Applied Materials Looks at Life Beyond EUV
Alexander E. Braun, Senior Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/3/2008

Applied Materials held its 11th annual technical symposium at the International Interconnect Technology Conference (IITC). VLSI Research Inc. CEO Dan Hutcheson rhetorically asked, "What happens if lithography fails us?" Hutcheson said there is near-general agreement that some way must be found to do self-assembly, but conceded that it is yet to be determined how to attain it. More

Competing Lithography Technologies Share Heartaches
Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Electronic Media — Semiconductor International, 5/21/2008

Rather than debate the pros and cons of the advanced lithography technologies that had been presented at Sematech's Litho Forum, panelists rounding off the conference focused on the difficult challenges that all of the technologies face, and how they can leverage learning from each. Read the report here, where you can also listen to a podcast of the full panel discussion. More

Japan Starts EUV Development Project
Kenji Tsuda, Asia Contributing Editor — Semiconductor International, 5/22/2008

An EUV development project backed by the Japanese government will tackle debris contamination, source power and other challenges in EUV lithography. The previous five-year EUVA program officially ended in March after five years of work. More

TSMC Gives Access to Manufacturing Data Through Unified DFM
Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor — Electronic News, 6/9/2008

The leading foundry's unified design for manufacturing (DFM) architecture includes a new DFM design kit that encapsulates an embedded DFM software engine with an interoperable API in addition to the process-related DFM data and models to bring an exact copy of TSMC's factory tool chain and process models into IC design tool chains, providing chip designers with deeper access into more of TSMC's manufacturing data. More

Lithography for the 22 nm Node
Teresa McLean, Global Expositions Marketing Manager, SEMI, San Jose — Semiconductor International, 6/6/2008

The 22 nm node, expected to be reached by leading semiconductor companies in 2011, is going to be the most challenging step ever for lithography in manufacturing. There are plenty of engineering challenges, and the opportunity to overcome these challenges with elegant solutions is driving engineers to experiment with many approaches and solutions. This year at SEMICON West, the Device Scaling TechXPOT will present information on the various approaches, potential solutions and risks. More

MII Tackles Patterned Media Opportunity
David Lammers, News Editor — Semiconductor International, 5/22/2008

Molecular Imprints Inc. (Austin, Texas) is among the nanoimprint lithography (NIL) vendors focusing on the hard disk drive (HDD) market. HDD media vendors are putting in 10 pilot lines to create disks with discrete track recording and, later, pillars of magnetic material. Once volume production of patterned media cranks up, NIL vendors will see tool shipments skyrocket. More

Jenoptik Sells Stake in Xtreme Technologies to Ushio
Financial Deals Tracker, 5/27/2008

Jenoptik AG has sold its 50% stake in Xtreme technologies GmbH to Ushio Inc., a manufacturer of optical products and industrial equipment. More

STMicro Selects Calibre DFM for Litho Variability Analysis
Business Wire, 5/23/2008

Mentor Graphics announced that STMicroelectronics has selected the Calibre DFM platform for its Litho Variability Analysis solution. More

Ultratech Receives Advanced Packaging System Order
PR Newswire, 5/19/2008

Ultratech Inc. announced it has received an order from the largest foundry in the world for its AP300 advanced packaging lithography system. This order represents the initial step in the foundry customer's volume expansion plans for 300 mm wafer-level packaging (WLP) and solder bump applications. More

Webcast: Litho Forum Survey: EUV by 2016?
Moderated by Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Electronic Media — Semiconductor International, 6/3/2008

This webcast, available on demand, presents the results of Sematech's latest Litho Forum surveys — assessing insertion schedules and readiness of future lithography technologies, including EUV, double patterning, nanoimprint, high-index immersion and maskless lithographies. Bernie Roman, Litho Forum program chair, details what the leading chipmakers and industry experts had to say about each of the techniques, what stands to win out, and what will likely be dropped. View

The Fine Print: Maskless E-Beam: Worth Another Look?
Aaron Hand, Executive Editor, Electronic Media — Semiconductor International, 6/5/2008

It's interesting to hear the same person who made such a push for immersion now making a similar case for electron-beam direct-write (EBDW) lithography. But TSMC's Burn Lin, a self-professed "optical bigot" most of his life, makes some good arguments: the ability to cluster tools to give a chipmaker just the amount of throughput it needs or can afford; a much smaller footprint than EUV; and the clincher: cost. Blog

Leibson's Law: Field Notes From DAC: Will 22 nm Be Our Catch 22?
Steve Leibson, Tensilica Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. — EDN, 6/9/2008

A panel discussion at the Design Automation Conference (DAC) this week considered what lithographic solutions would prevail at 22 nm, and how patterns must be constrained to be ready by 2011. Blog

CD Metrology Confidently Looks Beyond 32 nm
Alexander E. Braun, Senior Editor — Semiconductor International, 6/1/2008

Although traditional tools are showing signs of reaching their limits, workarounds and more complex models, added to new technologies, should continue providing the needed accuracy and precision to control processes and perform inspection, measurement and test. Double patterning, likely to extend optical lithography at least to the 22 nm node, presents particular challenges. More

KLA-Tencor Launches Overlay Metrology System
Business Wire, 6/5/2008

Laser Lightsource

LDLS is a laser-driven lightsource that achieves extremely high brightness and power over the broadest spectral range. A single LDLS covers wavelengths from 170 nm to beyond visible, while attaining bright light and power at levels that exceed those of deuterium lamps and DUV lasers.
Energetiq Technology Inc., Woburn, Mass.
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Spray Coating

Lightsource Modeling

July 15-17, 2008: SEMICON West

Sept. 22-25, 2008: International Symposium on Immersion Lithography Extensions

Oct. 6-10, 2008: SPIE Photomask