tag: multi-beam mask writers

Curvilinear Masks Push The Limits Of Inspection And Metrology
By Gregory Haley - 27 May, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: Curvilinear masks require native data flows across design, mask data prep, writing, inspection, and metrology. Inspection is shifting from finding all defects to identifying which mask variations actually print on wafer. High-NA EUV will intensify inspection challenges, particularly for small printable defects and actinic contrast limits. Experts at the table... » read more

Mask Technology Faces A New Set Of Challenges
By Gregory Haley - 21 May, 2026 - Comments: 0

Key Takeaways: Mask inspection and repair remain the critical bottleneck, even as multi-beam writers have reduced mask-writing constraints. Curvilinear masks are becoming viable for critical layers, but qualification, metrology, and inspection standards still lag production needs. Scaling curvilinear requires curvilinear-native data flows, model-based checks, GPU/HPC compute, and les... » read more

Improving Uniformity And Linearity For All Masks
By Aki Fujimura - 29 Jan, 2025 - Comments: 0

When it comes to mask quality, there are two vital measurements: uniformity and linearity. Uniformity measures the consistency of the size of mask features in all occurrences across the entire mask, because different instances of the same target size can vary in size due to manufacturing variation. Linearity measures how well different sizes of shapes on the manufactured mask match their target... » read more

Luminary Panel Sees Multi-Beam Mask Writers And Curvilinear Masks Key To 193i And EUV
By Jan Willis - 24 Oct, 2024 - Comments: 0

Attendance was up and the mood was optimistic at this year’s SPIE Photomask and EUV conference held September 29 through October 3, 2024. The optimism was apparent as well for multi-beam mask writers and curvilinear masks during the eBeam Initiative’s 15th annual reception and meeting held on October 1. In the eBeam Initiative’s annual Luminaries survey, 93% of those surveyed said that pu... » read more

Multi-Beam Writers Are Driving EUV Mask Development
By Jan Hendrik Peters - 25 Jul, 2023 - Comments: 1

By Jan Hendrik Peters (bmbg consult) and Ines Stolberg (Vistec Electron Beam) The European Mask and Lithography Conference (EMLC) 2023, held in Dresden this past June, was attended by about 180 people and over 60 talks and posters were presented. With several keynote and invited talks over two and a half days, the conference gave an overview of the semiconductor and technology landscape in E... » read more

Multi-Beam Mask Writers Are A Game Changer
By Jan Willis - 22 Dec, 2022 - Comments: 0

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

2022 Survey: Luminaries Report Positive EUV Impact On Mask Trends
By eBeam Initiative - 19 Oct, 2022 - Comments: 0

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

The Changing Mask Landscape
By Jan Willis - 19 May, 2022 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor photomasks have undergone some major technology changes in the past few years after relatively minor changes for many years. New technologies such as multi-beam mask writers and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography are major breakthroughs as they ramp into high-volume manufacturing. A new trend related to these technologies is the use of curvilinear features on photomasks. Aki... » read more

Curvilinear Photomasks Can Be Made Today
By Jan Willis - 21 Apr, 2022 - Comments: 0

Multi-beam mask writers (MBMWs) and GPU-accelerated curvilinear ILT are enabling curvilinear photomasks to be made today. Despite the benefits of improved process windows, curvilinear photomask adoption is slow. Industry luminaries surveyed by the eBeam Initiative in 2021 ranked photomask inspection and infrastructure as the top barriers to adoption, as shown in figure 1. Yet only 4% say the b... » read more

Luminaries See Growth Opportunities For Photomask Writers
By Jan Willis - 20 Jan, 2022 - Comments: 0

Multi-beam mask writers (MBMWs) are the new kid on the block of the photomask writers, so growth predictions aren’t surprising. In fact, 90% of the industry luminaries surveyed by the eBeam Initiative think that new MBMW purchases will increase over the next three years, as shown in figure 1. Looking at that chart, industry luminaries predict sales of new photomask writers to increase across ... » read more

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