Press Release · 2010
| TSMC and MAPPER Reached Joint Development Milestone | February 19, 2010 |
| STMicroelectronics Joins CEA-Leti IMAGINE Program to Develop Multiple E-Beam Lithography | January 18, 2010 |
Hsinchu, Taiwan/Delft, The Netherlands, February 19, 2010
TSMC and MAPPER Reached Joint Development Milestone
Hsinchu, Taiwan/Delft, The Netherlands
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) and MAPPER Lithography today revealed that a pre-alpha MAPPER tool located on TSMC’s Fab 12 GigaFab™ is repeatedly printing features previously unachievable using current immersion lithography technology.
Over the past several months TSMC has expanded its Maskless Lithography team and has been working with MAPPER engineers at Fab 12 to integrate electron beam direct write capabilities into manufacturing processes for development of future technology nodes.
“TSMC is always searching for the most cost effective manufacturing processes,“ says Dr. Shang-Yi Chiang, TSMC Senior Vice President of Research & Development. “The results coming from our project with MAPPER have met aggressive objectives and mark a significant achievement in our Multiple-E-Beam Direct Write program that covers all viable Multiple-E-Beam technologies. Based on these encouraging results, we are convinced that the Multiple E-Beam technology is one of the technologies to become the future lithography standard.“
Dr. Christopher Hegarty, MAPPER’s CEO adds, “Having TSMC as our launch customer is of great benefit to MAPPER. Now that we have an operational tool at TSMC and we simultaneously intensify our efforts in bringing MAPPER’s technology to market, we are supremely confident that electron beam direct write will be successfully introduced into high-volume manufacturing processes.“
TSMC and MAPPER will present their latest results at the SPIE Advanced Lithography 2010 conference in San Jose, CA.
MAPPER’s Technology
MAPPER develops lithography machines for the chip industry. These machines utilize a new and innovative technology with which the chips of the future can be made cost effectively. MAPPER’s machine provides a highly cost-effective way of making the next generation of chips because it significantly reduces costs by eliminating the photomask while simultaneously providing the ultimate in resolution and high productivity. MAPPER’s technology makes use of massively parallel electron beams, thereby providing the very high resolution of electron beam at extremely high throughput. Current lithography machines use photographic techniques to create minute electrical circuits smaller than 1/100th of a human hair on a silicon wafer. They use a mask that contains the blueprint of the chip and transfer this pattern on to a photosensitive layer (comparable to a photograph being exposed on film), however the photographic techniques used are very limited in the resolution they can provide and are no longer adequate for future generations of semiconductors.
About TSMC
TSMC is the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry’s leading process technology and the foundry’s largest portfolio of processproven libraries, IPs, design tools and reference flows. The Company’s managed capacity in 2009 totaled 9.96 million (8-inch equivalent) wafers, including capacity from two advanced 12-inch GIGAFABs™, four eight-inch fabs, one six-inch fab, as well as TSMC’s wholly owned subsidiaries, WaferTech and TSMC China, and its joint venture fab, SSMC. TSMC is the first foundry to provide 40nm production capabilities. Its corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. For more information about TSMC please visit www.tsmc.com.
About MAPPER Lithography
MAPPER’s offices are located in Delft, The Netherlands, near Delft University of Technology, one of the shareholders. MAPPER has a headcount of 170 people. Shareholders of MAPPER are besides Delft University of Technology professional investors - Capital-C Ventures, KT Venture Group, Quest for Growth and KBC Private Equity - and private investors.
For information
MAPPER Lithography
Bert Jan Kampherbeek, Vice President Market DevelopmentTel + 31 15 888 0250
TSMC
TSMC Acting Spokesman J.H. Tzeng, Deputy Director, Public Relations Tel +886 3 505 5028 Michael Kramer, Senior Administrator, Public Relations Tel +886 3 505 6216
Crolles and Grenoble, January 18, 2010
STMicroelectronics Joins CEA-Leti IMAGINE Program to Develop Multiple E-Beam Lithography
Crolles and Grenoble, France
STMicroelectronics and CEA-Leti, the leading French semiconductor research institute, have signed an agreement for STMicroelectronics to join the new industry/research multi-partner program IMAGINE, led by CEA-Leti, which includes TSMC, for mask-less lithography for IC manufacturing. This three-year program is meant to allow companies to assess a maskless lithography infrastructure for IC manufacturing and the use of MAPPER* Technology 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.
“STMicroelectronics has been working for more than a decade with CEA-Leti on maskless lithography. Together, ST and CEA-Leti have established a full shaped-beam capability on ST’s Crolles pilot line and demonstrated the insertion of e-beam technology in a standard CMOS process flow,“ said Joël Hartmann Silicon-Technology Development Director for STMicroelectronics, at Crolles, France. “Joining the IMAGINE program is a logical step for ST to get access to a mask-less lithography possible solution for future technology nodes.“
“The IMAGINE program will benefit from the strong knowledge and support of STMicroelectronics in maskless technology,“ said Leti’s CEO, Laurent Malier. “The experience of CEA-Leti in e-beam technology has been strengthened over the years by this partnership with ST for using e-beam for advanced technology demonstrators. With STMicroelectronics supporting the IMAGINE program, we are convinced we will succeed to make maskless lithography a viable solution.“
* MAPPER’s offices are located in Delft, The Netherlands, near Delft University of Technology; MAPPER is delivering massively parallel electron beam platforms and this equipment delivery is part of the collaboration program.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics is a global leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications with innovative semiconductor solutions. ST aims to be the undisputed leader in multimedia convergence and power applications leveraging its vast array of technologies, design expertise and combination of intellectual property portfolio, strategic partnerships and manufacturing strength. In 2008, the Company’s net revenues were $9.84 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
About CEA-Leti
CEA is a French research and technology organisation, with activities in three main areas: energy, technologies for information and healthcare, 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. 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 excellence centre, 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, 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, Leti puts a strong emphasis on intellectual property and owns more than 1,400 patent families. In 2008, contractual income covered more than 75 percent of its budget worth 205 M€. For more information, visit www.leti.fr.
STMicroelectronics Contacts:
Didier Dedeurwaerder
Phone: +33 4 38 92 27 90
Email : didier.dedeurwaerder@st.com
www.st.com
CEA-LETI Contacts:
Serge Tedesco
Phone: +33 4 38 78 49 89
Email : serge.tedesco@cea.fr
www.leti.fr
