MBMW 401 tool for 2nm and sub-2nm EUV masks

Since IMS Nanofabrication introduced the MBMW series of electron multi-beam mask-writers in 2016, electron multibeam technology has continued to improve and mature, becoming the standard solution for leading-edge mask patterning. With the evolution of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, new challenges in mask fabrication arise demanding substantial enhancements in mask writing technology. IMS Nanofabrication’s latest flagship, MBMW 401, tackles those challenges by improving critical performance metrices, all the while also demonstrating a much-needed versatility covering not only the endeavors into the Angstrom era (A14 and A10) but also providing superior productivity for current N3 and N2 production nodes. The challenges of High-NA EUV lithography are demanding EUV masks with improvements especially in patterning resolution, placement accuracy and pattern fidelity. MBMW 401 deploys an adjustable beam size down to 9nm, achieving sub-20nm mask pattern resolution while keeping its productivity (10 hours mask write time) with 590k programmable beams providing 3.5 μA total beam current, as realized with an improved e-source design providing added robustness and reliability on top. MBMW 401’s placement corrections improve not only local placement but also enhance global placement accuracy by sophisticated writing schemes. CDU improvements follow a similar strategy: the Local CDU correction is enhanced for MBMW 401 to achieve a more stable Global CDU over the entire mask pattern field. MBMW 401 is up and running at IMS Nanofabrication’s facility and already demonstrates the capability to meet the high demand for manufacturing the next-generation semiconductor devices. First customer demos are in planning and shipment to customers scheduled for the second half of 2025.