As technology advances, becoming more difficult and more expensive, the Cost of Ownership (CoO) metric becomes increasingly important in evaluating technical strategies. The International SEMATECH CoO analysis has steadily gained visibility over the past year, as it attempts to level the playing field between technology choices, and create a fair relative comparison.In order to predict mask costs for advanced lithography, mask process flows are modeled using best-known processing strategies, equipment costs, and yields. Using a newly revised yield model, and updated mask manufacture flows (including current assumptions regarding tool costs and processing times), representative mask flows can be built. These flows are then used to calculate mask costs for advanced lithography down to the 5Omn node. It is never the goal of this type of work to provide absolute cost estimates for business planning purposes. However, the combination of a quantifiable yield model with a clearly defined set of mask processing flows and a cost model based upon them serves as an excellent starting point for cost driver analysis and process flow discussion.
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