Abstract: Strategies in lithography

Abstract

The functional complexity of integrated circuits has been doubling each year for many years and can be expected to continue increasing at that rate for the forseeable future. The feasibility of larger devices with smaller features is well illustrated by papers in this issue. The motivation to continue this trend is the high cost of interconnecting smaller units and the repeated denonstration that the more complex device soon costs less than the multiple‐chip equivalent. The smaller feature devices also provide faster response and consume less power.Optical systems: Optical techniques for fabricating devices are generally limited to ≳5 μm linewidths in practical production by the diffraction effects. While contact printing can achieve <2 μm resolutions, the defects caused by contacting the wafer limit the yields, especially when device area is large. Projection printing can give 2‐μm features when small areas are exposed at one time with individual focus correction.Alternate wavelengths: Electron beams or ...