Breakthrough Optical Lithography Tool For Sub-0.1 Micron Resolution
NEW TRIPOLI, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2000--A revolutionary optical lithography tool for patterning of semiconductor devices with feature sizes less than 0.1 micron resolution has been announced by Mulith Inc.
The tool is significantly less expensive than existing steppers and step-and scan systems from equipment manufacturers such as Silicon Valley Group Lithography (NasdaqNM:SVGI), Ultratech Stepper (NasdaqNM:UTEK), ASM Lithography (NasdaqNM:ASML), Nikon, and Canon, which are priced upwards of $6 million for sub-0.13 micron resolution at a wavelength of 193nm.
It completely eliminates the conventional optical systems of lenses, which cost about $1,000,000 per unit, and are available from companies such as Tropel, and excimer lasers from companies such as Cymer (NasdaqNM:CYMI), and Lambda Physik.
The ability to use optical lithography to sub 0.1 micron resolution eliminates the need for non-proven advanced technologies, such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), X-ray lithography (XRL), electron projection lithography (EPL), and ion projection lithography (IPL), which are being endorsed by numerous equipment and semiconductor companies companies such as Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU), Applied Materials (NasdaqNM:AMAT), Nikon, IBM (NYSE:IBM), Intel (NasdaqNM:INTC), Motorola (NYSE:MOT), AMD (NYSE:AMD), Infineon, Hitachi, and Toshiba
"With conventional lithographic tools on the market, the minimum feature size that can be printed is limited by the wavelength of light used," notes Greyson Gilson, President of Mulith Inc. "No such fundamental resolution limit exists for the new technology."
In addition, the new technology offers substantially improved depth of image field and image field size over conventional lithographic tools.
Eliminated also are the need for expensive resolution enhancement techniques (RET) used for optical extensions. These include off-axis illumination (OAI), phase shifting masks (PSM), and optical proximity correction (OPC), available from photomask suppliers such as Photronics (NasdaqNM:PLAB) and DuPont Photomasks (NasdaqNM:DPMI).
The technology is able to produce sub-0.1 micron resolution without the need for expensive DUV resists, which are still in the R&D stage, particularly 193nm resists. Using proven advanced I-line resist priced at $550/gal versus 248nm DUV resist at $1,400/gal further reduces cost of ownership of the system. |
