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Nanolithography - Emerging Trends
Frost & Sullivan, June 2010, Pages: 72
This study pertains to the semiconductor manufacturing sector wherein it provides insight into emerging trends and research and development in the area of nanolithography
This Frost & Sullivan research service titled Nanolithography--Emerging Trends provides an insight into the developments in next-generation lithography tools. The study focuses mainly on the semiconductor market, which has the highest requirement for resolution and cost. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following technologies: extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), direct electron beam writing, and nanoimprinting.
Technology Overview
Direction of Technology Progression to Fill the Gap in Next-generation Semiconductor Lithography
In accordance with Moore’s Law, continuous advancements have characterized the evolution of the semiconductor industry. Development has been fast paced, with sizes of transistors shrinking by 50 percent every one to two years. The issue of technical limitations hindering Moore’s Law has been widely discussed since the beginning of the decade. Technologies capable of brining semiconductors to the fore provide great opportunities for chip manufacturers, as well as other participants along the supply chain. Radical changes are afoot in the semiconductor fabrication technology, owing to the approaching resolution limits. “The lifespan of existing photolithography has been extended several times, introducing additional process steps to be aligned with Moore’s Law,” notes Technical Insights Research Analyst Kenneth Chua. “Stepping forward, significant changes in technology will be required and the most promising being extreme ultraviolet photolithography, using light sources of significantly shorter wavelength.” To put it mildly, prime technology choices for next-generation lithography have a track record of being uncertain. Prioritization of technology in the past is vastly different in the current landscape. The high degree of complexity brings about many potential blocking points for a technology. As such, there is a need for stakeholders and investors to understand the underlying forces, advantages, and disadvantages linked with each technology to better predict future directions of its growth. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV), which is the prime candidate for next-generation lithography, is faced with very high complexity levels. Unlike in the past, there is a growing need for technology integration between different disciplines – engineering, chemistry, physics, and nuclear science. Moving to next-generation semiconductor lithography tools involves a high degree of complexity. However, these challenges can be addressed by an industry known to solve complex technical challenges. Transition of such radical changes to mass production promises a great deal of excitement to both innovators as well as common spectators.
Additionally incurred processes (and cost) due to double patterning on current photolithography equipment underpin the increasing importance of next generation tools. While the technology has experienced numerous delays in the development cycle, the promise is just too big for chip makers not cash in on it. Early adopters successfully implementing the technology are expected to experience improved cost effectiveness as well as product differentiation. The statement is especially true in an industry where technology leadership carries a big premium and advantage in moving forward along the learning curve Until the successful transition of EUV gets underway, computational lithography features a growing demand for chip makers to fabricate dense chips using existing photolithography tools. Highly technical demands for next-generation tools drive the need for research partnerships to a new level. Several initiatives driven by SEMATECH are already in place at present, particularly in the area of mask inspection, which has the potential to be a show-stopper for EUV. “Alternative technologies such as parallel e-beam and nanoimprinting should not be written-off.” says the analyst. “Given the degree of complexity, there is always a possibility of EUV encountering blocking points and scientific limitations.”
Market Sectors
Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:
- EUVL
- Direct electron beam writing
- Nanoimprinting
- Technologies
The following technologies are covered in this research:
- Wafer fabrication
- Lithography
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