Semiconductor equipment series - photolithography is the semiconductor industry in the "crown".
1, principle
Photolithography refers to the photoresist in the special wavelength light or the role of the electron beam under the influence of a chemical change, through the subsequent exposure, development, etching and other processes, will be designed in the mask version of the graphics on the transfer of graphics on the substrate of the graphic fine processing technology. The laser is used as the light source to emit the beam, and after the optical path is adjusted, the beam penetrates the mask plate and lens, compensates for the optical error by the objective lens, exposes the graphic on the silicon wafer with photoresist, and then develops the image on the silicon wafer.
2, the development of
Photolithography development so far, has undergone 5 generations of product iteration . Before 1985, the first generation of lithography light source to 436nm g-line mercury lamp light source, only for more than 5μm process; after the emergence of 365nm i-line mercury lamp light source of the second generation of lithography, process accuracy to 350-500nm. third generation for scanning projection lithography, light source improved to 248nm KrF fluoride krypton excimer deep The third generation is the scanning projection lithography, the light source is improved to 248nm KrF fluorinated krypton excimer deep ultraviolet light source, which realizes a leap forward and advances the minimum process to 150-250nm.
The fourth generation is the step projection lithography, which adopts the ArF fluorinated argon excimer laser light source with a wavelength of 193nm, and can realize the process advancement to 65-130nm.
The fifth generation is the EUV lithography. New programs were selected to further provide shorter wavelength light sources.
3, the market
Currently, the global lithography market is monopolized by ASML in the Netherlands, Canon and Nikon in Japan, so the statistics of the three can represent the state of the industry. Currently, China also has its own photolithography, but the gap between the leading technology level and that of foreign countries is huge. Shanghai Microelectronics Equipment Co., Ltd. (SMEE) through active research and development has realized the mass production of 90nm node lithography, the use of ArF light source, can meet the 90nm and above process. Domestic lithography is seeking a breakthrough to the next technology node.
4, industry chain
Lithography industry chain mainly includes upstream core components and ancillary equipment, midstream lithography production and downstream lithography applications. Lithography technology is extremely complex, in all semiconductor manufacturing equipment with the highest technological content.
5, lithography localization
After Huawei was restricted by the U.S. chip, photolithography localization for the hot topic . However, the localization of lithography is not a task that can be completed overnight. Photolithography is a very complex system, is a variety of precision technology collection, almost every segment, the need for the industry's top suppliers hand in hand to complete. It is impossible to complete the development of a lithography machine just by one or two companies working behind closed doors.
Domestic photolithography core components and ancillary facilities have also emerged as a number of outstanding enterprises, including dual bench manufacturers Huazhuo Precision Technology, light source system vendors, Fu Jing Technology, photoresist vendors, Nanda Optoelectronics and Rongda Sensors, and so on. Although "the road is long", many parts of the photolithography machine, raw materials are stuck; however, "the line will be", through the continuous cultivation of talent, improve the industry chain, I believe that one day we can achieve a breakthrough!