithography Conference 2024 Worth Attending


The European Mask and Lithography Conference (EMLC) 2024 recently was held in Grenoble, France, and had about 190 participants from a wide range of companies and institutions. Being relatively new to the field of lithography (my background is EDA, machine learning, optimization) and not being a fan of gigantic conferences, I thought it would be a good idea to visit this conference. My main p... » read more

eBeam Initiative Marks Major Milestones Over 15 Years Of Photomasks And Lithography


The eBeam initiative celebrated its 15th anniversary at the recent SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning Conference. 130 members of the mask and lithography community attended the annual lunch to mark the milestone. The eBeam Initiative welcomed its 53rd member, FUJIFILM Corporation, having grown from 20 members and advisors at its launch. FUJIFILM is the first company from the chemical supply... » read more

Why Curvy Design Now? Manufacturing Is Possible And Scaling Needs It


Have you ever seen roots or tree branches take a 90-degree turn? Have you ever seen a river that takes a 90-degree turn? Nature doesn’t do 90-degree turns, or for that matter any sharp angle turns – not even 135 degrees. Yet the entire chip-design infrastructure is based on the Manhattan assumption of 90-degree turns. While it would take time to change, is there any doubt that a curvilinea... » read more