Online information source for semiconductor professionals

Brion Technologies is teaming up with NuFlare Technology, Inc. to design and develop new manufacturing technologies for next-generation semiconductor masks. Brion is using its Tachyon technology in order to look and tackle the challenges of mask equipment technology of the 32nm process node and beyond; NuFlare will then market the new products. Read more >>

Nikon has revised downwards its projected sales of lithography tools for its current financial year, citing the reduction in capital equipment spending by semiconductor manufacturers. Nikon now expects to sell 74 lithography tools compared to 96, previously projected, a 30 percent reduction. Read more >>

Photronics has said it will close its Manchester, UK photomask manufacturing facility in an effort to reduce operating costs as the company is not profitable. The Company plans to maintain a customer support and data preparation center in Manchester, while customers mask requirements are transferred to other facilities, including its most advanced mask shop in Boise, Idaho. Photronics estimates that approximately 85 employees will be affected by the planned closure. Read more >>

At the seventh EUVL Symposium, organized by SEMATECH, key challenges remain for EUV lithography before volume production adoption at the 22nm half-pitch, according to attendees and an assessment from the research consortium. Read more >>

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the first IC manufacturer to place an order with MAPPER Lithography for its 300mm multiple e-beam maskless lithography tool. TSMC will use the tool for further development in-house of the lithography technology as well as device prototyping. MAPPER said that TSMC was evaluating the technology as an option for lithography process steps at the 22nm node. Read more >>

EV Group (EVG) has reached a new milestone with the shipping of its 100th nanoimprint lithography (NIL) system. According to the company, this solidifies its 30 percent market share and leadership in the field. Read more >>

e-Shuttle, a joint venture operation of Fujitsu Microelectronics and Advantest, is to use D2S' design for e-beam (DFEB) technology, initially on a 65nm Low Power (LP) library. After refinement, e-Shuttle expects to run tests and validate the technology for 40nm-and-below IC prototypes. DFEB technology employs a character projection (CP) technique, combined with design and software solutions to reduce a design's required shot count, resulting in increased CP e-beam direct write throughput. Read more >>

Carl Zeiss has acquired approximately 40 percent of Karlsruhe start-up Nanoscribe GmbH, a developer of 3D laser direct lithography systems used for the manufacture of 3D micro and nano-structures. Terms of the deal were not announced. Carl Zeiss will also be involved in the development of the technology. Read more >>

At the 2008 International Symposium on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV), ASML expects to present on new developments in EUV lithography that it claims show a production worthiness for the technology down to 11nm. The lithography equipment supplier has dubbed the production tool its 'NXE' series with the design having been completed and evolved from its optical TWINSCAN platform, and has orders for five of these systems from memory and logic customers, the company said. Read more >>

IBM and Mentor Graphics are to jointly develop and distribute next-generation computational lithography (CL) software for the 22nm node and below, which will enable a computationally based process for production at the 22nm node. According to the partners, this will be first of its kind. Read more >>