tag: photomasks

10nm Fab Challenges
By Mark LaPedus - 21 May, 2015 - Comments: 1

After a promising start in 2015, the semiconductor equipment industry is currently experiencing a slight lull. The pause is expected to be short-lived, however. Suppliers of [getkc id="208" comment="3D NAND"] devices are expected to add more fab capacity later this year. And about the same time, foundries are expected to order the first wave of high-volume production tools for 10nm. At 10nm... » read more

Next EUV Challenge: Mask Inspection
By Mark LaPedus - 16 Apr, 2015 - Comments: 2

Extreme ultraviolet ([gettech id="31045" comment="EUV"]) lithography is still not ready for prime time, but the technology finally is moving in the right direction. The EUV light source, for example, is making progress after years of delays and setbacks. Now, amid a possible breakthrough in EUV, the industry is revisiting a nagging issue and asking a simple question: How do you inspect EUV p... » read more

3D Effects At 20nm And Beyond
By Ann Mutschler - 19 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

At the 20nm process node and below, attenuated phase shift masks (PSM) are used in the photolithography process, which results in approximately 70nm of topography. This now must be accounted for using 3D mask approximation. Aki Fujimura, CEO of [getentity id="22864" comment="D2S"], explained that in terms of [getkc id="80" comment="lithography"], where simulation-based technologies are used,... » read more

Tech Talk: Moore’s Law
By Ed Sperling - 16 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 0

Aki Fujimara, CEO of D2S, talks with Semiconductor Engineering about the the technical challenges of scaling device and functionality, and the economics on cost per gate. [youtube vid=hBXtSCRbR64] » read more

5 Disruptive Mask Technologies
By Mark LaPedus - 19 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

Photomask complexity and costs are increasing at each node, thereby creating a number of challenges on several fronts. On one front, for example, traditional single-beam e-beam tools are struggling to keep up with mask complexity. As a result, the write times and costs continue to rise. Mask complexity also impacts the other parts of the tool flow, such as inspection, metrology and repair. I... » read more

Demonstrating The Benefits Of Source-Mask Optimization And Enabling Technologies Through Experiment And Simulations
By Mentor, a Siemens Business - 19 Feb, 2015 - Comments: 0

In recent years the potential of Source-Mask Optimization (SMO) as an enabling technology for 22nm-and-beyond lithography has been explored and documented in the literature. It has been shown that intensive optimization of the fundamental degrees of freedom in the optical system allows for the creation of non-intuitive solutions in both the mask and the source, which leads to improved lithograp... » read more

Tech Talk: Photomask Challenges
By Mark LaPedus - 22 Jan, 2015 - Comments: 0

GlobalFoundries' Bob Pack talks with Semiconductor Engineering about new problems experienced by photomask shops and how does lithography affects it all. [youtube vid=8hJwVhaZhFc] » read more

Design Rules Explode At New Nodes
By Ed Sperling - 17 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down changing design rules with Sergey Shumarayev, senior director of custom IP design at Altera; Luigi Capodieci, R&D fellow at [getentity id="22819" comment="GlobalFoundries"]; Michael White, director of product marketing for Calibre Physical Verification at [getentity id="22017" e_name="Mentor Graphics"], and Coby Zelnik, CEO of [getentity id="22478" e_name=... » read more

We Have Reached The Tipping Point For Simulation-Based Mask Data Preparation
By Aki Fujimura - 13 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 0

Since the beginning of the semiconductor industry, mask-data preparation (MDP) and mask verification (MV) have been shape-based: each shape has been treated as an entity unto itself, and if each isolated shape was correct, the mask was correct. This context independence is a critical assumption for conventional fracturing. However, as line/space measurements (L:S) fall below 50nm, shape-ba... » read more

Executive Insight: Elmar Platzgummer
By Mark LaPedus - 13 Nov, 2014 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss photomask and lithography trends with Elmar Platzgummer, chief executive of IMS Nanofabrication, an Austrian-based supplier of multi-beam e-beam tools for mask writing applications. SE: IMS has shipped the world’s first multi-beam e-beam system. Initially targeted for photomask writing, the tools are currently being tested in the field. How lon... » read more

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