Challenges Grow For EUV


By Mark LaPedus In the late 1990s, a group led by Intel launched a consortium to propel extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography into the mainstream. Originally, the consortium, dubbed the EUV LLC, envisioned the advent of EUV scanners that would move into production at the 65nm node. Clearly, the now-defunct consortium underestimated the difficulties and challenges associated with EUV. ASM... » read more

EUV Remains Elusive


By David Lammers Intel’s decision to invest as much as $4.1 billion in ASML has raised overall confidence levels in EUV lithography, and should allow the Dutch lithography vendor to funnel more funds into the stubbornly difficult effort to raise the EUV source power. ASML has said it needs to reach 250 Watts of average source power to achieve the 125 wph throughputs sought by its early cu... » read more

EUV glass still less than half full, but level is rising


EUV first drew the semiconductor industry’s attention in the late 1990s, as lithographers began to consider the “post-optical” future. At that time, the future was expected to arrive with the 100-nm technology node, by 2004. ArF lithography turned out to be far more extensible than anticipated, though, and is still going strong fifteen years later. Which is fortunate given that, as we now... » read more

Cymer’s EUV Power Source Roadmap Slips


Amid record sales for the fourth quarter, Cymer Inc. disclosed that it has delayed the shipment of its 20 Watt extreme ultraviolet (EUV) power source upgrade unit by nearly a quarter. The company also remains under pressure to deliver a separate 100 Watt power source for EUV by mid-year. The main EUV tool vendor — ASML Holding NV — expects to ship its NXE:3300B, a full-blown, 13.5nm EU... » read more

EUV Focus Shifts To Affordability


By David Lammers Over the past year, key technologists in the semiconductor industry have come around to believing that EUV lithography will be available for critical mask layers in the next three to five years. What is still up for debate is whether EUV will be cost-effective for low-power consumer SoCs. To penetrate that cost-sensitive market, EUV must overcoming hurdles presented by masks, ... » read more

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