By Vivek Bakshi, EUV Litho, Inc.
During this year’s SPIE Advanced Lithography conference in San Jose, there was a definite switch to optimism about EUVL from all keynote speakers. The message of “Not if, but when” for EUVL ‒ with early adoption expected in coming years ‒ was clearly heard from leading-edge chip makers and EUVL suppliers. With demonstration of 200 W source in the lab and steady progress on source power and availability, the focus has now shifted to fab productivity, mask, pellicles and resists.
This year’s 2016 EUVL Workshop is being held in Berkeley, CA, organized in cooperation with CXRO. With keynotes from Intel, GlobalFoundries and ASML, along with 45 speakers and about 50 papers, we expect to hear a good bit of new information on these topics and stimulating discussion of R&D topics. In addition, we will hear about alternate actinic inspection techniques and fundamentals of EUV resists. For EUV resist, where the chemistry is dominated by secondary electrons, researchers are looking into understanding chemical reactions in this new realm to develop resists that pattern better at EUV wavelengths.
I am looking forward to finding out the latest on EUVL in this workshop. The final agenda and abstract book is available at www.euvlitho.com
Vivek!
I saw your picture in a sidebar of Solid State Technology, which graced my computer
for the first time in many years. I retired from Sematech rather than move to Albany
back in 2009. I see you’re still working on EUV. When I was in grad school I worked
on thermonuclear fusion issues, on arc discharges. Then they said it would be 40
years until adoption of thermofusion for electric power. Looks like it still is. I hope
EUV is actually closer than that. I still remember laughing with you about the
Johnnie Paycheck song when we were working for Juergen Wohl. I wonder where
he is now. Anyway, nice to see a familiar face. Now I’m playing in a country band
which plays nursing homes for free. Not very challenging, but very relaxing.
Greg Smith (at one time, I was your manager at Sematech ATDF).