EUV and SCALPEL Get Nod From SEMATECH Workshop
-- Semiconductor International, 3/1/1999
During International SEMATECH's (Austin, Texas) Second Next
Generation Lithography Workshop held in Colorado Springs, Colo., ~110 of the
world's top lithographers from semiconductor manufacturers, supplier companies
and academia who participated recommended the consortium focus funding support
in 1999 to EUV and SCALPEL technologies. Although this does not imply that
development efforts in the other two technologies under consideration
X-ray and Ion-Beam Projection Lithography (IPL) should stop, based on
these recommendations, Gerhard Ross, International SEMATECH director of
lithography, indicated that the organization would develop funding proposals to
take to its Executive Steering Council early this year. However, he said they
would continue tracking progress of all technologies and include them in future
progress reviews.
At the event, a task force of representatives from International SEMATECH member companies, tool suppliers, Japanese semiconductor manufacturers and international consortia reviewed workshop presentations and survey results. Conclusions were that EUV has emerged as the favored technology followed by SCALPEL for next-generation lithography below 90 nm; 157 nm optical technology has the most support at the 90 nm node, but either enhanced 193 nm optical technology or an NGL technology may be required due to technical and timing issues of 157 nm. They also concluded that it is too early to make a singular NGL decision, and that although much progress was made in 1998, there is still insufficient data to assess risks facing all technologies. Mask technology was viewed as the highest risk area for all alternatives, requiring increased attention, understanding and results.
International SEMATECH tentatively plans to hold a critical review on the
technologies again in mid-year and a third NGL Workshop later in the year. By
2000, the organization hopes to have a global consensus for a single NGL
technology choice. Timing is important, because the transition to NGL is
expected to begin in 2003. 
