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ASML boosts immersion litho performance
The litho giant claims that with improvements to imaging, overlay, stability and control, its newest Twinscan tool allows the highest resolution and throughput for maximum value of ownership.
By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- EDN, 7/15/2008
Aimed at 38-nm memory and 32-nm logic semiconductor high-volume manufacturing, Veldhoven, the Netherlands-based lithography giant ASML Holding NV today rolled out its Twinscan XT:1950i lithography system that uses a 1.35 numerical aperture (NA) lens, which the company claims increases the performance of its immersion chip lithography systems by 25% by improving overlay, resolution and throughput.
ASML claims the XT:1950i is the industry’s first single-exposure immersion lithography system for high volume manufacturing at 38-nm, which makes 10% more wafer area available for chips over the company’s previous generation tool, the Twinscan XT:1900i.
Along with more wafer area, the company said the XT:1950i allows a productivity increase of close to 15% with its throughput of 148 wafers per hour.
To keep up with Moore’s Law in a timely and cost effective manner, high-throughput immersion lithography is required for the semiconductor industry, explained Martin van den Brink, executive VP of marketing and technology for ASML. “Shrink is needed to boost memory capacities and multimedia applications for DRAM and flash, and drive advanced integration and improved functionality for logic applications such as computer chips and digital signal processors for portable devices.”
Also, to increase the performance of its existing immersion systems Twinscan XT:1700i and XT:1900i, ASML said it plans to offer upgrade packages, available from Q1 2009, meant to improve overlay by 14% and 17% and productivity by 4% and 7%, respectively, with the integrated product launch meant to help semiconductor manufacturers optimize existing investments, and increase the value and competitive edge of products.
ASML said its Twinscan lithography tools continuously improve imaging, productivity, overlay and critical dimension uniformity (CDU) control because they are developed on a common platform with a modular approach, allowing new systems to inherit and build upon predecessor attributes.
Further, the company believes the XT:1950i allows the following improvements over the XT:1900i:
--30% tighter overlay accuracy specification via improved stage control. This is important for chipmakers to improve the quality and value of chips on a wafer.
--Overall productivity increase of nearly 15% due to new immersion techniques and enhanced stages.
--Resolution improvement of 5% (from 40- to 38-nm), resulting in a 10% area increase, for higher yield and/or increased functionality such as higher density and capacity memory chips.
The Twinscan XT:1950i provides a 3.5-nm overlay capacity and will support low k1 applications.
ASML said it expects to begin shipping the XT:1950i by Q1 2009, and will partner closely with semiconductor customers to allow for early process development.
