\n\tVeeco Instruments Inc., Plainview, N.Y., reports that its new Odyssey ion beam deposition (IBD) upgrade for the NEXUS IBD-LDD system has repeatedly produced photomask blanks with zero deposition defects larger than 70 nanometers. This represents a significant milestone toward the manufacture of semiconductor devices with advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, because mask blank defects have been a key obstacle toward high volume manufacturing.<\/p>\n
\n\tEUV mask blank defects are, as a practical matter, impossible to repair and can render a semiconductor device useless Veeco’s low-defect Odyssey IBD technology clears the way for further EUV manufacturing advancements for semiconductor devices.<\/p>\n
\n\t“EUV lithography brings chipmakers the ability to manufacture higher-performing devices at lower cost compared to manufacturing methods that rely on multiple patterning steps,” said Ron Kool, Senior Vice President of EUV Product and Service Marketing at ASML.<\/p>\n
\n\tVeeco IBD technology leads the industry in high film quality, featuring extremely low particulate deposition and precise control of optical properties for single or multi-layer processes. These technology features are required for defect-free, high volume EUV manufacturing. Currently, all of the leading EUV mask blank manufacturers use the Veeco NEXUS IBD-LDD system.<\/p>\n
\n\t“Veeco is committed to working with our customers and industry partners to advance the EUV roadmap and increase the output of defect-free mask blanks,” said Jim Northup, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Veeco Advanced Deposition & Etch. “We have made significant investments in the Odyssey upgrade and consolidated our optical coating and ion beam resources in a single R&D site to ensure ongoing development of our industry-leading IBD technology.”<\/p>\n