EUV obstacle ‘overcome’
Applied Materials says it has overcome a major obstacle to the adoption of extreme ultraviolet (euv) lithography with the launch of its Tetra EUV advanced reticle etch system.
At the 13.5nm wavelength used by euv, photomask materials are opaque, so the mask contains complex multilayer mirrors to reflect circuit patterns onto the wafer instead. Tetra EUV is designed to etch new materials and complex layer stacks to meet pattern accuracy, surface finish and defectivity specifications.
Ajay Kumar, general manager of Applied's Mask and TSV Etch product division, said: "We have already shipped multiple systems and are working closely with virtually every leading mask maker to help the semiconductor industry accommodate this significant technology inflection."