Provider of light sources for patterning sophisticated semiconductor chips, Cymer has introduced a new laser focus drilling technology for its immersion light sources such as the XLA 300, XLA 400, XLR500i and XLR 600ix at SPIE Advanced Lithography 2011.
The laser focus drilling technology offers up to a two-fold enhancement in the depth of focus on the wafer, resulting in a bigger process window that can improve the output of chip manufacturers.
Cymer developed the laser focus drilling solution to assist chip manufacturers in applications that demand more depth of focus such as patterning via structures and deep contact with thick resists. The technology is endorsed by a method that includes light source operation at numerous bandwidths using metrology to determine high-bandwidth spectra. In addition, the distinctive spectral form of Cymer's light sources can increase the depth of focus with least effect on other major process variables. The light sources featuring laser focus drilling are being assessed by chip manufacturers.
The President and Chief Operating Officer at Cymer, Ed Brown, stated that the company had spent over five years to develop the laser focus drilling solution and utilized numerous methods to enhance the depth of focus via spectral engineering.