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Technology Stocks : Cymer (CYMI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: BillyG who wrote (15093)	2/27/1998 12:28:00 PM
From: Tulvio Durand	Respond to of 25960

IBM touts XRL technology to fill gaps in optical litho. But note that XRL throughput is only 1/10th that of optical stepper throughput. IBM is pushing its X-ray efforts. In a paper titled "X-ray fills the Gap," IVM researchers reported having made four critical DRAM levels and a logic level using an SVGL X-ray stepper, claiming overlay results similar to that achieved with optical steppers. Throughput was 61 chips per wafer and six wafers per hour -- more than a tenth slower than what conventional steppers can do. Message 3541257; Notwithstanding its inherently slow production speed XRL still seemed suitable in niche sub-0.1 micron applications for which optical lithography was thought not possible. In light of the recent UT/DPMI/CYMI demo of .08 micron optical lithography -- and its promise of faster throughput and minimum learning curve compared to XRL, IBM will surely rethink going forward with its $1Billion XRL plant, and may consider converting it to advanced optical litho instead -- i.e., employing Cymer ArF-(and possibly F2 'Fluorine') laser equipped tools. Tulvio