Abstract

The leading edge product in today’s semiconductor manufacturing is the 16M DRAM. Most manufacturers are into at least their first shrink and in many cases their second shrink generation with minimum critical dimensions in the 0.4-0.45μm range. The three key challenges for lithography today are critical dimension control, overlay and cost. These challenges are real at the half-micron generation and will become increasingly difficult challenges to meet as critical dimensions decrease.

© 1994 Optical Society of America