Imec optimizes EUV lithography for advanced chips

Imec has announced a new post-exposure bake method that promises to significantly speed up the production of chips made with EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography. The technique focuses on optimizing the photoresist, a crucial photosensitive material in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Photoresist improvement through increased oxygen

The key to the innovation lies in increasing the oxygen concentration during the post-exposure bake phase. This leads to a 20% improvement in photoresist yield, allowing for the production of more advanced chips more efficiently. The BEFORCE system (Bake and EUV system with FTIR and Outgas measurement for Resist evaluation in Controlled Environment) was used to evaluate and refine the process.

General context on EUV lithography

EUV lithography is a cutting-edge technology used to manufacture the most sophisticated chips, such as those used in the latest smartphones and high-performance servers. This technique makes it possible to create smaller and denser transistors, improving the performance and energy efficiency of electronic devices. Optimizing EUV processes is essential to continue developing increasingly powerful and performing semiconductors.