Semiconductor manufacturing depends on lithography: the process of transferring tiny circuit patterns onto a silicon wafer. Conventional extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography projects light with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers through a reflective optical system, using a custom photomask to define each layer. It can … Read More
Intel and TSMC are pursuing the same objective—manufacturing smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient semiconductors—but they have adopted different strategies for advanced lithography. Intel moved early to develop High-Numerical-Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet lithography, commonly called High-NA EUV, while TSMC… Read More
Dosing for EUV lithography walks a fine line between productivity and defectivity. Fabs can choose higher-dose exposures to suppress photon shot noise [1]. However, higher doses require EUV machines to scan the wafer at slower speeds, degrading throughput [2].
On the other hand, there is the threat of resist thickness loss that… Read More
