Matsushita, Sharp join lithography consortium
By Yoshiko Hara
EE Times
January 7, 2002 (5:32 a.m. EST)
eetimes.com
TOKYO — Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and Sharp Corp. have joined the Leepl Technology Consortium, which is pursuing low-energy electron-beam proximity projection lithography (Leepl) as the next-generation lithography choice. Nippon Control System Corp., a mask data-conversion system manufacturer, has also joined, bringing the consortium's roster to 19 companies.
Leepl, which has been proposed as the technology to take the chip industry beyond the 70-nanometer manufacturing node, relies on real-size e-beam projection combined with techniques from X-ray lithography. Leepl employs stencil masks positioned as close as 50 microns from a wafer, printing patterns in the 1x masks onto a wafer using low-energy parallel e-beams.
Proponents say the pairing of proximity with real-size projection eliminates the need for lenses and makes the lithography system simple and low-cost.
The Leepl consortium was founded in June by equipment maker Tokyo Seimitsu Co. Ltd., its subsidiary Leepl Corp. and Sony Corp.
Tokyo Seimitsu positions the Leepl technology as a strategic beachhead for entering the stepper market. The company plans to build a dedicated Leepl factory in Hachioji, Japan, with a production capacity of 30 Leepl lithography units per month.
Matsushita and Sharp bring to six the number of chip houses that have joined the consortium. The others are NEC, Rohm, Sony and Texas Instruments. |
