Vistec's recently introduced EBPG5200 features the most advanced electron beam lithography technology for exposure of substrates - from small fragments to complete 200mm substrates
The EBPG5200 represents a high performance electron beam lithography patterning system for today’s and future nanotechnology requirements. With its evolutionary design, advanced lithography specification, performance and software, as well as with its substrate flexibility, compact footprint, and excellent global service support, the EBPG5200 is the system of choice for all current and future nanotechnology applications.
With further enhancements in resolution, noise reduction and beam stability, the Vistec EBPG5200 is set to generate structures to less than 8nm on substrates of any size and type. Its electron-optical column (TFE source) is rated for acceleration voltages of 20, 50, and 100kV. With the EBPG5200 Vistec offers true 100kV / 1mm performance under regular electron-optical conditions.
Vistec Electron Beam GmbH has entered a joint electron-beam lithography project with the renowned Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET). MIET, one of the most advanced Universities and research institutions in Russia and Vistec Electron Beam, a leading German supplier of electron-beam lithography systems will collaborate within a dedicated photomask manufacturing project recently kicked-off in Russia.
“After ramping up, the MIET Photomask Centre will provide both semiconductor industry as well as research institutes in Russia with advanced photomasks for a wide range of applications”, said Vladimir Bespalov, Senior Vice Rector of MIET Technical University. “Besides mask manufacturing, education and research will play a central role in the new Photomask Centre. MIET selected a Variable Shaped Beam system from Vistec because of the lithography performance, high flexibility, field proven reliability and ease of operation functionality of the system.”
The 50kV Variable Shaped Beam system from Vistec is equipped with a fully automated substrate handling and is prepared to expose different substrate types and sizes. “We are extremely proud to team-up with MIET in this photomask manufacturing project”, stated Wolfgang Dorl, General Manager of Vistec Electron Beam GmbH. “The recently shipped Variable Shaped Beam system represents a continuation of an outstanding business history the company has with Russia and opens up new and exciting opportunities in the growing Russian market.”
E-beam supplier Vistec, along with semiconductor research group CEA/Leti, and emerging design and software company D2S, announced a collaboration focused on refining and validating advanced design-for-e-beam (DFEB) solutions for the 45- and 32-nm nodes. Over the next 12 months, CEA/Leti will manufacture test chips using a combination of D2S’ advanced DFEB design and software capabilities and the latest high-resolution e-beam direct-write (EbDW) lithography equipment from Vistec. The goal of this collaboration is to print 45- and 32-nm circuits using Vistec Electron Beam’s SB3054 system installed at CEA/Leti.
Driving the need for this joint effort is the ever-rising cost of semiconductor masks, which is making low-volume production of custom ICs economically infeasible. Using an e-beam tool to directly write patterns onto a wafer has always been the most accurate way to pattern a semiconductor wafer; however, low throughput using a traditional variable shaped beam (VSB) approach has limited its application. By efficiently employing character or cell projection (CP) technology to re-write the throughput rules around EbDW, the DFEB solution virtually eliminates the cost of masks and can speed time to market by shortening the design to-lithography process flow.
D2S’ proprietary DFEB solution encourages and isolates the most commonly recurring patterns of chip designs and translates them into templates on “mini-reticles”. A prepared set of templates on a mini-reticle then allows these complex patterns to be replicated in a single shot on a wafer. This is accomplished using Vistec’s SB3054 tool utilizing CP technology. By reducing a design’s required shot count, this approach improves throughput over VSB while enhancing accuracy.
“Ever increasing mask costs are presenting numerous challenges in the semiconductor industry,” said Aki Fujimura, founder and chief executive officer of D2S. “Combining EbDW with CP provides a low-risk, low-cost path to a new production paradigm. Producers of highvalue, low-volume devices will be the beneficiaries of this joint effort to validate direct-write-ebeam solutions at leading-edge technology nodes—thanks in part to our DFEB ecosystem partners, CEA/Leti and Vistec.”
Laurent Pain, lithography laboratory manager at CEA/Leti, stated, “DFEB is an innovative, new approach to the old problem of boosting e-beam throughput while enhancing accuracy. We are looking forward to this collaboration to validate accuracy and throughput goals at the 45- and 32-nm nodes using the Vistec SB3054 system in tandem with D2S’ advanced DFEB solution.”
“We see the integrated CP functionality and DFEB software as a bridge between the highresolution requirements of advanced R&D and the challenging throughput expectations driven by industrial prototyping applications,” said Wolfgang Dorl, general manager at Vistec Electron Beam. “The CP feature is available today from Vistec and was recently installed at CEA/Leti to enable this collaboration and research."
Driving the need for this joint effort is the ever-rising cost of semiconductor masks, which is making low-volume production of custom ICs economically infeasible. Using an e-beam tool to directly write patterns onto a wafer has always been the most accurate way to pattern a semiconductor wafer; however, low throughput using a traditional variable shaped beam (VSB) approach has limited its application. By efficiently employing character or cell projection (CP) technology to re-write the throughput rules around EbDW, the DFEB solution virtually eliminates the cost of masks and can speed time to market by shortening the design to-lithography process flow.
D2S’ proprietary DFEB solution encourages and isolates the most commonly recurring patterns of chip designs and translates them into templates on “mini-reticles”. A prepared set of templates on a mini-reticle then allows these complex patterns to be replicated in a single shot on a wafer. This is accomplished using Vistec’s SB3054 tool utilizing CP technology. By reducing a design’s required shot count, this approach improves throughput over VSB while enhancing accuracy.
“Ever increasing mask costs are presenting numerous challenges in the semiconductor industry,” said Aki Fujimura, founder and chief executive officer of D2S. “Combining EbDW with CP provides a low-risk, low-cost path to a new production paradigm. Producers of highvalue, low-volume devices will be the beneficiaries of this joint effort to validate direct-write-ebeam solutions at leading-edge technology nodes—thanks in part to our DFEB ecosystem partners, CEA/Leti and Vistec.”
Laurent Pain, lithography laboratory manager at CEA/Leti, stated, “DFEB is an innovative, new approach to the old problem of boosting e-beam throughput while enhancing accuracy. We are looking forward to this collaboration to validate accuracy and throughput goals at the 45- and 32-nm nodes using the Vistec SB3054 system in tandem with D2S’ advanced DFEB solution.”
“We see the integrated CP functionality and DFEB software as a bridge between the highresolution requirements of advanced R&D and the challenging throughput expectations driven by industrial prototyping applications,” said Wolfgang Dorl, general manager at Vistec Electron Beam. “The CP feature is available today from Vistec and was recently installed at CEA/Leti to enable this collaboration and research."
The Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET, Technical University) was established in Zelenograd, the center of Russian microelectronics, in 1965. Today MIET is an advanced Russian university which is training highly-qualified professionals in the most popular fields of electronics and IT. The university covers 9 faculties, 32 fundamental and 17 basic professorial chairs (institutions in hi-tech companies) providing excellent training and allowing their students and graduates to continue their academic education. All in all a staff of 650 scientific-educational personnel, among the MIET tutors and employees are 3 members of the Russian Academy of Science , 3 universal graduates, 95 professors, doctors and 290 PhDs, are teaching 6500 students, more than 300 of them are aspirants and doctorial candidates.
MIET proved its status of a leading university in Russia by being listed in 2006 as one of the first 17 winners of the national priority project “Education”. Now MIET is among the universities promoting best innovative educational programs for further development of the training system.
Vistec Electron Beam Lithography Group
Vistec Lithography develops, manufactures, and sells electron-beam lithography equipment based on Gaussian Beam technology. Their electron-beam systems are world-wide accepted in advanced research laboratories and universities. The company is located in Watervliet, NY (USA), within the Capital Region of New York.
Vistec Electron Beam is providing electron-beam lithography equipment based on Shaped Beam technology, which is used by leading semiconductor manufacturers and many research institutes around the world. Their innovative electron-beam systems are used for microchip production and integrated optics as well as for scientific and commercial research. The company is located in Jena (Germany).
