Lithography for enabling advances in integrated circuits and devices

Abstract

Because the transistor was fabricated in volume, lithography has enabled the increase in density of devices and integrated circuits. With the invention of the integrated circuit, lithography enabled the integration of higher densities of field-effect transistors through evolutionary applications of optical lithography. In 1994, the semiconductor industry determined that continuing the increase in density transistors was increasingly difficult and required coordinated development of lithography and process capabilities. It established the US National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors and this was expanded in 1999 to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors to align multiple industries to provide the complex capabilities to continue increasing the density of integrated circuits to nanometre scales. Since the 1960s, lithography has become increasingly complex with the evolution from contact printers, to steppers, pattern reduction technology at i-line, 248 nm and 193 nm wavelengths, which required dramatic improvements of mask-making technology, photolithography printing and alignment capabilities and photoresist capabilities. At the same time, pattern transfer has evolved from wet etching of features, to plasma etch and more complex etching capabilities to fabricate features that are currently 32 nm in high-volume production. To continue increasing the density of devices and interconnects, new pattern transfer technologies will be needed with options for the future including extreme ultraviolet lithography, imprint technology and directed self-assembly. While complementary metal oxide semiconductors will continue to be extended for many years, these advanced pattern transfer technologies may enable development of novel memory and logic technologies based on different physical phenomena in the future to enhance and extend information processing.

Biofilm Lithography: High-resolution cell patterning via optogenetic adhesin expression

“…This insight gives additional support to the proposed role of Ag43 as an adhesin involved in biofilm maturation as opposed to initial surface adsorption (45). Ultimately, optogenetic patterning tools such as pDawn-Ag43 can be applied towards an improved understanding of naturally existing biofilms (46,47), the design of synthetic microbial consortia (8), and new types of integrated diagnostic and microfluidic devices (48), with impact and trajectory that may potentially parallel that of silicon photolithography in the semiconductor industry (49,50).…”

Novel Approaches to Extend 193nm Immersion Technology to Advanced Device Nodes

“…Indeed, the roadmap has been successfully guiding the industry for more than two decades [1,2]. The latest roadmap for future logic devices is shown in Fig.…”

“…Based on the roadmap, it is clear that 193nm immersion lithography will be challenged to achieve future nodes [3]. Advanced 193nm immersion double patterning schemes like Litho-Etch-Litho-Etch (LELE) and Self Aligned Double Patterning (SADP) are currently used in high volume manufacturing (HVM) and are already pushing the limits of low k1 lithography [1]. Looking ahead to N7, one of the most challenging layers will be printing the 32nm pitch Metal 1 layer [6].…”

“…Lithography has served as the enabling technology for development of integrated circuits and semiconductor devices for many decades [1]. The technology associated with lithography and device manufacturing is considered so important that the industry came together and formed the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) [2].…”

3D Process Simulation forAdvanced Immersion Lithography

“…[1,2] The extensive and inclusive application of ArF immersion lithography with other resolution enhancement techniques (RETs) make it the most powerful, reliable and economical option from manufacturing perspective. [3] To suppress the impact of reflected light from underneath layers, the reflectivity must be precisely controlled at the interface of the resist and the bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer. Dual BARC structure which contains an inorganic and an organic layer genuinely satisfied the requirements of both reflectivity control and pattern transfer during etch process.…”