World's first fully patterned 450mm wafers unveiled at Semicon West

ALBANY, USA: Demonstrating significant progress in the industry transition to 450mm wafer technology, and in support of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s commitment to New York’s leadership in the development of next generation technologies, the newly merged SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE)/SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT), along with Global 450mm Consortium (G450C) partner Nikon Corp., announced the world’s first fully patterned 450mm wafers will be revealed at SEMICON West.

The wafers will be on display throughout the exhibition and showcased in the 450 mm Technology Development Session on Thursday July 10th.

In July of 2013, Governor Cuomo announced a $350 million partnership between the newly merged CNSE/SUNYIT and Nikon to develop next generation 450mm photolithography technology. Nikon and the newly merged CNSE/SUNYIT worked tirelessly to bring a first of its kind immersion lithography scanner online in less than 12 months, enabling the vital wafer exposures that will further advance the industry’s transition from the current 300mm wafer platform to the next generation 450mm wafer platform.

The wafers that will be presented at SEMICON West are the first produced in support of the G450C, a public-private partnership headquartered at the NanoTech complex in Albany, NY.

“These first 450mm wafers are tangible proof that the industry’s transition to this next generation technology is on track and gaining momentum,” said Paul Farrar, junior VP for Manufacturing Innovation of the newly merged SUNY CNSE/SUNYIT institution and GM of the G450C.

“Governor Cuomo understood very early on that the transition to 450mm wafer technology was an industry necessity, and he was determined to make it happen in New York State. Through the Governor’s leadership, this historic initiative continues to enable cutting edge innovation and business opportunities, as we set the standard for tomorrow’s technologies.”

The Nikon immersion scanner will join existing 450mm infrastructure at the Albany NanoTech Complex in April of 2015 in accordance with the project timeline. This critical milestone will enable G450C founding members and CNSE to perform 10nm and below, full wafer photolithography, while optimizing tool configuration and performance.

Over the last few years, photolithography has become the critical enabling step in the manufacturing of nanometer size transistors that are the building blocks of today's computer chips.