Intel has reached two important milestones on the way to the production of future microprocessors using the EUV Lithography (extreme ultra violet). The company took the world’s first commercial EUV Lithography plant in operation and set up a pilot plant for the production of EUV masques.

The EUV technology thus leaves the area of research and enters the development phase. Lithography circuits on computer chips are imaged (exposure). For semiconductor manufacturers can accommodate ever more transistors on a chip, the structures must be getting smaller. This challenge led to the development of the EUV Lithography. The current exposure technique will have reached its limits in a few years. Intel plans to use the new TEU technique in 2009 in mass production.

Intel can make masks circuits through the use of EUV micro exposure tool (MET) and the pilot plant for the production of the TEU, which Strukturen only around 30 nanometer are small (nm). While the world’s first machines available for this technique will be used. The test production is preparing a resolution of 15 nm lithography in production required in the event of the TEU. For comparison, the smallest structures that are currently produced in the production facilities of Intel, have a size of 50 nm. “We make progress in the implementation of the EUV Lithography in the production for the 32 nm process in 2009″, said Ken David, Director of components research of Intel technology and manufacturing group. “The EUV technology will help us to benefit from the advantages of the Moorschen law also over the next decade.”

Comparable with a painter, who needed a thin brush for painting fine lines, the semiconductor industry have to work increasingly shorter wavelength light for the exposure of the chips. Only so even smaller circuits on a chip can be expose. EUV used lithography light with a wavelength of only 13.5 nm. For comparison: today induced process use light of wavelength of 193 nm. The EUV technology could become the appropriate solution for the production of future chips. However, this technique is still with some challenges to fight has.

Intel will address two important tasks in the development of the EUV Lithography with the MET. This includes the chemical composition of photo lacquer, which is required for the printing of the chips. In addition, the effect is observed from mask defects. Among them are defects in the understand mask with the circuit pattern is transferred to the chip.

In addition to the MET Intel has successfully installed a pilot plant for the production of EUV masques. It represents the basis for the future production of mask that will make Intel internally. The pilot plant couples TEU-specific modules to the existing, in-house mask-making process. The plant used the world’s first commercial tool for the production of EUV masques.

The MET and the pilot plant for the production of EUV masques represent important milestones on the way to smaller structures. In addition, Intel continues to actively invests in the industry and works with her together to develop of the necessary infrastructure and additional tools. Thus ensuring that EUV Lithography is can be used in 2009 in production.