April 29, 2008 — German equipment company SUSS MicroTec (FWB:SMH)(GER:SMH), supplier of tools for developing and manufacturing MEMS, advanced packaging and nanotechnology, has entered a license agreement with Philips Research of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, for a new enabling technology called Substrate Conformal Imprint Lithography (SCIL). The partnership aims to bring to an existing equipment platform this nanoimprint lithography (NIL) feature, and thus enable new approaches to large-area imprint applications along with excellent printing resolution and repeatability.

According to the partners, this new imprint technology for sub-50nm patterning is bridging the gap between small rigid stamp application for best resolution and large-area soft stamp usage with the usual limited printing resolution below 200nm. SCIL promises large-area soft stamps with repeatable, sub-50nm printing capability, avoiding stamp deformation as no contact force is applied, non-UV based curing at room temperature and allowing high aspect ratios even up to 1:5 and more.

Last month, SUSS made a related announcement, when it released a new tool set that adds NIL capability to the company’s mask aligners.

The lab aligner platform from SUSS MicroTec, including 150 and 200 mm UV-lithography tools such as MA6 and MA8, will be available and upgradeable with this feature. Immediate availability for sampling is given with the current test setup. Market introduction with fully implemented SCIL functionality into SUSS’s lab aligners is scheduled for later this year.

“SCIL represents an enabling new technology that paves the way for further commercialization of nanoimprint lithography,” said Rolf Wolf, general manager of SUSS MicroTec lithography division. “This collaboration with Philips Research significantly broadens the range of nanoimprint lithography processes we can offer our customers.”