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To: Mr. Aloha who wrote (324)	1/16/1998 2:47:00 PM
From: Mr. Aloha	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 582

News regarding Nikon and Canon slowdown etc... Message 3183984 Haven't found the original article news yet. Some say strong.. Some say weak.. Aloha

To: Mr. Aloha who wrote (324)	1/17/1998 2:22:00 PM
From: TI2, TechInvestorToo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 582

Thanks very much for the reference article (see below) showing the work done by SELETE/ASET to push optical lithography below 100 nm by using top surface imaging techniques. As has been discussed on other threads, the key issue is to produce smaller L/S to reduce die size (cost issue) in addition to just smaller gate (performance issue). Can the technologists comment on the viability of this (resurrected) process approach? If viable, then the lasermakers have quite a run before them. Thanks TI2 The article from EE Times: ÿ Direct Article Link \| New Search \| Search the Web January 12, 1998, Issue: 988 Section: News ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ArF laser produces 0.04-micron isolated line -- Lithography advance cuts patterns below 0.1 micro Yoshiko Hara Tokyo - A process technology that cuts chip patterns to the fineness of a 0.04-micron isolated line has been established by a research consortium here. The Association of Super-advanced Electronics Technologies (ASET) took an argon-fluoride (ArF) excimer laser beyond its wavelength limitation to cut the finer patterns. More than seven of those finer lines could be etched in the space taken today by the slimmest state-of-the-art line. "No optical laser could have cut patterns less than 100 nm," said Masaru Sasago, research manager at ASET's Hyper-fine Optical Lithography Laboratory of ASET. But a process advance allowed ASET to "show the potential of how far ArF can go." ASET, an R&D organization, runs nine front-edge projects directly supervised by Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry . ASET researchers recently fabricated a 0.09-micron contact hole and a 0.04-micron isolated line using an ArF excimer-laser lithography combined with a Top-Surface Imaging (TSI) process. TSI provided the key to overcoming a resolution-limitation barrier beyond the laser's 193-nm wavelength. Compared with a conventional single-layer resist process, TSI requires silylation-the implanting of a silicon compound agent-after the exposure. Then the surface is dry-etched with carbon-dioxide plasma. In this process, areas that were not exposed are etched. Even if the exposed pattern is somewhat vague, remaining areas form finer patterns by the etching. The idea of TSI technology has existed for about 15 years. Progress in materials and dry-etching opened the possibility to its use in volume production, Sasago said. TSI is applicable to krypton-fluoride and other potential optical lithography such as 13-nm wavelength extreme UV as well. Using the ArF laser with conventional single-layer resists, ASET researchers cut patterns as fine as 0.13 micron. ASET had already used TSI to fabricate 0.09-micron line-and-space patterns last March. Now the researchers proved ArF could cut isolated patterns-considered to be difficult with laser lithography-as fine as a 0.04-micron isolated line and a 0.09-micron contact hole. That's roughly the equivalent of a process for a microprocessor with 160 million transistors/cm2, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) technical road map. The density is more than 20 times that of a microprocessor on a 0.25-micron process. The 0.09-micron line-and-space patterns correspond to a 16-Gbit DRAM process. "It may be possible for ArF lithography to go as deep as a 0.07-micron L/S pattern," said Sasago. "I believe that ArF can be used for at least three generations, in terms of DRAM: the second generation of 1-Gbit, 4-Gbit and 16-Gbit devices." ASET's ArF lithography project started in February 1996. "At the beginning, the target was 0.18-micron process," Sasago said. "But as KrF lithography is now extending into 0.18-micron level, ArF is targeting 0.15 micron and deeper." Sematech, a non-profit consortium of 11 semiconductor manufacturers based in Austin, Texas, is running a similar project, Sasago said. "Japan has strength in resist and process technologies, while Sematech has strength in glass materials. As a result, ASET and Sematech could work cooperatively and complementarily," he said. ASET researchers are now working to establish the basic infrastructure of ArF-based production by 1998 so that ArF-based mass production can be launched by 2000 or 2001. Sample shipments of resist have already started from multiple Japanese manufacturers and prototype steppers will be shipped this year from Nikon and Canon. "Except for mask technology, which is slightly behind, all other technologies are in progress as scheduled," said Sasago. ASET's result will be transferred to Selete Inc., an R&D company established by 10 leading Japanese semiconductor manufacturers. Selete will begin development and evaluation of ArF lithography systems from next April focusing on practical application of the ArF lithography in production lines. Selete set the target date for practical technology to realize a 0.13-micron to 0.1-micron process by the year 2000. ASET, a five-year project that began in 1996, is being financed by MITI. Three American companies-Texas Instruments, IBM and Merck-are participating in some of the research projects. Among the research programs are efforts to develop technology for future generations of disk drives and liquid-crystal-display screens as well as ICs.