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To: Lee Fredrickson who wrote (4827)	1/19/1998 12:47:00 PM
From: Starlight	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9695

Another article from SAL's newsletter. This indicates that several large companies are making a significant investment in XRL. X-RAY LITHOGRAPHY: THE ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE The 1997 SIA roadmap shows that 248 nm DUV lithography will be used to manufacture 0.18 micron devices. Some believe that 248 nm DUV will extend to 0.15 microns, a cost-effective potential that will maximize the life of installed equipment. Others believe that 0.15 micron manufacturing is the insertion point for 193 nm DUV lithography. Unfortunately, that technology has limited extendibility. As stated by Dr. Karen Brown, director of lithography at SEMATECH, "193 nm technology is unlikely to extend through the 100 nm generation and there is some concern for it extending to the end of the 130 nm generation." X-ray lithography is a viable alternative for 193 nm DUV lithography for manufacturing insertion at 0.15 microns. According to IBM (see p. 7), "...development teams have already demonstrated the capability of using x-ray lithography to build chips with circuitry features of 0.15 microns and below." IBM has committed several devices to trial production including a 1 Gb DRAM design and a microprocessor. Others have also committed production to x-ray lithography. Mitsubishi recently reiterated its plans to use x-ray lithography for 256 Mb shrinks, and they are in the process of building a synchrotron-equipped facility. Singapore has also ordered a synchrotron ring to be delivered in 1998. It will be part of a national facility used by both universities and the semiconductor industry. As an alternative to 193 nm DUV lithography, x-ray lithography is very attractive. It has a clear path to achieving 0.13 micron and O.10 micron design rules, and with some development work, it can do 0.07 micron devices. The learning curve at 0.15 microns will be quite easy and will pay dividends for four or more device generations. Another reason for the attractiveness of x-ray lithography is its lower projected cost-of-ownership as determined by ASET. X-ray lithography also has a clear advantage in image fidelity and depth of focus, resulting in better yield of fast-sort parts. X-ray lithography is a very attractive lithography alternative for the manufacture of 0.15 micron devices. [Taken from Vol. 3 No. 1 1998 - SAL Newsletter "One Step Ahead"] Betty