Demonstrating Commitment in the New Veldhoven Demo Lab

Transcription

1 2006 Fall Edition ASML s customer magazine Demonstrating Commitment in the New Veldhoven Demo Lab TWINSCAN XT:1900Gi Immersion into production

2 Editor s note images Colofon 4 ASML in the news 6 TWINSCAN XT:1900Gi 8 Immersion into production 10 Customers receive Alpha Demo Tools 12 Demonstrating commitment in the new Veldhoven Demo Lab 14 The value of ASML innovation 16 System availability you can rely on 18 An introduction to photolithography Editorial Board Don Crabtree, Peter Jenkins, Tom McGuire Publisher Ryan Young Managing Editor Saskia Boeije Editor Emma English Contributing Writers Dave Witko, Ted Paxton, Gerard van Rijen, Jan Hoefnagels, Jeff Chappell, Jack Gemen, Skip Miller, Jan-Evert van de Wetering, Noreen Harned, Manfred Suddendorf, Ron Kool, Christian Wagner, Bartel Carriere, Stuart Cherry, Robert O Neill, Arlyn Stotts 2006, ASML. ASML, ASM Lithography, TWINSCAN, PAS 5500, PAS 5000, SA 5200, ATHENA, QUASAR, HydroLith, IRIS, FOCAL, CPL, DDL, Micralign, Micrascan, 3DAlign, 2DStitching, 3DMetrology, MaskTools, LithoGuide, MaskRigger, MaskWeaver, LithoCruiser, LumenShaper, Ultra-k 1, DoseMapper, SAMOS, ILIAS, PerfectWave, AGILE, LS match2, ModelTuner, CLASS and the ASML logo are trademarks of ASML Holding N.V. or of affiliate companies. The trademarks may be used either alone or in combination with a further product designation. StarLith, AERIAL, AERIAL II, AERIAL E and AIMS are trademarks of Carl Zeiss. Nothing in this publication is intended to make representations with regard to whether any trademark is registered or to suggest that any sign other than those mentioned should not be considered to be a trademark of ASML or of any third party. Circulation Michelle Herrick, Saskia Boeije, Emily Leung For more information, please see:

3 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 Editor s note The lithography roadmap is a crowded place by Ryan Young The lithography roadmap is a crowded place at the moment with immersion, EUV, double-patterning and so on. In this edition of Images we try to make sense of it all by providing status reports on some of these developing technologies. Let s start with immersion. At the time of writing, ASML had shipped more than 28 immersion systems to customers. Most of these are TWINSCAN XT:1700i systems which, while not yet in volume production, are being used for product development. We ve included an article that discusses the progress being made. In a separate article we present the XT:1900i, which will be used for volume production for 40-nm half pitch. This 1.35 NA, 193-nm system was introduced at SEMICON West in July and will begin shipping in mid On the EUV front, in August ASML shipped two alpha demo tools to Albany NanoTech in New York and IMEC in Belgium. We expect these systems to be critical enablers for EUV infrastructure development. In fact acceptance of EUV technology is growing as evidenced in the recent customer order ASML received for a pre-production system for Reliability goes hand-in-hand with leading-edge technology to ensure customer success and profitability. ASML is committed to providing both. Our design for reliability processes and smart maintenance programs are examples of this commitment. Value of Ownership. We ve talked about it before, and we will again. As the technology leader in lithography ASML s philosophy is to harness technological innovation in order to maximize the value for our customers. This innovation has far reaching affects and covers the entire life-cycle of our products. Lastly, in our recent reader survey you asked us to provide some introductory information on photolithography. This edition contains the first of a four-part series explaining the fundamentals and highlighting ASML s contribution over the last 20+ years. We hope you ll find these articles useful. If you have comments or feedback on this issue or on topics you d like covered in future edition, please me at ryan.young@asml.com This quarter ASML will officially open a new Demonstration Lab within our facility in Veldhoven. With Sokudo as a major partner, the new Demo Lab will afford customers the opportunity to test drive systems before purchase. A dedicated team of lithography experts attached to Demo Lab will provide customer demo support. 3

4 ASML in the News ASML, industry partners advance EUV development October 17, 2006 ASML and partners in the semiconductor lithography supply chain provided an update today on their progress towards the commercialization of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In August 2006, ASML shipped the industry s first full-field EUV exposure tools to R&D centers in Europe and the United States. The shipments of these Alpha Demo Tools followed ASML s demonstration of key lithography performance targets for EUV development, including full-field imaging and overlay. In addition, ASML has received the first order from a customer for a pre-production EUV system. ASML to deliver advanced resolution techniques to sematech for manufacturing research September 19, 2006 ASML announced that semiconductor R&D consortium SEMATECH has awarded ASML a contract to qualify the imaging performance of advanced logic patterns, metrology structures and defect designs for the 45-nanometer (nm), 32-nm, and 22-nm technology nodes. SEMATECH, together with its subsidiary, the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), is creating these advanced designs which will incorporate ASML s resolution enhancement techniques (RETs) in the form of proprietary and patented mask technologies as well as scanner optimization settings. ASML has shipped the industry s first EUV tools to CNSE s Albany NanoTech and IMEC August 29, 2006 ASML announced that it shipped two extreme ultraviolet (EUV) Alpha Demo Tools (ADT) to customers. Both the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, N.Y., and the nanoelectronics research institute IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, have received these industry first, full field EUV systems. Both institutions will use these R&D tools after installation to conduct ongoing research into this next generation lithography technology. Shipments were possible after ASML achieved key lithography performance targets including full field scanning imaging and overlay. 4

5 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 For complete information regarding these press announcements, please refer to the press section of ASML marks technology and market leadership with shipment of 500th TWINSCAN system July 11, 2006 ASML announced that it is preparing to ship its 500th TWINSCAN lithography system. This milestone demonstrates the acceptance of the TWINSCAN platform as the semiconductor industry s standard for 300-millimeter (mm) lithography, which has helped ASML sustain the leading market share position for the past several years. ASML expands immersion product suite with introduction of advanced 40-nm immersion July 11, 2006 ASML introduced the semiconductor industry s most advanced lithography system, the ASML TWINSCAN XT:1900i. In combination with ASML proprietary low k 1 capabilities, this new system extends optical lithography for volume production to 40 nanometer (nm) and below. ASML s newest 193-nm wavelength immersion scanner surpasses the company s previous numerical aperture (NA) achievements, delivering a new industry NA benchmark of 1.35, the near practical limit for water-based immersion technology. With the introduction of this latest immersion system, ASML now offers immersion solutions for its customers for resolutions from 65- to 40 nm with three different products that allow for seamless system transition by customers: from one resolution to the next. The XT:1400i is already being used in production and the first qualification lots have now been produced on the XT:1700i with production ramp-up at customer sites expected to follow as early as Q

6 TWINSCAN XT:1900Gi your route to 40-nm production by Manfred Suddendorf Abstract ASML has launched the world s most advanced immersion lithography tool the TWINSCAN XT:1900Gi. As well as an industry-leading NA of 1.35, the new system offers the highest throughput of any 300-mm immersion tool. It enables IC manufacturers to continue aggressive device shrinks for increased functionality at lower cost. 6

7 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 If you re reading this article, you won t need us to tell you how important feature shrink is. It improves chip performance, reduces product size and drives down the cost per function. To support your aggressive shrink roadmaps, ASML is launching the TWINSCAN XT:1900Gi. This fifth-generation immersion lithography system has an industry-high NA of 1.35, enabling volume production with halfpitch resolution of 40 nm and beyond. ASML has been the technology leader in immersion lithography since 2003 when we launched our first immersion system, the AT:1150i. Each year since then we ve moved the technology forward with new systems. And earlier this year we began shipping the XT:1700Fi the industry s first 1.2-NA lithography system. All these systems are built on the established TWINSCAN platform. The modular nature of the platform means that each new system is already mature and well-proven in the field the only components that are redesigned are those that deliver the next step forward in lithography performance. Proven catadioptric lens design The XT:1900Gi features a Zeiss Starlith 1900i immersion lens. This is the largest- NA ArF lens available and at 1.35 NA, it pushes water-based ArF immersion lithography to the limit. Combined with ASML s Ultra-k 1 portfolio, which delivers the industry s lowest usable k 1 values, it enables half-pitch resolutions of 40 nm and below. Just as with the introduction of aspheric management. The result is a single lenses for high-na dry lithography, the machine overlay of just 6 nm. At the same addition of mirrors reduces lens complexity time, the XT:1900Gi offers best-in-class and size for hyper-na immersion systems. focus control an important consideration Our catadioptric lens concept was at such a high NA. deliberately chosen to be extendible to higher-na systems, enabling a low-risk With its unique dual-stage approach, migration to smaller feature sizes. the TWINSCAN platform has always been a leader in productivity. The XT:1900Gi is ASML uses an in-line design for its no different. Thanks to enhancements in catadioptric lenses. This results in a both measurement and expose cycles, more compact, single-barrel assembly it sets a new benchmark for immersion that provides greater mechanical lithography with throughputs of 131 stability and easier lens adjustment wafers per hour. It delivers a further 12% shrink over the XT:1700i than folded systems. In addition, as The forefront of immersion lithography in-line catadioptric assemblies have an The XT:1900Gi is the most advanced even number of mirrors, you can use immersion system in the industry with the same reticles as with the purely the highest NA and resolution. Ready for refractive assemblies found in today s shipping in mid 2007, it delivers a further non-immersion system. Such reticle 12% shrink over the XT:1700i. compatibility between systems gives you more production flexibility. ASML has always been at the forefront of immersion lithography and has already Evolution not revolution shipped more than 20 immersion systems Complementing the improved imaging to customers in three continents. With the performance, the XT:1900Gi features release of the XT:1900Gi, we now offer a a number of enhancements to improve full suite of immersion products providing overlay. These include improved stageposition you with a low-risk migration down to 40 nm metrology and optimized thermal and below. XT:1900Gi specifications Numerical aperture Resolution 40 nm The Starlith 1900i uses the same in-line catadioptric (involving reflection and refraction) lens concept already successfully employed in the XT:1700i. CDU Single machine overlay Throughput 2.5 nm 6 nm 131 wph (@125 exposures per wafer)

8 Immersion into production by Ron Kool, Christian Wagner Abstract Immersion lithography is the technology to keep the ITRS roadmap on track. With our TWINSCAN XT:1700Fi fourth generation immersion lithography scanner now shipping, there is a tremendous effort to move immersion lithography into high volume production. So the race is on for semiconductor manufacturers, and a significant market advantage is at stake. To deliver new technology nodes within competitive time frames, semiconductor manufacturers have regularly needed to jump forward in lithography techniques moving from i-line to KrF and then ArF. The next step on this path sees the introduction of immersion lithography, with IC manufacturers racing to have this new technology in volume production in time for the 5x and 4x-nm Memory and the 32-nm Logic nodes. With ASML as your partner, you re ideally placed to be successful in this race. Our dual-stage TWINSCAN platform lets you combine the advantages of immersion lithography with the familiarity and reliability of dry metrology. What s more, we recently launched the hyper-na age with the 1.2-NA XT:1700Fi scanner, and we announced the XT:1900i that will extend NA to Shipments of the XT:1700Fi are reaching double figures, bringing the total number of ASML immersion machines shipped to well over 20. Quick change A unique driver in the race for immersion is the relatively short timescale in which the industry is aiming for introduction significantly shorter than the transition from KrF to ArF. To meet that time frame, tool suppliers, material vendors and semiconductor manufacturers need to work together to address the few remaining issues. The current focus for this cooperation is overlay and defectivity performance. Meeting the challenges The XT:1700Fi also contains landmark lithography optics. More than 20 lenses and illuminators have already been built, exhibiting excellent aberration and polarization performance, clearly supporting the imaging requirements of the 45-nm and 32-nm nodes. (see Fig. 1 and 2) It is well known that the heat impact of evaporating water influences overlay, so delivering good overlay performance from an immersion system brings extra technical challenges. Recently, we ve made significant progress on methods for reducing and compensating for these evaporation heat sources. We expect the overlay performance of our immersion systems will soon match that of our dry tools. Turning to defect levels, ASML is meeting its responsibility to reduce the machine contribution. We re working closely with track suppliers on monitoring defects and providing clean tools that minimize particle defect levels. At the same time, manufacturers need to look at their processes to make sure they are optimized for immersion techniques as this can have an impact on the overall defect level of the process. As we explained in the previous general issue of Images, a huge amount of progress has recently been made in this area. Combined teams of ASML and customer engineers have been able 8

9 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 to deliver defect levels as low as 3 per wafer, comparable with the best dry processes. In addition to extending the capabilities of immersion tools, ASML is helping customers optimize their way of working to get the most from today s immersion capabilities. This makes high-volume immersion production viable much earlier and allows manufacturers to get ahead of the roadmap. Moving forward with the XT:1700Fi The XT:1700Fi is now being shipped in volume, and we expect to have delivered more than 20 by the end of the year. The first performance data is just starting to come back. There is still work to be done before immersion lithography is completely ready for high-volume manufacturing. That work is being carried out right now. Armed with this data, we believe the XT:1700Fi is ideal for high-volume production down for the 5x and 4x-nm Memory and the 32-nm Logic nodes. IPS (%) IPS (%) Polarization Purity 100 Multiple Systems Polarization Purity variation across field Figure 1: Average polarization purity and polarization purity variation cross field for more than 20 illuminators. Excellent polarization performance for a maximum range of illumination settings at full transmission and throughput i Mean Lens Production Figure 2: Excellent performance of more than 20 catadioptric lenses. 9

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11 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 EUV Era Begins Customers receive Alpha Demo Tools By Noreen Harned A milestone ASML is serving as a critically enabling supplier for the development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, taking a leadership role in its development. Following the successful results from the early imaging qualification earlier this year, ASML achieved a milestone in the development of EUV lithography: the industry s first customer shipments of EUV Alpha Demo Tools (ADTs). ASML shipped these two full-field, 0.25 NA ADTs to research institutions in Europe and the United States. The nanoelectronics research institute IMEC in Leuven, Belgium and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, N.Y. will use these ADTs as part of the industry s ongoing research into this next generation lithography technology. The ADT shipments are the culmination of more than seven years work on the part of a team of some 250 people within ASML, Carl Zeiss and research partners TNO Science and Industry and Philips Applied Technology, representing a total of 1,200 man years. In January of this year that team first demonstrated that the EUV concept, and specifically the first complete ADT, would work: ASML produced the first sub 200-nm images with an ADT at ASML labs in Veldhoven. A month later at the annual SPIE Microlithography Conference, ASML presented the industry with images of 40-nm and 35-nm features printed with the EUV ADT, and by the summer was able to demonstrate an industry first of 55 nm contacts with greater than 200 nm depth of focus, imaged with conventional illumination and no resolution enhancement tricks. This imaging work, done with a set up Projection Optic Box, clearly demonstrates the technology s feasibility for 32 nm and below production. In the last six months, teams were working on the two customer ADTs around the clock, seven days a week, preparing them for shipment; during that time the tools utilization was at 90 percent. But ASML s work with these ADTs is far from over, even though they are now in customers hands. While the demo tools architecture was based on the production-proven TWINSCAN architecture, and future production EUV tools use advanced TWINSCAN technology, optimized for EUV, many components of the ADTs are still in a developmental stage, and will require refinement as EUV R&D continues. ASML is now setting up a dedicated team who will support IMEC and SUNY in the installation and operation of the Alpha Demo Tools. ASML also remains dedicated to working with its customers and research partners to continue the development of EUV tools beyond the alpha stage and into volume production. While a production-worthy EUV version of TWINSCAN is still a few years off, and much work remains for the entire EUV supply chain, ASML is on track to have EUV lithography tools ready for production at the 32 nm node. 11

12 Demonstrating commitment Veldhoven Demo Lab by Dave Witko, Gerard van Rijen, Ted Paxton, Jan Hoefnagels, Jack Gemen Abstract Demonstrating ASML product performance is critical for the adoption of new systems and technology by our customers. Historically, ASML has conducted demo testing in our factory s process lab. However, with ever-decreasing features sizes, low k 1 demands, immersion lithography, and aggressive defectivity levels, a dedicated manufacturing-like environment is required. As a result, ASML has built a separate cleanroom that replicates as closely as possible a chip manufacturer s working environment. This will allow customers to continue purchasing systems with confidence. Why build a demo lab now Performing a live demonstration of ASML s latest products is important to customers who are evaluating new system purchases. Historically these demonstrations have been executed in the factory s onsite production process lab. While far from replicating a chipmaker s own cleanroom environment, the lab nonetheless provided sufficient capability for gauging basic tool performance. With the industry s imaging requirements rapidly plunging below 50 nm, however, and with the advent of immersion lithography, tool demonstrations now take on added complexity, requiring more sophisticated technology. As customers requirements push to extremely low k 1 values, advanced metrology and analysis capabilities are needed, as well as linked scanner-track tools. Birth of a demo lab In the summer of 2005, ASML committed to build a cleanroom solely dedicated to demonstrating system performance in a customer-like working environment. Wafertrack manufacturer Sokudo, also pledged equipment and expertise. Sokudo will use the facility for demonstrating their latest systems, and will supply and operate the process tracks that will link directly to ASML scanners. In total, the cleanroom facility comprises 537 square meters in Veldhoven s building 4E, providing the space necessary for leading-edge demonstrations. Scheduled to open in Q4 2006, the new Demo Lab is laid out in such a way as to provide the most flexible and efficient working environment. Bays are provided for two linked track-scanner clusters, featuring ASML s TWINSCAN. 12

13 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 in the new Efforts have been taken to realize an environment that mimics that of the end user as closely as practicalwith special emphasis on meeting the cleanliness standards necessary for demonstrating aggressive defectivity levels. Care has been taken to ensure the safety and comfort of customers as well by adding a conference room inside the facility, separated from the ASML production floor. To enhance service, the facility will be dedicated exclusively to the demonstration of leading technologies. A team of litho experts will guide customers through the demo process, and they will work in a two-shift staffing scheme to significantly reduce or eliminate downtime and maximize facility access. improve both the quality and quantity of customer demonstrations as well as better support commitments to internal clients for product development, strategic marketing, and engagement with wafertrack and resist suppliers. The investment made in the new Demonstration Lab adequately addresses the requirements of effectively and efficiently demonstrating our products, and it shows a true commitment to our customers, both external and internal. We are certain that this initiative will benefit them for a very long time. The new demo lab provides the space neccessary for leadingedge demonstration With the construction of this product demo lab, we will be able to significantly 13

14 The value of ASML innovation by Skip Miller Abstract The semiconductor industry focuses on cost of ownership (CoO) analysis to evaluate capital expenditure decisions. While worthwhile, this assessment tells only part of the story. ASML emphasizes value of ownership (VoO) to determine the true return our customers receive on their imaging investment. Because we are committed to developing proven, innovative platforms that enhance productivity, reliability and profitability, ASML delivers value at every stage of a system s usable lifetime, from initial purchase through production and end-of-use resale. Value of Ownership In the semiconductor industry, cost of ownership (CoO) analysis drives capital expenditure decisions. But there is another way to evaluate the merit of a purchase or expense. Because CoO is really an attempt to determine the value you receive in return for your expenditure, at ASML we first look at the value of ownership (VoO) when we design our systems. In fact, it s fair to say that maximizing VoO is our top customer concern. That s why we place such a strong emphasis on innovation in everything we do, from design and implementation to service and system enhancement. We are committed to developing proven platforms and processes that make your fab more productive and profitable, not just at the time of purchase, but at every stage of a system s usable lifetime, from installation to resale. to greater output per square foot and greater ultimate fab capacity. Value stage #2: Cost per Wafer High-volume ASML productivity is the result, in part, of superior imaging and overlay performance that significantly reduces rework. You need less tools to produce more wafers faster, and that higher output reduces your cost per wafer. Total cost per wafer ASML Competition Cost of ownership advantage Value stage #1: Capital Expenditure We know that your total capital expenditure is more than just your scanner price. It s your track system and installation costs as well. So the fewer Value stage #3: Cost per Die High-performance imaging and overlay also results in higher yield. This is how ASML innovation generates more good die per wafer, lowering your cost per die. You can expect your hardworking ASML system to be long-lasting, producing returns on your investment for years to come scanners you purchase, the lower your overall litho cell spend. ASML platforms consistently deliver the industry s highest productivity, resulting in fewer tools required for a given fab capacity that lowers your capital outlay and operating costs. In addition, our systems lead Value stage #4: Time to Volume The sooner your system is up and running, the more value you will generate from it. That s why we emphasize accelerated install schedules that minimize the time your system goes from the dock into full production. Our seasoned 14

15 ASML Images, Fall Edition Capital expenditure System price 2 - Cost/layer 7 - System resell value 3 - Cost/die 6 - System usable lifetime 4 - Time to volume 5 - Time to yield customer support staff has extensive knowledge on a proven, modular platform that is specifically designed for rapid implementation. Their experience and expertise results in record-setting installation times for our customers. Value stage #5: Time to Yield Getting to market first with new technology is the name of the game. You re fighting the market price erosion curve, so the sooner you get there, the longer you can earn the premium price and maximize new product revenue. ASML understands this, and our CS team is geared to optimizing your system quickly. Again, our experience and proven platform shortens the learning cycle and speeds up time to yield. Our goal is always to get your wafers right, right out the door. productivity makes your machine highly desirable in the pre-owned equipment market. Typically, ASML systems retain much higher residual value than competing machines. When the day comes to sell or trade in your system, this residual value will further reduce your net capital expenditure. As you can see, the value of ASML technology reaps rewards throughout a system s lifetime. This is not ArF KrF ASML innovation for innovation s sake, but the fulfillment of a real business need to generate profits and performance that you could not obtain any other way. Creating value through innovation is our top commitment to our customers, and is the legacy we seek to create with every system. Competition Value stage #6: System Usable Lifetime This is perhaps where ASML innovation delivers the most value to our customers. Our advanced modular design allows for nearly limitless system enhancements and upgrades. This level of extendibility means your platform will last through several generations of technology. You can expect your hardworking ASML system to be long-lasting, producing returns on your investment for years to come. Value stage #7: Resale Value ASML s reputation for reliability and best-of-class imaging, overlay and Value of productivity at fab build out Wafers per hour TWINSCAN 300 mm > 40% throughput advantage ASML TWINSCAN Competition 15

16 System availability you can by Jan-Evert van de Wetering Abstract ASML is systematically enhancing machine reliability and availability as part of our commitment to continuously improving value of ownership. Working together with our customers and through a variety of features, options and customer support packages, we can deliver up to 97% system availability. What s more, the high stability of our availability numbers simplifies fab planning. System availability is a key improved doesn t just mean higher, consideration in fab management. it also means more stable. Stable Improved availability means easier, availability (i.e. when availability doesn t Achieve stable mean system availabilities as high as 97% more cost-effective fab planning and vary much over time or between greater production capacity from the systems) enables greater production same number of tools. But in this case predictability. 16

17 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 rely on Through a number of system on the level of e-diagnostics capabilities enhancements and improved ways of enabled. Once a system is fully working, we re increasing both the mean connected via user-definable and usermaintainable firewalls, its condition and availability and stability (defined by the -minus 3σ value- ). performance can be remotely monitored from a -smart maintenance center- Designed for reliability near your fab. Using intelligent software A key to the improved system availability applications, we can determine the is an increased focus on reliability in the best time to carry out any maintenance design stage. We now set and achieve actions. We can then ensure a reliability targets in all design projects. maintenance team arrives with the right In addition, we employ Failure Mode and parts and the right skill set at the right Effects Analysis (FMEA) for all our new time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (sub)systems and system enhancements. Improved availability means easier, more cost-effective fab planning and greater production capacity We ve also introduced a number of Cluster availability system enhancements and options In addition, the system offers the flexibility that improve availability. These include to align maintenance schedules for your SpotLess wafer table cleaning and lithography systems and your tracks. the Primetime e-diagnostics and For example, the Wait Watcher system connectivity portfolio. enhancement offers smart scheduling of periodic and regular (semi-)automated Smarter maintenance maintenance to match non-productive To complement the -designed-in- intervals on the track. The end result is reliability benefits, we ve also launched a higher total cluster availability and fewer smart maintenance program. The goal of production stoppages. this program is to reduce the amount of preventative maintenance and switch to Continuous learning condition-based, predictive maintenance. The above measures are all designed By scheduling maintenance for when it to improve the mean availability. We ve is actually needed, rather than based also initiated a program to improve on some conservative estimate, you can the stability of our system availability significantly reduce downtime and cut through enhanced spare part quality. spare part and consumables costs. It isn t possible to completely eliminate parts failures, but by learning from each The ability to carry out condition-based, failure we can significantly improve predictive maintenance depends strongly overall quality. To do that, we carry out a Failure Analysis Report (FAR) each time a major part fails. This involves each link in our supply chain. Within one month, we determine why the part failed and how we can avoid that happening again. The results of the FAR are translated into measures that can be applied correctively to existing systems and proactively to new ones to prevent similar failures. A team effort Improving system availability is very much a team effort. For the best results we need your cooperation. Some of the necessary system enhancements are only available as options, and you must have the appropriate service contracts in place as well as the right e-diagnostic functions enabled. With the appropriate options, our G specification i-line, KrF and dry ArF systems (which start shipping in 2007) can achieve mean system availabilities as high as 97%. To find out about performance contracts for availability and how ASML can help you improve reliability and system availability in your fab, please contact your local ASML representative. 17

18 First in a series An introduction to photolithography by Bartel Carriere Abstract Photolithography lies at the heart of the IC manufacturing industry. In the first of a series of articles, we take an introductory look at how photolithography fits into the chip manufacturing process and discuss some of the key issues. Modern photolithography systems are technological masterpieces. They feature massive, multi-million dollar lenses capable of resolving features just tens of nanometers in size. What s more, photolithography systems are expected to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks at a time. They push the state-of-the-art not just in optics and mechatronics, but also in manufacturing, laser alignment, materials science and even climate control. Most photolithography tools don t print a pattern on the entire surface of the wafer in one go. Instead they expose one small area (known as the exposure field) at a time until the whole wafer is covered. Once the whole wafer has been exposed, the soft resist and the silicon dioxide beneath it are etched away leaving a three-dimensional version of the reticle pattern on the wafer s surface. This process is repeated many times to build up the layers that comprise an integrated circuit. That shrinking feeling The semiconductor industry is continually striving to create higher-performance, more complex and more cost-efficient ICs. Enabling this, the story of photolithography is a quest to print ever smaller features. As the minimum printable feature size depends partly on the wavelength of light used, photolithography has progressed through a series of wavelength jumps. In the early 80s, when ASML was born, photolithography typically used light in the violet region of the visible spectrum. The most common wavelength was 436 nm from the so-called g-line of a Lithography systems work by directing light of a certain wavelength through a mask (also called a reticle ), which contains the pattern to be printed. The lens focuses that light onto a wafer coated with a light-sensitive material known as a photoresist (or simply a resist ). Where the light hits the resist, it causes a chemical reaction either hardening or softening the compound depending on the type of resist. The story of photolithography is a quest to print ever smaller features high-pressure mercury vapor lamp. State-of-the-art g-line systems could print features down to 1 µm. In the mid 80s, the semiconductor industry moved into the ultraviolet with the transition to i-line (365-nm) light from mercury lamps, enabling resolutions of about 0.5 µm. The start of the 90s saw the dawning of the deep ultraviolet (DUV) age for photolithography. Cutting-edge wafer fabrication moved to 248-nm light produced by krypton-fluoride (KrF) lasers rather than the mercury lamps previously used. Around this time, developments in areas such as illumination techniques, reticles and resists allowed manufacturers for the first time to print features smaller 18

19 ASML Images, Fall Edition 2006 The lithography triangle The performance of a photolithography tool is characterized by three key capabilities. Imaging, or the ability to consistently resolve small features, governs the IC s size (hence cost) and performance. Overlay describes how accurately a system can print consecutive layers on top of each other. This affects the performance of the IC and the yield of good dies per wafer. Finally productivity, measured by how many wafers a system can process in a fixed time, impacts on the cost of the IC and the manufacturer s profitability. Over the next three editions of Images, we will be taking a closer look at each of these three issues. First up will be imaging. than the wavelength of light used. So, originally billed as the quarter-micron technology, KrF was soon being used to print features as small as 180 nm. Photolithography moved further into DUV at the end of the 90s with the introduction of 193-nm argon-fluoride (ArF) lasers. ArF is still the cutting-edge production technology, printing features down to 65 nm. The ASML advantage ASML has been at the forefront of photolithography technology throughout our 22 year history. As well as spearheading these wavelength jumps, we ve pioneered numerous other technical innovations. In our very first commercial system, we introduced through-the-lens (TTL) alignment delivering extremely accurate positioning of the pattern on the wafer. In the late 80s, we began using a modular system architecture that enables easy system upgrades and enhancements. And we started the new millennium with a yet another new concept for lithography systems the dual-stage TWINSCAN platform. As the first (and currently only) dual-stage lithography platform, TWINSCAN systems, with their exceptionally high throughput, unleash the true portential of 300-mm manufacturing. What s next? Current semiconductor production typically uses ArF, KrF and i-line systems for critical, mid-critical and non-critical layers respectively. The most cuttingedge production lines are just starting to introduce immersion-based ArF systems such as the TWINSCAN XT:1700Fi. Immersion systems can print smaller features at the same wavelength, opening the door to 32-nm features. Looking further to the future, photolithography will eventually move into the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) region with a wavelength of 13.5 nm. 19

20 Corporate Headquarters De Run DR Veldhoven The Netherlands Phone U.S. Main Office 8555 South River Parkway Tempe, AZ USA Phone Asia Main Office Suite 603, 6/F One International Finance Center 1 Harbour View Street Central, Hong Kong, SAR Phone