ALBANY, USA: A cross-section of semiconductor manufacturers, equipment suppliers and researchers recently gathered at the 3rd SEMATECH Litho Forum to evaluate progress of the various technology options and guide critical thinking on extending the semiconductor lithography roadmap.

The SEMATECH-sponsored forum attracted more than 200 technologists and executives from around the world, and featured an impressive line-up of speakers who presented the current status and projected plans of various lithographic technology options for the 32nm half-pitch generation and beyond. These options included 193nm high-index immersion, double patterning, and extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), as well as alternative technologies such as nanoimprint and maskless.

"The feedback we received from the industry is that although the technical challenges of lithography are increasing, the business pressure to keep scaling to smaller device feature sizes remains very strong, especially for memory companies," said Michael Lercel, SEMATECH Lithography director and conference chair.

"The Litho Forum is unique in addressing all of the technology options and their critical issues together in one meeting," Lercel added. "Through the presentations and surveys, attendees can compare progress and develop an assessment, relative to the perceptions of their peers, of when these technologies may be available."

An attendee survey conducted during the Litho Forum indicated the technology solution for nominal 32nm half-pitch in 2013 is double patterning using 193nm dry or water-based immersion lithography tools. Additionally, participants revealed EUVL is still considered the most likely next-generation lithography for nominal 22nm half-pitch node, a scenario that also emerged from a similar survey of global chip manufacturers that was conducted prior to the Litho Forum.

"The information and guidance on lithography trends coming out of the Forum are especially useful for SEMATECH, given our focus on critical issues and manufacturable solutions," said John Warlaumont, vice president of technology for SEMATECH.  "Specifically, the Forum allows us to better design programs aimed at rapid progress both in extending current lithography technologies and in building the infrastructure for next-generation and emerging technologies."

SEMATECH organized this year's Litho Forum to focus on lithography options for 22nm half-pitch and beyond.  With an industry cycle of about two years per lithography node, SEMATECH's biennial Litho Forum provides an opportunity for lithography users and suppliers to evaluate progress of the various technology options.  Prior SEMATECH Litho Forums helped coordinate industry consensus for the 45nm and 32nm half-pitch nodes.