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New Product: Applied Materials new EUV reticle etch system provides nanometer-level accuracy
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Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced its new ‘Applied Centura Tetra’ EUV Advanced Reticle Etch system. The new systems is claimed to overcome a major hurdle to the adoption of EUV lithography by solving the critical and unmet challenge of etching EUVL photomasks with nanometer-level accuracy and world-class defect performance to enable the fabrication of multiple new generations of high-performance semiconductor chips at the 16nm node and below.
Problem: EUVL photomasks are fundamentally different than conventional photomasks that selectively transmit 193nm wavelength light to project circuit patterns onto the wafer. At the 13.5nm wavelength used by EUVL, all photomask materials are opaque, so the mask contains complex multi-layer mirrors to reflect circuit patterns onto the wafer instead.
Solution: The Tetra EUV system is designed to etch new materials and complex layer stacks to meet the stringent pattern accuracy, surface finish and defectivity specifications required to achieve high lithography yields when operating in this reflected mode.
Applications: EUVL photomasks.
Platform: The Centura Tetra EUV system has chamber and power-delivery designs that complement specialized process chemistries and etch technology, delivering virtually damage-free etch with a claimed best-in-class CD uniformity and world-class defectivity control.
Availability: September, 2011 onwards.
