ASML/IMEC immersion link
Luc Van den hove, vice-president for Silicon Process and Device Technology at IMEC, reports: "With this agreement, ASML becomes a strategic partner within IMEC's 300mm research platform. ASML's immersion tool, the TWINSCAN XT:1250i, which is planned for installation in our new 300mm cleanroom during Q4 2004, will be the first step, enabling us to build our sub-45nm research platform around the world's most advanced lithography clusters."
Among the IC manufacturers participating in the IMEC research are Infineon, Intel, Philips, Samsung Electronics and STMicroelectronics.
IMEC says that it will continue its 157nm lithography programme on the industry's first full-field 157nm lithography system from ASML. The research centre believes that for certain applications, 157nm lithography still remains the preferred technique, while it also enables a possible future transition towards 157nm immersion lithography. IMEC says that running the two programmes in parallel will put it in the unique position of being able to compare the different technologies one-to-one.
ASML’s feasibility studies of 193nm immersion lithography over the past year suggest that immersion, 193nm lithography can possibly be extended towards the (sub)-45nm node. These initial results were obtained by ASML and IMEC on ASML's TWINSCAN AT:1150i tool.
IMEC's 193nm liquid immersion lithography IIAP will start mid 2004 and will run for two years. The objectives of the programme are to explore the immersion-specific processing effects such as the interaction of resist-water on lithographic performance and defect mechanisms, and to develop a liquid immersion process that overcomes the observed issues. The programme also aims to explore immersion-induced imaging effects and to develop solutions. In addition, high NA polarisation effects will be researched since a lens with NA of larger than 1.0 is required to use 193nm immersion lithography for the 45nm node.
IMEC is inviting participation from semiconductor manufacturers, material suppliers, mask shops and peripheral lithography equipment suppliers.
