Current status and future projections for EUV lithography

Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) at a 13nm wavelength is an extendable technology that will support IC manufacturing down to the 22nm node without using resolution enhancement techniques. Commercial tool throughput is specified to be greater than (80) 300mm wafers/hour for the 45nm node and beyond. Today, EUVL is entering the competitive commercialization process aimed at introduction of steppers and support technologies for the 45nm node in 2007. There are a number of key business and technical issues that will need to be resolved to meet this targeted introduction. In this talk we will identify key technical risks and compare the current technical capabilities to the commercial requirements. Considerable work is required in several areas. Of course, the final decision on any next generation lithography depends on the cost of ownership (CoO) of the technology and a willingness of suppliers and users to make investments in a timely manner. While these business and economic issues are not the topic of this talk, the technical issues discussed strongly impact the CoO and, in turn, the willingness of suppliers and users to make the required commitments.