At ASML's Twinscan intro, barely a mention of immersion
By Peter Clarke
Silicon Strategies
10/21/2003, 2:33 PM ET
VELDHOVEN, The Netherlands -- At the introduction of the XT:1250, the next Twinscan family member that is designed to take customers in both 300-mm and 200-mm wafer fabs to 65-nm manufacturing process technology in 2004 on 193-nm wavelength lithography, ASML Holding NV barely mentioned the I word: immersion.
It was left to an analyst in a conference call to ask whether the upgraded 193-nm wavelength machine could also serve as a platform for immersion lithography, the technique of using optical lithography under water sometimes denoted as 193i.
Paul van Attekum, vice president of marketing and technology, who was answering such questions on behalf of ASML, said that in a parallel but related development program the company is studying immersion aspects, but no timing was given.
From disclosures made by ASML president and chief executive officer in a conference call last week (see October 16 story) it appeared that progress is being made in developing an immersion version of the Twinscan platform.
When asked how the arrival of the Twinscan XT:1250 would affect the predecessor Twinscan AT:1200 van Attekum admitted that the XT:1250 would supercede the AT:1200.
"Over the years we will standardize towards XT," he said.
The fact that ASML is still keen to promote 157-nm dry lithography is one reason why the company is not shouting about immersion even at the 193-nm wavelength.
But as van Attekum said when asked if the Twinscan XT:1250 was one reason that 157-nm lithography is getting pushed out to the 45-nm node: "More and more our customers want to stick with the technology they already have." |
