Metrology Strategies For 2nm Processes


Metrology and wafer inspection processes are changing to keep up with evolving and new device applications. While fab floors still have plenty of OCD tools, ellipsometers, and CD-SEMs, new systems are taking on the increasingly 3D nature of structures and the new materials they incorporate. For instance, processes like hybrid bonding, 3D NAND flash devices, and nanosheet FETs are pushing the bo... » read more

Process Innovations Enabling Next-Gen SoCs and Memories


Achieving improvements in performance in advanced SoCs and packages — those used in mobile applications, data centers, and AI — will require complex and potentially costly changes in architectures, materials, and core manufacturing processes. Among the options under consideration are new compute architectures, different materials, including thinner barrier layers and those with higher th... » read more

Devices And Transistors For The Next 75 Years


The 75th anniversary of the invention of the transistor sparked a lively panel discussion at IEDM, spurring debate about the future of CMOS, the role of III-V and 2D materials in future transistors, and what will be the next great memory architecture.[1] Industry veterans from the memory, logic, and research communities see high-NA EUV production, NAND flash with 1,000 layers, and hybrid bon... » read more

Screening For Silent Data Errors


Engineers are beginning to understand the causes of silent data errors (SDEs) and the data center failures they cause, both of which can be reduced by increasing test coverage and boosting inspection on critical layers. Silent data errors are so named because if engineers don’t look for them, then they don’t know they exist. Unlike other kinds of faulty behaviors, these errors also can c... » read more

Multi-Beam Mask Writers Are A Game Changer


The eBeam Initiative’s 11th annual Luminaries survey in 2022 reported strong purchasing predictions for multi-beam mask writers, enabling both EUV and curvilinear photomask growth. A panel of experts debated remaining barriers to curvilinear photomask adoption during an event co-located with the SPIE Photomask Technology Conference in late September. Industry luminaries representing 44 compan... » read more

High-NA EUV Complicates EUV Photomask Future


The eBeam Initiative’s 11th annual Luminaries survey in 2022 reported EUV fueling growth of the semiconductor photomask industry while a panel of experts cited a number of complications in moving to High-NA EUV during an event co-located with the SPIE Photomask Technology Conference in late September. Industry luminaries representing 44 companies from across the semiconductor ecosystem partic... » read more

2022 Survey: Luminaries Report Positive EUV Impact On Mask Trends


The eBeam Initiatives 11th Annual Luminaries Survey from July 2022 shows • EUV viewed as a positive impact for mask revenue • EUV remains the top reason for purchasing multi-beam mask writers • Confidence remains high in ability to make curvilinear masks with availability of multi-beam mask writers less of an issue this year Click here to read the survey results. » read more

Hunting For Macro Defects: The Importance Of Bare Wafer Inspection


As logic and memory semiconductor devices approach the limits of Moore’s Law, the requirements for accuracy in layer transfer become increasingly stringent. One leading silicon wafer manufacturer estimates that 50% of epitaxial wafer supply for logic will be on nodes equal to or less than 7nm. This is up approximately 30% from earlier in the decade. To meet the demands of extreme ultraviol... » read more

Particle Removal From EUV Photomasks


This technical paper titled "AFM-Based Hamaker Constant Determination with Blind Tip Reconstruction" was just published by researchers at ASML, RWTH Aachen University, and AMO GmbH. The research reports a vaccuum AFM-based approach for particle removal from EUV photomasks. Find the technical paper here. Published August 2022. Ku, B., van de Wetering, F., Bolten, J., Stel, B., van de K... » read more

How Overlay Keeps Pace With EUV Patterning


Overlay metrology tools improve accuracy while delivering acceptable throughput, addressing competing requirements in increasingly complex devices. In a race that never ends, on-product overlay tolerances for leading-edge devices are shrinking rapidly. They are in the single-digit nanometer range for the 3nm generation (22nm metal pitch) devices. New overlay targets, machine learning, and im... » read more

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