Takeaways From The 2024 SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Conference

By Harry Levinson - 04 Dec, 2024 - Comments: 0

In the autumn, I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 SPIE Photomask Technology and EUV Lithography conferences, collectively referred to as PUV or sometimes BACUS, the latter a reference to the event’s early association with the BACUS organization. This is a key annual event that brings together experts and professionals in photomask technology and EUV lithography. This year’s conference... » read more

Luminary Panel Sees Progress In EUV Pellicle Adoption As Critical For EUV

By Jan Willis - 21 Nov, 2024 - Comments: 0

A significant focus of the 2024 SPIE Photomask and EUV conference was on EUV lithography and high-numerical-aperture (high-NA) EUV lithography, offering the potential to drive resolution to new heights. These EUV solutions bring new challenges such as pellicles, mask inspection, and smaller and smaller minimum mask dimensions. Progress has been impressive, according to lithography luminary Dr. ... » read more

High-NA EUV Complicates EUV Photomask Future

By Jan Willis - 17 Nov, 2022 - Comments: 0

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

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

EUV Pellicles Finally Ready

By Mark LaPedus - 22 Mar, 2021 - Comments: 0

After a period of delays, EUV pellicles are emerging and becoming a requirement in high-volume production of critical chips. At the same time, the pellicle landscape for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is changing. ASML, the sole supplier of EUV pellicles, is transferring the assembly and distribution of these products to Mitsui. Others are also developing pellicles for EUV, a next-gen... » read more

Challenges Linger For EUV

By Mark LaPedus - 11 Nov, 2020 - Comments: 2

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss lithography and photomask issues with Bryan Kasprowicz, director of technology and strategy and a distinguished member of the technical staff at Photronics; Harry Levinson, principal at HJL Lithography; Noriaki Nakayamada, senior technologist at NuFlare; and Aki Fujimura, chief executive of D2S. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. To vie... » read more

EUV’s Uncertain Future At 3nm And Below

By Mark LaPedus - 21 May, 2020 - Comments: 5

Several foundries have moved extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography into production at both 7nm and 5nm, but now the industry is preparing for the next phase of the technology at 3nm and beyond. In R&D, the industry is developing new EUV scanners, masks and resists for the next nodes. 3nm is slated for 2022, followed by 2nm a year or two later. Nonetheless, it will require massive funding... » read more

Multi-Patterning EUV Vs. High-NA EUV

By Mark LaPedus - 04 Dec, 2019 - Comments: 4

Foundries are finally in production with EUV lithography at 7nm, but chip customers must now decide whether to implement their next designs using EUV-based multiple patterning at 5nm/3nm or wait for a new single-patterning EUV system at 3nm and beyond. This scenario revolves around ASML’s current extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool (NXE:3400C) versus a completely new EUV system with... » read more

Inspecting, Patterning EUV Masks

By Mark LaPedus - 06 Nov, 2019 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss lithography and photomask trends with Bryan Kasprowicz, director of technology and strategy and a distinguished member of the technical staff at Photronics; Thomas Scheruebl, director of strategic business development and product strategy at Zeiss; Noriaki Nakayamada, senior technologist at NuFlare; and Aki Fujimura, chief executive of D2S. What fol... » read more

Mixed Picture Seen For EUV Masks

By Mark LaPedus - 16 Sep, 2019 - Comments: 0

The confidence level of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography continues to grow as the technology moves into production, but the EUV mask infrastructure remains a mixed picture, according to new surveys released by the eBeam Initiative. The EUV mask infrastructure involves several technologies that are in various stages of development. On one front, the outlook for several mask tool technol... » read more

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