Sep 04, 2008 |
Germany funds 32 nm, mask lithography project for next generation chip production
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(Nanowerk News) In a joint R&D project, the Advanced Mask Technology Center (AMTC, Dresden), semiconductor equipment provider Vistec (Weilburg and Jena, Germany) and the German metrology institute PTB (Braunschweig) will develop technologies and measurement processes for next-generation chip production.
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The project CDuR32 (Critical Dimensions and Registration for 32nm Mask Lithography) is funded in part by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Of the total budget of €16.7 million (about $24.3 million), the government contributes €7.9.
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The project, planned for a duration of 2 ½ years, aims at developing mask technologies for the 32nm memory chip and the 22nm microprocessor generations for production in Dresden over the coming years. The AMTC is a joint venture of microprocessor vendor AMD, memory chip maker Qimonda and Toppan Photomasks, Inc. The project is in line with the goals of the EU's ENIAC research support program.
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Within the program, AMTC will analyze and develop the basic principles of manufacturing 32/22nm photomasks. Vistec Semiconductor Systems will develop the next-generation measurement system, called LSM IPRO5, to meet the requirements of qualifying mask structures. The PTB contributes its measurement capabilities and new mathematical analysis methods to solve mask quality issues.
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