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Technology Stocks : General Lithography

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To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (1122)	8/3/1999 7:32:00 PM
From: Andrew Vance	of 1305

August 3, 2:00 pm ET - Motorola Unveils First Large-Area - Full-Field - Masks for Electron Projection and Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Technologies (BUSINESS WIRE) - Motorola (NYSE: MOT) announced that it has developed new technologies for fabricating integrated circuit (IC) masks for both electron projection and extreme ultra violet type lithography that can be used to manufacture devices with feature sizes below 100 nanometers. Mask technology is widely held to be a key enabler for the industry to move to next generation lithography for ICs. The two new technologies require new types of materials and processes for fabricating masks and embody a different philosophy for how masks handle the radiation used to expose IC patterns on the surface of silicon wafers. Motorola is the first to demonstrate the capability of yielding full-field large area masks capable of processing practical chip sizes. For electron projection processing, the new mask consists of an extremely thin membrane material approximately 1000 angstroms thick with an overlying patterned surface material capable of scattering electrons to create an image of the pattern on the wafer. By adjusting the patterns on the mask, silicon wafers can be processed much like today's process steps. The technology for extreme ultra violet (EUV) mask processing involves use of a reflective multi-layer mask blank upon which a very thin absorbing material is patterned to create the image. "The industry has gone about as far as it can with today's chrome on glass technology using phase shifting and optical proximity resolution enhancement techniques,'' said Joe Mogab, manager of Advanced Process Development. "We think this new technology will allow us to finally go below 0.1 micron level processing.'' Motorola is a member of the EUV LLC, a consortium formed with Intel and AMD to develop advances in EUV technology, and has jointly developed the EUV mask processing technology with its partners. The EUV LLC has been working with a team of scientists and engineers from three national laboratories (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories) where the technology for fabricating the multi-layer EUV mask blanks is under development. Motorola expects that developing these new mask technologies will provide an early advantage in having masks available to print smaller feature sizes for ICs early in the next millennium. Because of the revolutionary nature of the technology, it will take time to develop an advanced manufacturing process that is capable of handling this new approach. Motorola's first full-field microprocessor die mask pattern on an EUV mask and an electron projection resolution test pattern over a full field 200 mm diameter mask were exhibited at the International Sematech Advanced Lithography Workshop in Chicago last June. These were the world's first large area masks for these technologies, establishing Motorola as a next generation lithography reticle technology leader. Mogab noted that Motorola will probably not elect to manufacture its own masks. "Our objective is to develop proficiency in the fabrication of these masks. Ultimately we will transfer the processes to mask suppliers.''

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