Imec demonstrates electrical yield for 20nm lines High NA EUV single patterning

LEUVEN (Belgium), February 24, 2025— This week at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning, imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, presents the first electrical test (e-test) results obtained on 20nm pitch metal line structures patterned after single-exposure High NA EUV lithography. Measurements on both serpentine and fork-fork metallized structures show good electrical yield, indicative of a low number of stochastic defects. The e-test results confirm the capability of the High NA EUV lithography scanner and its surrounding ecosystem to pattern lines/spaces at such a small dimension. In August 2024, imec was the first to present industry-relevant logic and DRAM structures patterned in a single High NA EUV lithography exposure step. As a next critical step, imec shows that metallized line structures of 20nm pitch, obtained after single High NA EUV patterning using metal oxide (MOR) negative tone resist, exhibit more than 90% yield ... Read full article.