FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO: Shigetaka Komori, hereafter “FUJIFILM”) outdid the competition in 2006 with its development of the “FAiRS-9000 Series,” a 45nm node*1 compatible ArF immersion photoresist that does not require topcoat (protective film) and offered samples of it in the same year. FUJIFILM now plans to introduce the latest “ArF immersion exposure tool” and further improves development aimed at the commencement of 45nm node mass production by large semiconductor manufacturers and thereby expand its cutting-edge ArF photoresist business.
FUJIFILM’s “FAiRS-9000 Series” is regarded by semiconductor manufacturers as the best for the next-generation semiconductor manufacturing process due to not only its lithography performance, but also its great reduction of pattern defects. FUJIFILM plans to leverage the “ArF immersion exposure tool” and move past the 45nm node to develop next-generation semiconductor photoresist of the best quality in the 32nm node as well.
The “ArF immersion exposure tool” is compatible with 45nm/32nm node ArF immersion lithography processes*2 and will be introduced by the Electronic Materials Research Laboratories (Yoshida-cho, Haibara-gun, Shizuoka) which is FUJIFILM’s research and development center for photoresist products. By introducing a “coater and developer” along with the “ArF immersion exposure tool,” FUJIFILM will enable consistent evaluation of ArF immersion photoresists and therefore be able to respond to the needs of the customer even quicker than before.
It is hoped that ArF immersion lithography technology will be adaptable to the forming of finer circuit patterns in 32nm node semiconductor devices through the application of the “double patterning process.”*3 FUJIFILM is enhancing its development of materials that will enable simple processes in generations to follow 32nm that cost less and are highly productive.
FUJIFILM has positioned semiconductor materials as a growth business and aims to capture a large share of the market. It will continue with research and development that contributes to the further development of the semiconductor industry and provide customers with the highest quality next-generation immersion photoresist.
*1 A generation of semiconductor device technology. Indicates basic design dimensions for circuit patterns. 65nm node mass production is currently under way. It is predicted that full scale mass production of 45nm node will commence around 2010.
*2 Exposure process used for forming circuit patterns in 45nm node and smaller semiconductor devices that uses an ArF (argon fluoride) laser as a light source. Method for improving optical resolution by filling the gap between an exposure projection lens and the photoresist film, that is coated on a silicon substrate, with water.
*3 Method for preventing a decrease in resolution that occurs when the number of layers of optical images increases in dense circuit patterns. Method that does not form the final number of patterns at once on a substrate, but rather first jumps around and forms patterns that are not dense, and then forms other patterns in between these patterns thereby forming a dense pattern that has high resolution.
Corporate Public Relations Division
Electronic Materials Division