Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. today announced that it has developed a
photomask manufacturing process at its facility in Asaka, Japan, to
support 22nm and 20nm semiconductor device production. This process was
developed through Toppans ongoing joint development project with IBM.
Toppan is ready to support 22nm and 20nm photomask prototyping as well
as production for leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing customers.
“This announcement marks a significant milestone in the successful,
multi-year joint development collaboration between Toppan and IBM”
Semiconductors have become increasingly sophisticated due to growing
demand for telecommunication devices and highly complex and
multifunctional digital consumer electronic products. Such advanced
semiconductors are expected to have better performance, lower power
consumption, and lower cost. Photomasks play a critical role in
producing semiconductors that meet those requirements. The new photomask
process from Toppan will help accelerate the production of
semiconductors for next-generation technologies.
Although photomasks are becoming more complex, the IBM-Toppan Photomask
Joint Development Project collaborated with IBM wafer-technology teams
in East Fishkill and Albany, N.Y., to enhance photomask technology while
also achieving significant development-cost savings. The latest
photomask technology solution accommodates wafer requirements for
advanced double patterning and source mask optimization (SMO)1 solutions
to extend the capabilities of 193nm wavelength argon fluoride (ArF)
immersion optical lithography. Despite the attention focused on EUV and
other next-generation lithography technologies, these alternatives
present significant challenges to delivery of manufacturing-ready
solutions for the 22nm and 20nm nodes.
To support the global semiconductor ecosystem, photomask technologies
must remain ahead of wafer schedules and provide better capability. One
method of accomplishing this is to enhance wafer performance through
development of novel mask material and associated photomask process
integration. A new, thinner opaque MoSi on glass (OMOG) material for
improved photomask and wafer performance has been developed. The
photomask advantages realized are improved flatness, less
process-induced pattern placement change, increased cleaning durability,
better resolution, and superior image uniformity.
The improvements enabled by thin OMOG for wafer printing are even more
revolutionary. The reduced topography associated with thin OMOG allows
for smaller electromagnetic field bias2, improved wafer
manufacturability and reduced mask pattern constraints. Relaxed mask
pattern constraints increase optical proximity correction flexibility on
key features such as sub-resolution assists and corner-to-corner gaps.
Superior overall lithography performance can be obtained through a
combination of mask improvements and wafer printing benefits.
Details of this new photomask technology will be presented at the 2010
SPIE Photomask Technology conference, Sept. 13-16 in Monterey, Calif.
This announcement marks a significant milestone in the successful,
multi-year joint development collaboration between Toppan and IBM, said
Gary Patton, Vice President of IBM Semiconductor Research & Development
Center. Photomasks are critical to enabling technology for
semiconductor manufacturing, and together our two companies have
delivered an advanced mask manufacturing technology that can help speed
the development, volume production and time-to-market of 22nm and
smaller devices.
The collaborative work between Toppan and IBM achieved another
photomask technology innovation today, said Toshiro Masuda, Deputy Head
of Electronics Division and Managing Director of Toppan Printing.
Toppan will continue to support our semiconductor manufacturing
customers by leveraging this newly developed photomask process to
contribute to the evolution of the semiconductor industry.
Toppan-IBM Joint Development Project in Advanced Photomasks
Toppans collaboration with IBM began in 2005 at the 45nm node, and
expanded to cover 32nm/28nm and 22nm/20nm nodes in 2008. The Toppan-IBM
Joint Development Project completed 32nm and 28nm logic photomask
process development in 2009, resulting in the introduction of OMOG, an
innovative binary-type mask material. OMOG has now been widely adopted
by the industry. Today, a new thinner OMOG is being deployed to meet
22nm and 20nm lithography requirements.
About Toppan Printings Photomask Business
Toppan Printing is the worlds premier photomask manufacturer. The
company supports the global semiconductor industry, from the initial
launch of the semiconductor manufacturing process through commercial
production, by providing state-of-the-art photomask technology. For more
information, visit www.toppan.co.jp.
1 SMO (Source Mask Optimization)
SMO is the
co-optimization of the illumination source and mask pattern. SMO results
in a lithographic solution for producing more advanced semiconductor
devices than would be possible with conventional lithographic
techniques, and is expected to extend immersion lithography through the
22nm node and beyond.
2 EMF Bias (Electromagnetic Field Bias)
When on-mask
features are approximately equal to or smaller than the exposure
wavelength, Electro-Magnetic Fields (EMF) interact with the mask
features. As a result, simple OPC models are no longer accurate.
Applying an EMF bias makes clear features smaller and opaque features
bigger, extending the use of fast OPC models to more advanced nodes.

Source: Business Wire