Info on mask technology.............
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 1997--SEMATECH Friday
announced the rationale for the workshop on advanced lithography to
be held Nov. 4-7 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"This is a critical meeting for advanced lithography" said Karen
Brown, SEMATECH's Director of Lithography. "We want to be sure that
the industry is fully informed. We see the role of SEMATECH, the
sponsor for the meeting, as facilitating the exchange of information
and data about the various advanced lithography options.
"The data exchange and discussion will lead to improved programs
in all of the options, as the world's best lithography experts will
be inputting their comments. In addition, the workshop should also
help crystallize the problems which are common across all of the
options, and define programs for their solution."
Emphasizing that it is important for the industry to know what
SEMATECH is, and is not, doing, Brown went on to say: "We see our
role as facilitating industry-wide awareness of the status of the
various options. Which technology solution becomes the market
solution will depend on which technologies are pursued and funded by
the global equipment and semiconductor manufacturing companies.
SEMATECH's efforts are one step in the process."
Lithography is a process in which a masked pattern of electronic
components is projected onto a photosensitive coating. Computer
chips are manufactured -- or fabricated -- with layers and layers of
electronic circuitry. Each layer must go through the lithography
process, which is a key enabler for semiconductor technology and
productivity.
Optical lithography has been the mainstay in computer chip
manufacturing since the 1960s and is expected to remain so through at
least the year 2003. But if the industry is to continue its
historical trend of delivering more computing power in smaller
devices, a new lithography technology will be required in
manufacturing by 2005-2006 timeframe.
The development of a new exposure tool technology for volume
manufacturing -- and the resist, mask and metrology technology to
support it -- is expected to cost more than $1 billion and require an
estimated 8-10 years of research and development.
The most likely technologies to replace optical lithography are
proximity x-ray, electron-beam projection, electron-beam direct
write, extreme ultraviolet, and ion projection.
"Due to the extensive time and cost required to develop any new
lithography system, it is critical that the industry understand the
risks related to each technology," said Brown.
"To facilitate this SEMATECH has organized an industry workshop
and invited about 100 of the top lithography experts and managers
from semiconductor manufacturers, exposure tool manufacturers and
mask makers to join lithography research and development experts and
university researchers from around the world."
The invitation-only workshop is scheduled for Nov. 4-7 in
Colorado Springs. SEMATECH has implemented several key projects to
accelerate the learning and data available on each of the
technologies under consideration. The workshop will focus on the
facts known about each technology and what hurdles must be cleared in
order to attain a robust, cost-effective manufacturing solution.
"The workshop should help the industry and SEMATECH determine
what steps should be taken next," added Brown. "We can understand
the risks involved with each technology and hopefully reach a shared
understanding on which technology or technologies hold the most
promise for the next generation lithography solution.
"The manufacturers and the equipment suppliers will make the
so-called 'Decision of the Century'. SEMATECH is helping them by
providing a forum where data can be discussed and the process can
move forward."
SEMATECH is a non-profit consortium of semiconductor
manufacturers. SEMATECH member companies are AMD, Digital Equipment
Corp., Hewlett-Packard, Intel, IBM, Lucent Technologies,
Motorola, National Semiconductor, Rockwell International and Texas
Instruments. SEMATECH's web site is sematech.org .
CONTACT:
SEMATECH, Austin
Miller Bonner, 512/356-3486 |
