Invention:
This technology is a novel approach to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography by creating a transmission-mode EUV lithography system using suspended nanomembranes. The core idea is to utilize nanomembranes which are ~50-100 nm thick suspensions on the order of a few mm squared. The membranes can be made of silicon or its derivatives. Moreover, they are produced on a wafer scale. The fact that they are thin allows them to be patterned with ebeam lithography or focused ion beam milling where etched portions are holes which allow the transmission of EUV wavelengths. This invention addresses a critical bottleneck in advanced CMOS node development by providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution for EUV lithography.
Background:
EUV lithography faces challenges due to its reliance on reflective optics, which complicates system alignment, increases footprint, and limits flexibility. The current EUV lithography tools are not only extremely expensive, often costing billions of dollars, but also complex and large. By introducing a suspended nanomembrane-based system with diffractive optical elements and transmission masks, this technology has the potential to significantly reduce the cost and complexity of EUV lithography, making it more accessible and scalable for semiconductor manufacturing.
Applications:
- EUV lithography
- Semiconductor manufacturing
- Telecommunications
Advantages:
- Cost effective
- Less complex than alternative methods
- More efficient
