SEMATECH's nanoImprint program: a key enabler for nanoimprint introduction

SEMATECH has initiated a nanoimprint program and started imaging experiments with a Molecular Imprints Imprio300TM system at the SEMATECH facility in Albany, NY. An overview of the SEMATECH nanoimprint development program is presented as well as an assessment of nanoimprint technology strengths and weaknesses. SEMATECH plans to explore many of the critical aspects of the nanoimprint process to drive key improvements in overlay, imprint mask cleaning, and defectivity toward making nanoimprint technology a cost-effective lithography strategy for CMOS development and manufacturing applications. Results of nanoimprint overlay with a previous level exposed on a 1.35NA immersion lithography scanner show it has noticeably improved over previous results with champion data in the 18nm range. Imprint mask cleaning on an automated tool has shown no measurable degradation of critical dimension or line width roughness after ten cleaning cycles.