Pibond Oy, a specialty chemical manufacturer of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced its new product line of liquid spin-on metal oxide hardmask materials. Targeting 10nm node semiconductor processing, 3D NAND, power ICs as well as MEMS applications, this technology enables advanced device manufacturing through reduced cost of ownership (COO) and simplified processing.

With the ever-increasing demand for increased functionality in applications from personal computing to mobile to cloud storage to wearables, the semiconductor industry is targeting smaller and smaller nodes and in so doing has lived up to Gordon Moore’sprediction. However, the limits of current lithography processes and the uncertainty surrounding next generation approaches, compounded by their costs, have cast doubt on whether Moore’s law has finally run “out of steam.”

Pibond’s materials are designed to bridge this gap, providing continuity for existing high-end fabs, while maintaining compatibility for future technology roadmaps. These novel polymers represent the next generation of liquid spin-on hard mask products and are suitable for advanced lithographic patterning, 2.5/3D-IC packaging, as well as MEMS processing.

Pibond’s SAP 100 product line is based on patent pending organo-siloxane modified spin-on metal oxide thin films that are compatible with advanced photoresist lithography and other semiconductor etch processes. The product line offers tunable optical (n&k) properties matching critical requirements of advanced lithography. Furthermore, it shows extraordinary etch resistance in plasma etching processes even at very low film thicknesses. Unlike most conventional hard masks, the Pibond SAP hard mask is applied with low cost spin-on track equipment, enabling high throughput and lowering the overall COO. Importantly, it can be applied with process equipment common in both state-of-the-art and legacy fabs, thus eliminating the need for new and potentially capital-intensive equipment. Future product releases in the SAP-100 family will be directly photopatternable further decreasing process complexity and COO.

“As process throughput and the demand for ever increasing device performance continue to challenge the semiconductor industry, we are happy to announce this new class of products based on advanced metal oxide and siloxane polymers. Capable of extending the runway for existing lithography tools and processes, thereby lowering the operating costs of current and future fabs, they are also paving the way for the future as new technologies like EUV mature,” said Jonathan Glen, Chairman of Pibond. “As the industry demands new materials to meet the needs of EUV lithography, 3D memory, power ICs, image sensors, TSV and MEMS applications, Pibond is well placed to be a driving force in this transition.”