TNO’s exposure and analysis facility “EBL2” equipped with USHIO EUV light source (Source: USHIO website)
USHIO INC. Received the First Acceptance of the EUV Light Source for Mask Inspection to EUV Lithography Mass Production Process
Accelerating EUV Business by highly recognized performance in the R&D Equipment
USHIO INC. (Head office: Tokyo, Chief Executive Officer: Koji Naito)
announced that the company has received the first acceptance of the EUV light source for mask inspection equipment*1 used in an EUV lithography mass-production process (hereinafter “EUV light source”)on July 2019.
EUV lithography technology
is indispensable to the manufacturing process of more highly integrated next-generation semiconductor devices, and major device manufacturers are verifying the practical use of the technology.
Meanwhile, the mask inspection with the EUV light source to detect defects in high-precision masks must be implemented in order to establish an EUV lithography mass-production technologies.
USHIO
has been conducting research and development of the high-brightness EUV light source
and has improved the performance and reliability by providing research and evaluation service using USHIO’s high-brightness laser-assisted discharge-produced plasma (Sn LDP) EUP light source*2
in the EUV exposure and analysis facility (“EBL2”) of the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (“TNO”) from March 2017.
In addition to the activity in TNO,
this acceptance had been made by the high performance achievement of the EUV sources previously delivered and currently operated for inspection tool development at an inspection equipment manufacturer.
This high-brightness EUV light source enables “actinic” mask inspection for EUV lithography that is required for next-generation semiconductor mass-production process.
We provide full lineup of lighting-edge solutions. In particular, the EUV light source is one of our core competences.
The practical use of EUV lithography is one of the long-awaited necessary conditions to deliver tangible fruits of new generation technologies such as a new communication protocol and various applications using the communication technologies.
As a light specialist company, it is our pleasure to contribute to the realization of expected social infrastructure through the acceptance of EUV light source for inspection equipment for mass-production process.
USHIO INC.
https://www.ushio.co.jp/en/news/1002/2019-2019/500468.html