Scaling of patterning technologies has played a fundamental role in the ever-improving semiconductor products. Continued scaling needs state-of-the-art patterning to meet three critical challenges: the ability to print at tight pitch, the ability to place patterns accurately with respect to each other and the ability to deal with pattern variations. 0.33NA extreme-UV lithography (EUV) can now print sub-30nm pitch features with improved pattern placement accuracy due to less overlay steps. Complementary patterning methods like spacer-based double patterning (SADP) in conjunction with EUV can therefore enable sub-20nm pitch features. However, at these tight-pitch features variations in the critical dimension due to photon shot-noise and resist stochastics will absorb a significant portion of the edge-placement-error (EPE) budget. Directed self-assembly (DSA) is a powerful patterning technique to pattern dense, periodic features with low number of defects and with pattern uniformity not readily achieved by optical lithography alone. This presentation will show a fully integrated flow to create low-defectivity, low line-edge-roughness (LER) p18nm gratings with self-aligned plugs by synergistically combining EUV, DSA and SADP and show scalability down to sub p13nm gratings.

Directed self-assembly (DSA) process has been introduced and developed for more than a decade as one of the alternative advanced patterning techniques in the semiconductor industry. Block copolymer (BCP) is self-assembling into the desired pattern on the lithographically defined pre-pattern on the wafer. Such a bottom-up approach is used to define the pattern which is typically hard to achieve with the traditional top-down approach. As an example, the density of the pattern can be increased with DSA by the factor of 3 or 4 from the 193i lithography pattern. Although similar dimension becomes now accessible with EUV lithography, DSA keeps its benefit; the structure is simply defined by the phase separation of materials rather than the complex light-matter interactions as required for EUV resist patterning. In this presentation, we will discuss the synergetic impact of the combination of EUV and DSA.

Directed self-assembly of block copolymers enables the fabrication of uniform patterns with low defectivity and highly tunable feature sizes. Many pattern transfer strategies have been developed to minimize the roughness including a “dry” liftoff and Sequential Infiltration Synthesis (SIS). Here we compare both techniques and offer some insights on their advantages and disadvantages on aligned DSA patterns as well as self-assembled fingerprint patterns.

We have developed strongly-segregating chemically tailored block copolymers (BCPs), a series of post-functionalized polystyrene-b-polymethacrylates capable of forming sub-10 nm perpendicular lamellae on thin films with ease by thermal annealing. The desired block copolymers based on polystyrene-b-polymethacrylates were successfully synthesized by the post-functionalization of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s and thiol derivatives via thiol-epoxy reaction. To work towards clarifying the essential key to the perpendicular orientation of microdomains, we studied the correlation between the primary structures based on the new concept of molecular design and microphase-separated nanostructures in bulk and thin films.

We are seeing a massive paradigm shift in the world of therapeutics. The market for biopharmaceuticals where the drug itself is made of biological substances like antibodies is rapidly expanding. And now, we are entering into a new era of regenerative medicine, where cells, tissues, and organ systems created in the lab will become the next generation of therapeutics – the next frontier in medicine. In this presentation, we will talk about how 3D printing, material science, and biology are being combined to create implantable, living tissue therapeutics that could replace or repair damaged organ and biological functions inside of the human body

In the middle of 2020, Google released the first fully open source, manufacturable PDK (process design kit) for SkyWater's 130nm process technology which enabled when used with open source EDA tooling the creation of fully open source integrated circuits down to the GDS. At the same time Google started funding a no-cost shuttle program allowing anyone to take part in this revolution which now has over 120 designs sent for manufacturing. Google continues to expand this space and push the boundaries of what fully open source solutions can do. This talk will cover the who, what, why and how of this industry changing development and how it is affecting all parts of the IC creation space -- even lithography!

Nano-imprint lithography (NIL) tool for semiconductor manufacturing employs die-by-die alignment system. For semiconductor device manufacturing, precise alignment of template mark and wafer mark that is composed of various film stacks, is required to achieve good overlay accuracy. We have studied the relation of wafer stack structure and NIL alignment accuracy. Using FPA-1200NZ2C (Canon Corp.), we have evaluated imprint performance on the wafers with different stacks. In this paper, we describe (i) alignment performance of the state-of-the art NIL tool, (ii) simulation of NIL alignment mark signal, and (iii) capability of NIL alignment system for various wafer stack structure.

Sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) has emerged in the past decade as a powerful technique for growth of inorganic materials within polymers through atomic layer deposition (ALD) chemistry. In SIS, ALD precursors diffuse into the polymer, leading to growth of nanoscale inorganic materials within the polymer volume. This growth enables direct transformation of lithographic patterns and block copolymers (BCP) to inorganic patterns, adding additional degrees of freedom for pattern design and improving pattern transfer. Here, I will present our recent research in the field of SIS. We shed light on the atomic growth of metal oxide clusters and particles within polymers using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We follow SIS growth from the nanoscale to the macroscale, expanding our understanding of SIS mechanism and the role of polymer chemistry and reversible polymer-precursor interactions on SIS growth. These insights are then applied in nanofabrication-by-design of homopolymer and block copolymer-templated 3D nanostructures. Importantly, we demonstrate 3D heterostructure fabrication, leading to vertical sub-features patterning, using a single SIS process. In this simple SIS process, we grow, simultaneously but spatially-controlled, two metal oxides within BCP templates by controlling the diffusion time of the two metalorganic precursors. This approach can enable multi-material SIS processes and pave the pathway for 3D patterning.

Long-period parallel lamellar morphologies for block copolymers (BCP) require long thermal annealing (TA) times or sensitive equipment for control. Direct immersion annealing (DIA) rapidly produces parallel microstructure but with smaller domains. We studied the transition between ordered states obtained by TA and DIA to understand the dynamics of the process, analyzed in terms of chain swelling, diffusion, and in-plane vs. out-of-plane interfacial evolution. We propose an alternate processing route for accelerated BCP assembly with large lamellar domain sizes. In addition, we report a transition morphology between the two lamellar states with characteristics of high surface roughness and surface area.

Nanocrystals are an intriguing class of material in nanofabrication as they could function both as a lithographic mask, or as a tool for the direct placement of active elements or as a technique to build 2D or 3D architectures not achievable by any other conventional fabrication technique. However, their application is limited by challenges in controlling assembly due to the tendency to form kinetically trapped states. Polymer grafted nanocrystals (PGNC) have improved processibility, allowing spin coating to generate uniform films, annealing to improve order and potentially orientational control using directed self-assembly (DSA). Here, we demonstrate long-range orientational order and structural control of PGNCs can be achieved using a process analogous to the “LiNe flow” commonly used in DSA of block copolymers.

Infiltration synthesis is an emerging material hybridization technique. Starting with a brief dive into infiltration synthesis mechanism, I will present our pioneering work on ex-situ conversion of conventional organic photoresists into hybrid EUV resists as well as the generation of mechanically resilient hybrids with one of the highest storage elastic strain energy capacities for potential applications in MEMS technologies. I will also overview the use of infiltration synthesis approach for hybridizing nanopatterned polymer templates and self-assembled block copolymer thin films to form robust dry etch masks for pattern transfer as well as direct-writing oxide nanostructures for optoelectronic device applications.

Since the initial introduction of the MBMW multi-beam mask writer tool series in 2016, IMS’ multi-beam technology has continuously improved and matured. With more than 30 MBMW tools being used for mask production worldwide, multi-beam has become an established technology for the most advanced mask nodes. Especially for EUV masks multi-beam has become the standard solution due to its superior write performance at mid&low sensitivity resists and its ability to pattern even the most complex curvilinear structures at maximum throughput. In this paper the performance and reliability of the two existing MBMW generations MBMW-101 and MBMW-201 will be compared and the advantages of IMS’ multi-beam technology will be highlighted. Furthermore, the next two MBMW tool generations MBMW-261 and MBMW-301 will be introduced, which are designed for the 3nm and 2nm foundry technology nodes, respectively. Finally, the extendibility of MBMW tools to the sub-2nm foundry / the Intel 1xA nodes will be discussed.

Beam placement accuracy is fundamental to advanced lithography and patterning. As applications of focused ion beams in semiconductor manufacturing and adjacent topics become more demanding, our titular question on the unknown whereabouts of a beam becomes more pressing to answer. Such a question may seem frivolous, but in reality, is quite serious and nontrivial to answer. In a previous study, we identified micrometer-scale systematic errors of feature placement by our focused ion beam across an ultrawide patterning field. Such errors are of particular concern for machining standards that provide reference positions, such as aperture arrays for optical microscopy. , Conversely, our recent advances of localization traceability present a new opportunity to not only measure but also improve placement accuracy. In the present study, we quantitate feature positions by critical-dimension localization microscopy with ultrahigh throughput, revealing complex errors that extend to appalling values of several micrometers across a submillimeter field. We introduce a novel correction that reduces scale errors by three orders of magnitude and distortion errors by more than a factor of 40, dramatically improving the placement accuracy of our focused ion beam. Although this improvement occurs in a research laboratory context and for optical microscopy standards, our methods have broad implications for advanced lithography and patterning. We begin by designing a square array with a lateral extent of 200 µm by 200 µm, a nominal pitch of 2502 nm, and apertures with a nominal diameter of 500 nm. This value of pitch separates aperture centers by an integer number of pixels across our wide patterning field and separates the aperture images beyond the resolution limit for optical microscopy and localization analysis. After fabrication, we trans-illuminate the aperture array, localize each aperture, and register the resulting positions with those of the design through a rigid transformation. This analysis shows total errors with magnitudes exceeding 2 µm, with root-mean-square values of 528.9 nm in the x direction and 1007.7 nm in the y direction (Figure 1a,c-d). A similarity transformation between the experimental and nominal positions distinguishes errors of uniform scale and complex distortion, returning the pitch of the experimental array as 2472.01 nm ± 0.27 nm, which is a scale error of 1.20 %, with additional systematic errors of distortion as large as approximately 1 µm and with root-mean-square values of 399.3 nm in both the x and y directions (Figure 1c-d). We report uncertainties as 68 % coverage intervals. We modify the array design to negate these errors and improve placement accuracy, uniformly increasing the array pitch to account for the 1.20 % scale error and achieve a nominal pitch of 2500 nm. We model the distortion errors by an interpolant that adjusts the design position of each aperture and enables general correction within the extents of our sampling field. We machine and measure a new array and apply a similar analysis, registering the localization data with the new design. We measure a pitch of 2500.03 nm ± 0.27 nm, corresponding to a scale error of 0.001 %, and distortion errors of up to approximately 40 nm and with root-mean-square values of 9.0 nm in the x direction and 9.4 nm in the y direction (Figure 1b,c-d). In this way, we have found our focused ion beam, which had gone several micrometers astray, and returned it to its proper place to within a few tens of nanometers.

DNA nanotechnology is a powerful approach for design of nanostructures with applications including single molecule sensing, drug delivery, and manipulating molecular components. We recently developed an approach that merges top-down and bottom-up design to enable DNA assemblies with complex geometries with many components, programmed dynamic properties, and the ability to actuate and assemble into higher order systems. We demonstrate this approach through fabrication of complex assemblies including a nanoscale DNA airplane. These assemblies are ideally suited to manipulate other nanoscale objects or materials. We recently demonstrated the ability to template reconfigurable assemblies of nanoparticles and apply tunable forces to biomolecules.

In recent years, nano, opto, and bio-electronics have seen rapid advancements due to improved fabrication tools. Devices in these fields require functional structures with arbitrary patterns and feature sizes ≤100 nm. Although commercial extreme UV lithography has the potential to fabricate these nanoscale patterns, economic and technological factors limits their up-scalable manufacturing. Here we report a low-cost, large-area compatible mass-manufacturing method to produce moulds and consecutively soft-stamps with nanoscale features. The method relies on the use of our technique called adhesion lithography (a-lith)1 to realize moulds of patterned metal electrodes which are separated laterally by a distance (length) that can range between 1-100 nm. The lateral size of these electrodes (width), on the other hand, can vary from hundreds of nanometers to meters. Soft stamps, which can be used to replicate multiple copies of high aspect ratio planar nanoscale patterns on arbitrary substrates, were successfully prepared from such a mould. Further, the same nanogap metal electrodes made from a-lith used as a mask to etch the underneath Si substrate, resulting in nanofluidic channels used for bio-applications such as DNA and bio-molecule imaging and sensing.

We have investigated the potential of wide bandgap nitride tips, specifically GaN NWs as probes tips for AFM, FEL, STM. The use of GaN nanowires as probes creates the possibility of combining AFM and SPL tools, including STM, and NSOM, so that an ‘’universal multi-purpose probe’’ can be used for several lithography and microscopy techniques. We discuss how nanowires have been integrated with Si cantilevers to form the hybrid III-N and Si lithography probe. We have achieved 0.7 nm lithography features in STM mode, sub 7.5 nm lithography in FESPL mode, and optical waveguides into it to allow NSOM measurement and NSOM detection.

Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography has become a successful, commercially available tool for the fabrication of nanoscale devices. The growing maturity of the technology is reflected in the increasing number of publications originating from users around the globe. In particular, the unique technology aspects such as nanometer accurate grayscale patterning and low damage patterning of high-resolution structures has fueled this success. In this talk I will give a brief overview over the technology and its accomplishments. I will focus on some key results from IBM and external groups and explain how the tool capabilities enabled these achievements. The work covers a range of application from nanofluidic Brownian motors [1] to optical Fourier series [2] and low contact resistances for 2D material devices [3]. In addition to this growing success, the tool has potential in many areas for further innovation. For a widespread use in the research environment and for first manufacturing applications, the reliability, endurance, and throughput must be improved. Recently, we made significant progress in this direction. A key enabler was the highly improved resist material that is now commercially available. For grayscale pattern fabrication, it allows for several days of continuous patterning with a single tip. For high resolution patterning, it enables the fabrication of multiple chips with a single tip. We showcase the potential of the tool by fabricating arrays of field effect transistors on SOI substrates. All the lithographical steps are done by the tSPL tool, assisted by the integrated laser writer [4]. The field effect transistors have a channel width between 15 and 50 nm. Gates of similar size are patterned using a markerless overlay approach. The algorithm extracts the device geometry from the programmed pattern and correlates it with the observed topography. This alignment procedures optimizes the overlay at the critical position where the gate and the fin meet and allows for a fully automated process over the chip area. I will discuss the statistical variations in the observed device dimensions and overlay accuracies. This work is a first step for tSPL to develop towards a high precision, fully automated lithography tool. Considering the relative ease of implementing parallel concepts with cantilevers, we see an exciting future for the technology.

Optical metasurfaces improve current refractive optical devices in performance and form factor, as well as enabling traditionally impossible optical functionality. To create these metasurfaces, we need to transfer Applied Materials’ experience in making nanostructures for electrons to nanostructures for photons. We will show results of devices made on our internal line, which required patterning new materials, with precise control of optical properties, to meet critical dimension and shape requirements. To process transparent substrates we customized equipment and modified process. For yield and cost we tie proven 300 mm wafer processing to optical test equipment for structural and optical test feedback.

We present our latest developments and results in making meta optical elements (MOE) (also known as metalenses). MOEs are prototyped by electron beam lithography (EBL) and mass produced by nanoimprint lithography (NIL) ensuring a fast route from development phase to final products compared to DUV based supply chains. Furthermore, NIL has no constraints on meta-atom geometries (size, shape, and location) enabling the best performing metalenses. As a demonstrator a complete near-IR camera module is built using a 940 nm single metalens (1M) and a NIR sensor. Figure 4 shows and image recorded by such a near-IR imaging system. The recorded image shows excellent resolution all the way to the edge and is comparable to images captured with a multi-element refractive lens system. In general MOE lenses have significantly better image quality with a wide field of view, low F-number, high MTF, and high relative illumination, all at a low total track length. NIL Technology is designing, prototyping, assembling, and bringing up mass production of MOEs. For more than a decade, camera lenses used in smartphones and other products have not seen revolutionary changes. Lenses are still made with multiple bulky refractive lenses or lens elements stacked on top of each other. NIL Technology is on a mission to bring revolutionary changes to smartphone cameras and sensors by significantly reducing the size and complexity of these lens systems. Besides MOEs NIL Technology is also offering customized solutions and mass production of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) and microlens arrays (MLAs) and all three technologies can be combined in hybrid solutions when applicable. Furthermore, we supply masters for surface relief waveguides for augmented reality (AR).