Lithography Development and Research Challenges for the = 22 nm Half-pitch

For the 32 and 22 nm half-pitch nodes of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the industry will face the challenge of introducing new lithography technologies into manufacturing. Some can build on the extension of current optical lithography technologies. However, others require a tool, optics, mask, and resist infrastructure quite different from those supporting today's manufacturing. Developing new technology solutions for use in manufacturing takes a long time and the final stages of infrastructure development and commercialization are very costly. The readiness of lithography technologies needs to be assessed based on development progress, but it also needs to consider whether a technology receives the necessary support to intersect a given technology node. In addition to being technically challenging, enabling an infrastructure capable of supporting pilot line and then high volume manufacturing insertion on an aggressive timeline is also a significant business challenge. To share the risk and cost, the industry must consider new business models for efficient collaboration with tool and infrastructure suppliers on the one side and device manufacturers on the other.