ICPST-42 (2025) PLENARY TALKS
Plenary Talk Title: EUV Lithography; past, present and future
Plenary Speaker: Jos Benschop (ASML)
Biography: Dr. Jos Benschop currently serves as Executive Vice President of ASML, the Netherlands. He received the M.Sc. (cum laude) and Ph.D. degrees from the Physics Faculty, Twente University. His career in semiconductor technology began at Philips Research (Eindhoven, NL, and Sunnyvale, USA) from 1984 to 1997. In 1997, he joined ASML as Head of Research. Since then he has lead research for paving the way for the commercial semiconductor device production using EUV lithography. He is an SPIE Fellow and Fellow of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering. He has been appointed by the Dutch King as an Advisor to the Dutch Government on Science, Technology and Innovation.
Abstract: Extreme UltraViolet (EUV) lithography has come a long way since the pioneering work in the mid 1980’s in Japan[1], USA[2] and the Netherlands[3].
ASML started a program to select the “Next Generation Lithography” in 1997 with active participation on Electron Beam Projection Lithography, Ion Beam Projection Lithography as well as Extreme UltraViolet Lithography. The extendibility to smaller nodes was a decisive advantage for EUV and by 2001 ASML decided to focus on EUV.
By 2006 ASML shipped the first two full field scanners, the NA=0.25 EUV Alpha-demo tools [4]. These tools were instrumental to boost the learning on mask and resist, yet significant innovations in e.g. source power were needed.
Today EUV NA=0.33 is currently being used in volume production of logic as well as DRAM IC makers. The number of wafers produced with EUV has increased steeply over the last couple of years.
The latest step in the EUV technology has been the realization of an 0.55 numerical aperture EUV scanner which is fully integrated in the ASML-IMEC lab @ Veldhoven. Recently we printed full field, scanning, 8nm lines and spaces showing the imaging capability of this system.
ASML and Zeiss are currently exploring next steps in our EUV roadmap, a “hyper-NA” system with a numerical aperture larger than 0.7 which will extend the single patterning capabilities down to 5nm lines&spaces.
Needless to say, resist remains a critical enabler to extend the roadmap. Photon and chemical shotnoise determine minimum dose requirements, acid and electron diffusion impact the contrast. Further improvements on the resist are key to utilize current and future EUV scanners to their full potential.
[1] H. Kinoshita, T. Kaneko, H. Takei, N. Takeuchi, and S. Ishihara, “Study on x-ray reduction projection lithography,” presented at the 47th Autumn Meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, Paper No. 28-ZF-15 (1986).
[2] A. M. Hawryluk and L. G. Seppala, “Soft x-ray projection lithography using an x-ray reduction camera,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 6, 2162–2166 (1988).
[3] F. Bijkerk, H.-J. Voorma, E. J. Puik, E. Louis, G. E. van Dorssen, M. J. van der Wiel, J. Verhoeven, E. W. J. M. van der Drift, J. Romijn, and B. A. C. Rousseeuw, “Design of an extended image field soft-x-ray projection system,” in OSA Proc. on Soft-X-Ray Projection Lithography 1991, Vol. 12, pp. 51–53 (1991).
[4] Noreen Harned, et al. “EUV lithography with the Alpha Demo Tools: status and challenges” SPIE Proceedings Volume 6517, Emerging Lithographic Technologies XI; 651706 (2007).
Plenary Talk Title: EUV History, current status and prospect for EUV Lithography
Plenary Speaker: Takeo Watanabe (University of Hyogo)
Biography: Prof. Takeo Watanabe received his Ph.D. from Osaka City University in 1990. He is now the Principal Investigator of Next Generation EUVL Research Endowed Chair, the Project Professor of Laboratory of Advanced Science and Technology for Industry (LASTI), University of Hyogo. Previously, he was assigned as a special advisor to the president, director of the Center for EUVL, and Dean of LASTI, at the University of Hyogo. He is an expert of the EUV lithographic technology, including optics, exposure tool, mask, resist, and pellicle etc., and contributes with EUVL and next generation EUVL fundamental researches. He has authored over 270 technical papers, and he is the president of the International Conference of Photopolymer Science and Technology (ICPST). He is also Conference Chair of the International Conference of Photomask Japan (PMJ). And he is a program committee member of the International Conference on Electron, Ion, and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication (EIPBN). Furthermore, he is a committee member of lithography of IRDS. In addition, he is a subcommittee member of the K-Program funded through the Japanese government.
Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is the most promising technology for the high- volume manufacturing of advanced-semiconductor chips. Since 2019, EUVL has been used in these fabrications. When back to 2001, line-space pattern of 60 nm in large exposure field was demonstrated first in the world at Himeji Institute of Technology (present University of Hyogo) utilized the three-aspherical-mirror-imaging optics [1] installed in the beamline at NewSUBARU synchrotron light facility [2]. Based on this result, it was decided that EUVL research and development would continue as a Japanese project to realize future EUVL technology. In this presentation, history, current status of EUVL, and prospect for EUVL including next generation EUVL will be presented [3]. Especially, advanced lithographic technology is still significant for the advanced semiconductor devices fabrication. The highest priority in technical issues of EUVL is still to realize to achieve EUV resists to satisfy the required specification. Fundamental photopolymer science has contributed greatly to the development of resist materials and process technologies. This International Conference of Photopolymer Science and Technology (ICPST) organized by the Society of Photopolymer Science and Technology (SPST) plays extremely significant role to contribute significantly to the development of the photopolymer field. We appreciate your continued understanding and cooperation with ICPST and SPST.
[1] T. Watanabe, H. Kinoshita, H. Nii, Y. Li, K. Hamamoto, T. Oshinio, K. Sugisaki, K. Murakami, S. Irie, S. Shirayone, Y. Gomei, and S. Okazaki, “Development of the Large Field Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Camera,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B18 2905-2910 (2000).
[2] A. Ando, S. Amano, S. Hashimoto, H. Kinoshita, S. Miyamoto, T. Mochizuki, M. Niibe, Y. Shoji, M. Terasawa, and T. Watanabe, “VUV and Soft X-ray Light Source “NewSUBARU”,” Proc. of the 1997 Particle Accelerator Conference (1998) 757-759.
[3] Takeo Watanabe, Tetsuo Harada, and Shinji Yamakawa, “Research activities on EUV mask at NewSUBARU synchrotron light facility for the advanced EUV lithography,” Proc. SPIE, PC12751, PC127510N (2023).