Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: SOKUDO Joins CEA-Leti IMAGINE Program to Develop Multiple E-Beam Lithography Process

Home > Press > SOKUDO Joins CEA-Leti IMAGINE Program to Develop Multiple E-Beam Lithography Process

Abstract:
SOKUDO Co., Ltd., the lithography coat/develop track, process equipment, joint venture company, and CEA-Leti today announced that SOKUDO will join the new industry/research multi-partner program IMAGINE that is developing maskless lithography for IC manufacturing.

SOKUDO Joins CEA-Leti IMAGINE Program to Develop Multiple E-Beam Lithography Process

Kyoto, Japan & Grenoble, France | Posted on September 16th, 2010

The three-year project is led by CEA-Leti, the leading French semiconductor research institute, and also includes semiconductor manufacturers TSMC and STMicroelectronics. It is evaluating a maskless lithography infrastructure and the use of MAPPER Lithography tools for high throughput. The multiple e-beam-lithography program covers a global approach to the technology, including tool assessment, patterning and process integration, data handling, prototyping and cost analysis.

"E-beam has the potential to be a viable technology for many sub-22nm lithography process layers in logic/foundry semiconductor manufacturing," said Tadahiro Suhara, SOKUDO president and CEO. "SOKUDO is taking a comprehensive approach to being prepared for coat/develop track process readiness in multiple sub-22nm lithography technologies, including immersion ArF lithography extensions, EUV and e-beam lithography. The CEA-Leti IMAGINE collaboration brings together a focused effort to enable production-worthy e-beam lithography, including multiple resist manufacturers key to sub-22nm process development."

"We have been working with SOKUDO's RF3 coat-and-develop track system for many years and the IMAGINE program will benefit from the strong knowledge and support of SOKUDO in developing the necessary processes to support maskless technology," said Serge Tedesco, CEA-Leti program manager. "The experience of CEA-Leti in e-beam technology combined with SOKUDO's coat-and-develop track expertise will help secure the necessary process infrastructure for multi e-beam lithography."

MAPPER Lithography B.V., based in Delft, The Netherlands, makes maskless-lithography machines for the semiconductor industry. It is supporting the IMAGINE project with its massively parallel electron-beam platforms.

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About CEA-Leti
CEA is a French research and technology public organisation, with activities in four main areas: energy, information technologies, healthcare technologies and defence and security. Within CEA, the Laboratory for Electronics & Information Technology (CEA-Leti) works with companies in order to increase their competitiveness through technological innovation and transfers. CEA-Leti is focused on micro and nanotechnologies and their applications, from wireless devices and systems, to biology and healthcare or photonics. Nanoelectronics and microsystems (MEMS) are at the core of its activities. As a major player in MINATEC campus, CEA-Leti operates 8,000-m² state-of-the-art clean rooms, on 24/7 mode, on 200mm and 300mm wafer standards. With 1,200 employees, CEA-Leti trains more than 150 Ph.D. students and hosts 200 assignees from partner companies. Strongly committed to the creation of value for the industry, CEA-Leti puts a strong emphasis on intellectual property and owns more than 1,500 patent families.

About SOKUDO Co., Ltd.
SOKUDO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto, Japan) is a joint venture company owned by Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. and Applied Materials, Inc. SOKUDO was established in 2006 for the development, manufacturing, sales and service of advanced coat/develop track equipment for semiconductor production. Additional information on SOKUDO can be found at www.sokudo.com.

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Contacts:
SOKUDO Contact:
Charles Pieczulewski
Senior Manager, Strategic Marketing
+81 75 256 8245

CEA-LETI Contacts:
Serge Tedesco
+33 4 38 78 49 89

Thierry Bosc
+33 4 38 78 31 95

Agency
Amélie Ravier
+33 1 58 18 59 30