Micronic and Fraunhofer in expanded co-operation over micro patterning development

Micronic and Fraunhofer in expanded co-operation over micro patterning development Following the successful market introduction and shipment of the first Omega6000 series system for semiconductor pattern generation, Micronic and Fraunhofer have agreed to intensify the development of the SLM-technology for coming generations of Pattern Generators. "This important development contract gives Micronic an ability to respond timely to our customers' demands for highly competitive Laser Pattern Generators", says Bert Jeppsson, President & CEO of Micronic Laser Systems AB. "The industrialization of the SLM-technology in co-operation with Micronic is a very important milestone in the history of Fraunhofer Institute", says Prof. Zimmer, head of Fraunhofer Institut for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (Fraunhofer IMS). The enclosure describes the technical background and the impact that the Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) technology, could have on the semiconductor industry. About Micronic Laser Systems AB (publ.) Micronic Laser Systems is a Swedish high-tech company engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of a series of extremely accurate laser writers for the production of photomasks. The technology involved is known as microlithography. Micronic's systems are used by the world's leading electronics companies in the manufacturing of television and computer displays, semiconductor circuits and semiconductor packaging components. Micronic is situated in Täby, north of Stockholm and has at present a subsidiary in the US and service offices in Japan, Taiwan and the US. Micronic maintains a web-site at: www.micronic.se About Fraunhofer The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft is Europe's leading organization for applied research, with its headquarters located in Munich, Germany. It operates 47 research institutes with nearly 9,000 employees, half of them scientists and engineers. The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft has expanded into a worldwide network with locations in Germany, the USA and Asia. Enclosure to Micronic press release, December 3, 1999 MICRONIC and FhG-IMS develops the next generation of optical pattern generators - technical background A collaboration between Micronic Laser Systems AB, Täby, Sweden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (Fraunhofer IMS), Dresden, Germany, will result in a new breed of pattern generators for coming generations of semiconductor products. Building on its established position as a technology leader for high-end pattern generators for TFT and other displays, Micronic is entering the market for pattern generators with systems based on their current laser scanning technology targeting the 0.18 micron design node. A new DUV-SLM technology will be used for future design nodes. It was concluded by Micronic that to follow the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) a completely new writing technology was needed. No system that uses a limited number of scanning beams will in the long run be able to cope with the ever increasing amount of pattern detail that results from shrinking feature sizes and more complex mask technology. The number of features in a reticle has increased by a factor of 300 over the last ten years and will continue its rapid increase as long as Moore's law holds. The new spatial light modulator (SLM) technology, building on developments at FhG since the late 80's, provides a way to increase the writing speed by exposing a million pixels or more in parallel. The spatial light modulator is a semiconductor chip with an array of micromirrors, each of which can be set to a reflecting or non-reflecting state by the application of an electric field. The pattern generator is built similar to a modern stepper with a pulsed excimer laser and a scanning stage. The SLM takes the place of the mask but the reduction ratio is much larger so that each pixel is imaged as a 0.1 x 0.1 micron image element. Each exposure flash prints a projected image of the SLM in the photoresist on the mask blank. Before the next flash the stage has moved to a new position and the contents of the SLM has been reloaded with a new part of the pattern. The complete pattern is stitched together flash by flash at a rate of 1000 flashes per second, enough to give good through-put. Furthermore, with improvements in flash rate and array size in future generations of the pattern generator it is possible retain acceptable throughput even though the complexity of the reticles continues to rise. The second advantage is that the micromirrors work for any wavelength including 248, 193, 157, and even shorter, making it possible to extend the resolution of the SLM pattern generator several generations. The infrastructure with optical materials, resists and process is available at each step since it has already been developed for exposing wafers. There is industry consensus that 50 nm lines can be printed on wafers using 157 nm and a high-NA lens a few years from now, and the same 50 nm lines on a mask could be used as sub-resolution lines for the 35 nm design node. The new SLM technology has the potential to write the critical layers for several generations to come, thereby displacing even e-beam pattern generators and providing the productivity of laser patterning. A third advantage of the SLM technology is a simple system architecture, leading to automatic x-y symmetry and stable image properties. Developments over the original FhG design improves several aspects of image formation and field stitching for a CD budget compatible with the requirements of the semiconductor roadmap. An important aspect is the use of analog modulation of each pixel according to a calibrated pixel response function. The analog modulation gives an address grid satisfying the requirements of the industry roadmap without speed penalty. The micromirror chip, similar to the digital micromirror chips used by Texas Instruments in their DLP video projectors and the analog chips used by Daewoo, is developed and manufactured by Fraunhofer IMS in Dresden. In contrast to TI and Daewoo it uses phase- shifting mirrors allowing a 25-fold smaller deflection to be used for increased lifetime and linear response. A micromirror chip which supports high data rates and provides excellent mirror stability and lifetime is a crucial part of the project. The chip will be manufactured in the Fraunhofer IMS industry-driven silicon lab in Dresden which combines standard and high voltage CMOS processing with a range of special processes used for MEMS and sensors. The institute has an uncommon combination of research competence and a production-oriented semiconductor lab and SLM technology is a priority area. The system itself including optics, precision stage and data path is developed by Micronic. Contact: Hans Buhre, CTO, phone +46 8 638 52 56 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/03/20000710BIT00040/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/12/03/20000710BIT00040/bit0002.pdf