HVM readiness of dry resist patterning solutions

The introduction of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography into high volume manufacturing has enabled scaling to continue below 7nm logic and 16/14nm DRAM. EUV enables direct print to improve edge placement error over multiple patterning, however a persistent challenge of the EUV scanner is to supply a high contrast image with sufficient photons to the photoresist to meet cost, edge placement error and defectivity targets. EUV scanner power, reliability, and numerical aperture continue to progress against committed targets, yet photoresists have been a limiting factor to the extension of direct print EUV. Today’s spin-on photoresists struggle to meet the sensitivity, resolution, and defectivity targets for High Volume Manufacturing (HVM) at the most advanced technology nodes. This gap in photoresist readiness has forced the industry to make compromises in design, complexity and cost. We share here progress on our revolutionary technique to both apply photoresist and develop latent images in photoresist using dry technologies, enabling best-in-class resist performance at the leading edge of technology innovation.