Introduction of EUV has greatly simplified patterning but patterning complexity and costs continue to increase every node. Contributing to the complexity and costs are some of the limitations of EUV such as stochastic defects, resolution, line-edge roughness, sensitivity (RLS) tradeoff, counter scaling of tip to tip as half pitch decreases, poor etch selectivity, edge placement errors (EPE) with EUV multi-patterning as well as challenges in EUV Mask fabrication such as Mask 3D effects for 2nm and below nodes. This talk will outline how innovation in materials engineering combined with new process technologies is being used to address these limitations to extend EUV and greatly help in reducing costs. Novel films and underlayers and their co optimization with both CAR and metal oxide photoresists, new advances in plasma etch, breakthrough pattern shaping capability which can elongate pre-defined line/space patterns, selective technologies for fully self-aligned solutions, advances in metrology for EPE measurement and EUV defect detection as well as progress in mask writing, mask etch, and mask cleans for EUV mask materials will be presented.
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