Microlithography World articles from February 2008

Microlithography World archives from February 2008

Double patterning lithography: the bridge between low [k.sub.1] ArF and EUV.
February 1, 2008... Double patterning lithography--either with two litho and etch steps or through the use of a sacrificial spacer layer--poses special problems of design, integration, and metrology, but seems feasible for the 32nm node. Currently, 40-50nm...

PEB plate optimization for CD uniformity.
February 1, 2008... A PEB plate optimization system using scatterometry CD data on bare silicon test wafers reduces the CD nonuniformity of production wafers more effectively than previous methods of calibrating temperatures. Controlling a very tight CD budget...

Focus averaging.(The Lithography Expert)(Report)
February 1, 2008... Whether intentional or not, it is common for photoresist to be exposed by an image that is actually some average of images through focus. The term focus averaging (also called focus drilling, and sometimes known by the confusing term 'focus...

A financial assessment of maskless lithography.
February 1, 2008... Maskless lithography can be advantageous for low- and medium-volume 45nm manufacturing if multiple exposure tools with 5wph throughput can be delivered. Maskless lithography (ML) has never played more than a niche role in semiconductor...

IMEC's Ronse: Albany-IMEC joint EUV work not giving up on 32nm-hp, yet.(NEWS)
February 1, 2008... January 23, 2008--In an exclusive interview, Kurt Ronse, lithography program director at IMEC, discusses the newly announced partnership with the U. of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering to accelerate development of extreme...

Lithography workshop report: 193nm for 32nm, still weighing 22nm options.(NEWS)
February 1, 2008... Immersion lithography was more than the central theme at the 2007 [formerly IEEE] Lithography Workshop. For the first time in 50 years, a tropical storm hit after the hurricane season, soaking many attendees trying to relax under the palm trees...

Shows & conferences.(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... Photomask Japan 2008 April 16-18 * Yokohama, Japan Topics of discussion at this SPIE/Bacus event include photomasks, NGL masks, and related technologies to discuss recent progress, applications, and future trends. More...

Peak oil, peak technology?(EDITORIAL)
February 1, 2008... In 1956 geophysicist M. King Hubbert made a startling prediction: Oil production in the United States would peak and begin to decline in the 1970s. At the time, oil production--and just about everything else--was growing exponentially amid...