Cymer, the industry-leading manufacturer of light sources enabling advanced lithography, announced continued progress in extending ArF immersion technology to handle multiple-patterning approaches.
Noting that multiple patterning demands higher light source power for throughput, high uptime performance, and increased optical performance stability for accuracy, Cymer’s vice president of marketing and lithography technology, Nigel Farrar, described how Cymer has enhanced the XLR 600ix platform to accommodate these heightened requirements.
Farrar discussed key advances in four areas. The first of these – focus drilling – is a method that provides up to a 2X improvement of depth-of-focus on the wafer, enabling a larger process window that can positively impact wafer yield. Cymer expects this to improve production capability for through-silicon-via (TSV) manufacturing. The second key advance is Cymer’s iGLX gas management technology, which dynamically adjusts gas entering the exposure chamber. Cymer expects this capability to further extend gas life duration up to 4 billion pulses, thus reducing light source downtime.
The third advancement is on-board beam metrology, which Cymer says will reduce maintenance downtime by enabling better analysis of performance and subsequent service planning. The fourth advancement is Cymer’s enhanced performance chamber, which monitors and maintains a consistent gap between laser source electrodes to increase light stability and performance over time.
Along with these incremental changes, Farrar also noted Cymer’s ongoing commitment to EUV light sources. He said that eight HVM I sources have been fabricated and are operational, and four of these sources have already been shipped, with one source now operational at a chipmaker customer. Many challenges still remain, but Farrar was optimistic about the progress made so far and the prospect for future achievement.