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To: Paul Dieterich who wrote (2632)9/22/1997 2:07:00 PM
From: Maxwell   of 25960
 
<<Intel is currently using SVGL scanners that use a Mercury (Hg) arc lamp for their exposure tool on the .25um process in production. I'm sure that they have also used this tool to do some early learning at .18um by shrinking just the poly level.>>

It is possible to get Mercury arc lamp to get .25um wavelength but the problem is that the intensity output at that wavelength compared to its other spectrum is very low. Thus SVGI used the micrascan technique where only a very small arperture of the lense is used to expose a small field of a chip. This is the best region of the lens optic and the stage would scan the rest of the field. This technique works but the THROUGHPUT IS VERY SLOW! Micrascan can get at best 20 WAFERS/HR! Ask Yousef yourself. ASM 300 stepper on the hand uses CYMER exicemer laser for illuminaion. Wavelegnth is coherent and intense. The WHOLE field is exposed and step. The linewidth uniformity across the field (consists of 2-4 chips/step) is unbelievably good. Throughput is 80 WAFERS/HR. Now ask yourself, a stepper costs $5M and a laser cost $500K and mercury lamp
$500. It would take 4 Micrascan to match 1 ASM througput. 4 Micrascan is $20M and an ASM is $5M+$500K. Which one do you want to buy? The reason Intel hesitates to convert to exicemer lasers is that they already got too many damn steppers with Hg lamps. What to do with them? Refurbish until they can't squeeze any use out of them. New steppers going to new built fabs will equip with excimer laser steppers.

Maxwell
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