SEMATECH's EUV program: a key enabler for EUVL introduction

With the introduction of alpha tools, extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) has reached a key milestone. Users of those tools must have access to critical EUV infrastructure capabilities to evaluate the technology in a pilot line operation. In cooperation with universities, national laboratories, suppliers, integrated device manufacturers, and other industry consortia, SEMATECH has been spearheading the worldwide effort to develop this EUV infrastructure in the source, mask, optics, and resist areas. In the process, SEMATECH's Mask Blank Development Center, its EUV Resist Test Center, and the EUV expertise built within the SEMATECH EUV program have become key enablers for the successful introduction of EUV technology. We will highlight the significant contributions that the SEMATECH EUV Program has made, and continues to make, to the worldwide EUV infrastructure development effort. Moving beyond the alpha tool phase, the industry must have a clear understanding of the challenges that need to be addressed before EUV beta tools can be successfully introduced as early as 2009. We will identify those areas that still need a substantial effort to overcome technical and business challenges to meet 32 nm half-pitch requirements in time. Although some of those areas are clearly EUV-specific, others are generic and impact other lithography technologies as well. One of the major attractions of EUVL is that it is an extendible technology that can likely support patterning for several technology generations. We will review the outlook for EUVL technology extendibility and discuss what the industry needs to start working on to enable EUVL's bright future and long lifetime.