Electron beam lithography is commercially used to directly write submicron patterns onto advanced node masks. With the advent of EUV masks and nanometer-scale NIL (nanoimprint lithography), multi-beam writers are now being used, compensating the ultralow throughput of a single high-resolution electron beam with the use… Read More
KLAC- OK quarter in ugly environment- Big China $ – Little Process $ – Legacy good
- KLA has an OK quarter in an ugly market- bouncing along bottom
- Like Lam & ASML, China was huge at 43% represents more risk
- 2/3 Foundry/logic, 1/3 memory – Process tools were weak
- No change, stable , no visibility on recovery
Quarter and guide were good in continued ugly industry
As expected KLAC reported earnings at the … Read More
ASML- Longer Deeper Downcycle finally hits lithography – Flat 2024 – Weak Memory – Bottom?
- ASML reports in-line QTR but future looks flat for 2024
- Downcycle finally hits litho leader- ASML monopoly solid as ever
- Memory remains bleak – New China sanctions unclear
- Recovery timing is unclear but planning for an up 2025
In Line Quarter and year as expected
Overall revenues came in at Euro6.7B with EPS at Euro4.81, more… Read More
ASML- Absolutely Solid Monopoly in Lithography- Ignoring hysteria & stupidity
- This past weeks over-reaction to Canon echoes the Sculpta Scare
- Nanoimprint has made huge strides but is still not at all competitive
- Shows basic lack of understanding of technology by some pundits
- Chip industry has been searching for alternatives that don’t exist
Much ado about nothing much…..
This past week we … Read More
SPIE- EUV & Photomask conference- Anticipating High NA- Mask Size Matters- China
– SPIE EUV & Photomask conference well attended with great talks
– Chip industry focused on next gen High NA EUV & what it impacts
– Do big chips=big masks? Another Actinic tool?
– AI & chip tools, a game changer- China pre-empting more sanctions
The SPIE EUV & Photomask conference in Monterey
… Read MoreExtension of DUV Multipatterning Toward 3nm
China’s recent achievement of a 7nm-class foundry node using only DUV lithography [1] raises the question of how far DUV lithography can be extended by multipatterning. A recent publication at CSTIC 2023 indicates that Chinese groups are currently looking at extension of DUV-based multipatterning to 5nm, going so far… Read More
Stochastic Model for Acid Diffusion in DUV Chemically Amplified Resists
Recent articles have focused much effort on studying the stochastic behavior of secondary electron exposure of EUV resists [1-4]. Here, we consider the implications of extending similar treatments to DUV lithography.
Basic Model Setup
As before, the model uses pixel-by-pixel calculations of absorbed photon dose, followed… Read More
Advancing Semiconductor Processes with Novel Extreme UV Photoresist Materials
Introduction
The ever-growing demand for faster, smaller, and more efficient electronic devices has fueled the semiconductor industry’s relentless pursuit of innovation. One crucial technology at the heart of semiconductor manufacturing is Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) to achieve smaller feature sizes… Read More
Modeling EUV Stochastic Defects with Secondary Electron Blur
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is often represented as benefiting from the 13.5 nm wavelength (actually it is a range of wavelengths, mostly ~13.2-13.8 nm), when actually it works through the action of secondary electrons, electrons released by photoelectrons which are themselves released from ionization by absorbed… Read More
Enhanced Stochastic Imaging in High-NA EUV Lithography
High-NA EUV lithography is the anticipated new lithography technology to be introduced for the 2nm node. Essentially, it replaces the 0.33 numerical aperture of current EUV systems with a higher 0.55 numerical aperture (NA). This allows the projection of smaller spot sizes and smaller pitches, roughly 60% smaller compared … Read More


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