Industry-leading semiconductor companies join SEMATECH’s EUVL mask infrastructure (EMI) partnership at UAlbany NanoCollege

ALBANY, USA & JENA, GERMANY: SEMATECH announced that Intel, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and TSMC have joined SEMATECH’s EMI Partnership to develop critical metrology tools for reviewing defects in advanced masks needed for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). In collaboration with SEMATECH, these leading semiconductor companies are pursuing an ambitious metrology program to enable defect-free EUVL masks for high-volume manufacturing.

To fill an industry need considered too costly for individual companies to develop independently, SEMATECH launched EMI in 2010 to address key infrastructure gaps for EUV in the area of mask metrology, by funding development of critical metrology tools. EMI is administered by SEMATECH’s Lithography Program, based at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany.

To initiate EMI’s first major project, SEMATECH and Carl Zeiss have signed a collaboration agreement for the development and manufacturing of the industry’s first-ever actinic aerial image metrology (AIMS) EUV system targeted for EUVL volume production. The AIMS EUV platform represents a critical tool for the development and manufacturing of defect-free EUVL masks supporting the 22 nm half-pitch (HP) technology node requirements with extendibility to the 16 nm HP node. A first production-worthy version of the platform is scheduled for mid of 2014.

“SEMATECH’s EMI partnership is establishing a new paradigm for leading-edge equipment development by linking top device and equipment manufacturers,” said Dan Armbrust, president and CEO of SEMATECH. “These new partners represent a significant achievement for the EMI initiative and illustrate our continuing commitment to develop and deliver the infrastructure required for this critical next-generation technology.”

“The AIMS system is the largest semiconductor photomask review tool development ever undertaken and represents another significant step toward readiness for commercialization of EUV for high-volume-manufacturing,” said John Warlaumont, VP of Advanced Technologies, SEMATECH. “Carl Zeiss is a valued partner of SEMATECH, given their leadership in providing state-of-the-art tool components and system solutions that are manufacturing friendly. We are very pleased to partner with Carl Zeiss on driving the development of a high-resolution EUV defect review tool that will collectively support the needs of the semiconductor industry and EUV stakeholders.”

“The development of an actinic aerial image metrology system, in collaboration with SEMATECH, enables an important piece of the infrastructure to enable defect free masks, and we are committed to an aggressive time schedule for the development and commercialisation,” said Dr. Oliver Kienzle, MD of Carl Zeiss SMT’s Semiconductor Metrology Systems Division (SMS).

“The AIMS EUV technology represents an important part of our company’s mission to enable the lithography roadmap by closing a critical gap in the infrastructure and to support the growing industry momentum for EUV lithography,” added Winfried Kaiser, Carl Zeiss Fellow and senior VP Product Strategy of Carl Zeiss SMT.

Wolfgang Harnisch, responsible for New Business Development at Carl Zeiss SMS and leading the C&F study for this project, concluded, “AIMS EUV is the consistent next step in the AIMS™ technology evolution along the litho roadmap. We were working towards this aim for a long time and are now very pleased about the commitment of four key semiconductor manufacturers.”

SEMATECH’s EMI Partnership will facilitate consensus building among the EMI partners, providing crucial data, insightful analysis, and a discussion forum for reaching conclusive agreements. EMI is open to mask and chip-makers, mask blank suppliers, other consortia, and regional governments.