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IBM to launch new e-beam chip tools

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CIOL Bureau
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IBM is expected to launch a new "Prevail" electron beam-based lithography technology to produce next-generation circuits with ever smaller geometries. For years, the semiconductor industry has been able to extend the life of optical light sources for use in lithography. But, with chip feature designs shrinking to 0.1 micron and below, the technological challenges in using conventional light sources are ether getting either too great or the equipment too expensive to use in the competitive IC industry.



Electron beams have been a factor in chip production for more than a decade. Their much smaller wave length enables chip makers to cut precise circuits with far more accuracy than using optical systems. But, electron beam systems have traditional been too slow to deploy on high-volume production environments.



IBM is expected to report that it has resolved some of the obstacles in achieving high wafer throughput with electron-beam- based systems. "Our new systems allow the industry to continue making the chips smaller, faster and lower power. That's the significance," said Bijan Davari, vice president in charge of IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center in East Fishkill, New York. IBM has developed the new Prevail e-beam lithography systems in cooperation with Nikon, one of the leaders in the lithography market. The name Prevail, which stands for Projection Reduction Exposure with Variable Axis Immersion Lenses. The machines will be available for use in chip-making equipment after 2003, Davari said.



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