Development of Blu-Ray Disc Offering High Image Quality Development of Blu-Ray Disc Offering High Image Quality

September ～ November 2010

Sony Corporation

・Research and Development of a Electronic Information Nanometer-controlled Optical Disc System (FY1998‒FY2002)

Development of Blu-ray Disc Oﬀering High Image Quality

Demand continues to grow for recording media capable of storing increasingly larger amounts of data. Capacity Capacity Capacity Label side

In April 2003, Sony Corporation̶the world’ s leader in Label side Cover layer Label side recording innovation̶released the Blu-ray Disc (BD), a Cover layer next-generation, high-capacity optical disc that Cover layer Lens numerical Lens numerical aperture (NA) aperture (NA) Lens numerical aperture (NA) launched the age of high-quality recording media. Laser Laser Laser wavelength wavelength wavelength The development of this technology was derived from a NEDO project which, in addition to Sony, involved other Japanese companies with expertise in the field. Through collaborative efforts, the companies devised three basic parameters, namely blue laser Cross-section and optical system differences in the CD, DVD and BD wavelength, lens numerical aperture (NA), and cover layer (depth of recording layer), which are the most Electron beam column important standards for the BD. Establishing these standards as the common“axis” on which NEDO proj- Electron beam ect team members would carry out their research and development activities enabled those involved to continue their efforts to find solutions that would demon- strate these required functions. Rotation Feed Through this NEDO project, Sony also developed Master disc electron beam drawing equipment with a rotary stage capable of drawing nanometer-level pit patterns, as Precision stage well as resist pattern measurement atomic force Illustration of electron beam drawing equipment with rotary stage microscopy (AFM) equipment fitted with ultra-precision pit measurement technology capable of evaluat- ing the accuracy of bit patterns. The key technologies developed through this project that proved indispensable in successfully developing practical applications for the Blu-ray Disc have contributed enormously to continued research and development efforts to improve optical disc functionality. In 2008, the BD drive developed by project partici- pants such as Sony held a 90% global market share. More recently, worldwide BD drive sales have continued to soar with sales reaching 50 million units in 2011 and expected to reach 60 million units in 2012.

Etched silicon wafer Sony Corporation

51 November 2008

Toshiba Home Appliances Corporation

Electronic Information ・Digital Information Device Interoperability Infrastructure Project (Information Appliances) (FY2003‒FY2005)

Controlling Your Home Remotely with a Home IT System

As seen in the extensive variety of eco-friendly elec- Feminity IT Home Gateway System had been installed trical appliances offered by electronic retailers today, in about 4,000 households, primarily housing com- home appliance manufacturers are in fierce competi- plexes, and is expected to continue to gain in tion to enhance their products’ energy efficiency. popularity. However, to address global warming issues and achieve further energy conservation capabilities, the challenge remains to find ways to interconnect these home appliances. Connecting a home’ s air-conditioning system with the home’s lighting using information technology (IT) is one way to conserve energy. A sensor in the air-conditioning system detects someone’ s presence in the room, prompting the lights in rooms with no one in them to shut off. Home security also is important. Remote access technology, which enables homeown- ers to check and control such things as lights and door locks remotely using mobile phones and the Internet, are indispensable for ensuring safety and comfort. Bluetooth connection adapter for air-conditioners Initially, remote access technology developed Bluetooth is a short-range, wireless communication technology through this NEDO project was not based on a used in devices such as PCs method that communicated with the server in real time due to safety concerns regarding the Internet. However, it was necessary to eliminate the lag time ■Remote access via the Internet inherent in that system from the viewpoint of consum- Direct method developed that simultaneously resolves speed and er convenience, and the adoption of a system that safety problems Home communicates through a user identification server led Internet lines Direct method to the solution of the problem. HDD, DVD recorder, etc. Given that each manufacturer has fundamentally Cell phone

Home different approaches and strategies for development, User gateway identification it would have been virtually impossible for these indi- server (ASP) IT air-conditioners PC, PDA, etc. Polling method vidual manufacturers to develop such a system on With conventional polling methods, equipment did not their own. However, because the manufacturers communicate with server in real-time, which created lag involved in this NEDO project endeavored to set aside times in operations their own interests and meet halfway for the benefit of Installing a user identification server between the user and the Feminity IT Home Gateway System the user, practical applications were successfully ensures security and enables switching between polling and direct methods. Active Server Pages (ASP) is original server technology developed by Microsoft.

Toshiba Home Appliances Corporation developed for a home IT system. As of April 2011, the

52 October 2010

HGST Japan

・Super-advanced Electronics Technology Development Electronic Information Promotion Project (FY1995‒FY2000)

Commercialization of a Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Method to Achieve High-density, Highly Reliable HDD

Today, hard disk drive (HDD) recording has shifted and expertise accumulated from many years of funda- 100% to the era of perpendicular magnetic recording. mental research by universities and research organiza- Contributing enormously to the practical application tions was merged with the practical application of this technology was NEDO’s Super-advanced Elec- know-how of companies, and an“all Japan” system tronics Technology Development Promotion Project was constructed to carry out research and develop- launched in 1995. At the beginning of the 1990s, ment. Throughout this NEDO project, everyone Japan’s HDD manufacturing technology was far behind involved worked together as a team to resolve very that of the United States. With a magneto-resistive difficult technical issues. Japan eventually succeeded head that determined HDD performance, Japan was in developing practical applications for the technology as much as three years behind IBM, which boasted and acquired a 32% global HDD market share by the most advanced technology. Further widening this 2007, thereby improving its global competitiveness. gap was the fact that the United States and many other countries were carrying out research and development in this area on a national scale. The NEDO project was thus launched with the aim of Japan regaining its global competitiveness. Japan’ s key advantage was perpendicular magnetic recording technology developed in Japan. In contrast to longitudinal magnetic recording in which magnetic bits are written horizontally on the recording surface of the disk, as its name indicates magnetic bits are arranged vertically in perpendicular magnetic recording to enable more information to be recorded in a smaller space. Theoretically, information can be Magnetic head and arm stored up to around 100 Tb (1 Tb equals 1 trillion bits) per square inch. However, Magnetic head due to its complicated internal Magnetic head structure, the perpendicular magnetic recording head, medium and HDD were difficult Track width Recording to mass produce. The technolo- Recording medium medium gy has yet to be commercial- Soft ized even 20 years after its underlayer Magnetization direction introduction. With Professor Yoshihisa Difference between longitudinal recording system (left) and perpendicular recording system (right) With perpendicular magnetic recording, magnetic bits are highly-condensed and magnetized up or down Nakamura of Tohoku University perpendicularly to the recording midium surface. The magnetic field from the magnetic head is perpendicular to HGST Japan the recording medium, and a soft underlayer (SUL) is incorporated in the recording midium to return the magnetic leading the project, knowledge field to the magnetic head. 53 February 2014

OMRON Corporation

・Micromachine Technology Research and Development Project Electronic Information (FY1991-2000) ,etc.

Realization of Compact, Light-weight, and High-performance Devices with“Moving” Semiconductors

For digital cameras with automatic image stabilizers, high-resolution ink jet printers, automatic blood pressure monitors that can be easily used at home for the measurement of blood pressure and heart rate, and other digital devices, as well as automobiles and smart phones, many parts called Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are used. MEMS transfers data processed by a large-scale integration (LSI), the brain of a digital device, to a mechanical part or it measures a physical motion or quantity and transfers it to the LSI. It is therefore a kind of“moving semiconductor” which for example repeats switch-on/oﬀ motions mechanically at an Pressure sensor. OMRON Corporation formally began its MEMS business ultrahigh speed. In addition, since MEMS is in a with this product. micro-meter size (a millionth of a meter), it can play a complicated and advanced mechanical role with only a small amount of electric power. It therefore largely contributes to making many digital devices smaller and their operation time longer. The smart phone is one of the products where MEMS plays a critical role. OMRON Corporation, known as a company of sensors and health equipment, joined“Micromachine Technology Research and Development Project” launched in FY1991 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NEDO and has participated in NEDO’s MEMS-related projects for more than 20 years, establishing design technologies, thin-ﬁlm lamination technologies, and highly-reliability and Acoustic sensors covering a silicon wafer for cellular phones and smart high-durability technologies. phones As a result, OMRON’s MEMS is now used for microphones of cellular phones and smart phones (about 5% phones), blood pressure monitor sensors, and sensors of amount of activity, and various other familiar products in the world. It is expected that further practical application of the MEMS technologies will develop a sensor network and contribute to the

OMRON Corporation realization of a safe and smart society.

54 December 2010

Fujitsu Limited

FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED Electronic Information

・Research and Development on Next-generation Ferroelectric Memory (FeRAM) (FY1999‒FY2003) ,etc.

Evaluation Technology Leads to Remarkable Improvement of Nonvolatile Memory Reliability

A dramatic increase in the volume of electronic results. Offering highly reliable, safe and energy-effi- information in recent years has created a need for cient features developed through the NEDO project, equipment with higher levels of performance in terms FeRAMs are currently used extensively in a wide vari- of memory and energy efficiency. For instance, nonvol- ety of business and consumer applications. atile memory is becoming more important as it enables data and other information to be retained when there is no power. Since its development in 1999 of ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM), which is capable of rewriting 100,000 times more data than conventional nonvolatile memory, Fujitsu and Fujitsu Semiconductor have been mass-producing advanced memory technology. This success is the culmination of the company’ s dedica- tion to continuously implementing cutting-edge technology through efforts that include involvement under NEDO’ s project on Research and Development on Next-generation Ferroelectric Memory (FeRAM). Prototype silicon board deposited with ferroelectric lead zirconate Fujitsu and Fujitsu Semiconductor had been titanate (PZT) thin film for evaluation and research at Ishihara Lab of the Tokyo Institute of Technology Graduate School mass-producing conventional FeRAM products since the start of this NEDO project. With an eye toward even higher goals, the company’ s research and development team applied fundamental know-how and Audio, games expertise gained through the NEDO project to the Resume data 1) Data writing just before OA equipment power is turned off Counters, print management, further development of these products. By applying 2) Data reading just after communication history power is turned on management new mechanisms associated with circuit simulation and material properties, they were able to significantly Digital cameras SSD, communication ATMs, ticket machines equipment Initial setting, correction Transaction history, settings, failure history Log backup enhance the reliability and safety of their FeRAM tech- management nology, which enabled the company to eventually Measurement and Video overtake their U.S. counterparts in the rapidly growing analytical devices equipment Parameter settings, Set data semiconductor industry. Today, the majority of the correction settings, logs memory chips in the global FeRAM market are manu- Increasing number of applications, including office automation (OA) factured by Japanese companies, a solid indicator that equipment, digital home appliances, financial terminals and others the time and effort invested and knowledge gained

through the NEDO project have yielded successful Fujitsu Limited ／ FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED

55 December 2010, January 2011

Tokyo Electron Limited

Electronic Information Tohoku University ・Development of Infrastructure Technology for High-eﬃciency Semiconductor Production Processes (FY1998‒FY1999) ,etc.

Revolutionary High-quality Semiconductor Production Equipment

Semiconductors can be found in almost everything as soot, shortened cleaning times and dramatically around us, from personal computers and mobile increased productivity. The system developed through phones to home appliances and even cars. Today, these joint projects is now increasingly being adopted these components are commonly referred to as by leading semiconductor manufacturers throughout integrated circuits, which include system large-scale the world. integration (LSI). Although integrated circuits are continuing to shrink in size in accordance with Microwave-excited plasma equipment Moore’s Law or even surpassing it, the capacity of Coaxial cable conventional semiconductor manufacturing equipment Dielectric sheet is reaching its limit. Through these two NEDO

projects, Professor Takahiro Ohmi of Tohoku Slot Slot sheet University and Tokyo Electron succeeded in Radial line slot antenna developing world-renowned semiconductor Microwave (2.45GHz)

manufacturing technology. Top shower plate Integrated circuits are fabricated by depositing a thin ﬁlm of gas on a thin, disk-shaped monocrystalline High-density plasma slice of silicon called a silicon wafer, which can then be microfabricated by etching and other methods. Substrate (200 mm and 300 mm in diameter) With conventional production equipment, the silicon Structure of the chamber with evenly distributed gas, developed by wafer surface was prone to damage because Professor Ohmi and colleagues radial line slot antenna is the core technology of this equipment. fabrication was carried out at high temperatures of 1,000 to 1,200℃. Through these joint projects, Tohoku University and Tokyo Electron developed a system that could fabricate silicon wafer surfaces at lower temperatures. This was achieved by generating plasma with a radial line slot antenna which was originally developed for satellite broadcasting. With this new system, the gas used is distributed evenly inside the chamber. The reaction can be facilitated at temperatures of 200 to 400℃, thereby minimizing damage to the silicon wafer surface. Indispensable to further miniaturization of

semiconductor circuitry, this technology has also Radial line slot antenna and its distinctive etched slots reduced the generation of internal by-products such Tokyo Electron Limited ／ Tohoku University

56 November 2012

NuFlare Technology, Inc.

・Super Head Electronic Technology Development Promotion Electronic Information Project (FY1995-FY2001)

Electronic Beam Mask Writing Device Boasting an Overwhelming Share in the World

Due to digital information communicating devices Electronic Beam Projection

such as smartphones and tablet PCs becoming popu- Resist Layer Metal Layer Pattern Writing larized, the environment that we live in is going Glass through a great change. In midst of this, large scale semiconductor integrated circuits (LSI), in which progress is being made in increasing density and miniatur- Development ization more than ever, support such compact and Resist Removal light weight information communicating devices ﬁlled Etching with advanced features. In the newest and most

advanced LSI circuits, wiring is extremely fine at a Principles of Creating a Photo Mask width of approximately 20nm (1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter). “Photo masks”, the equivalent of a“negative film” to the semiconductor integrated circuit, are what makes large scale production of such fine circuits possible. Although up until the mid-1990’s, devices for manufacturing photo masks were mainly of US manufacturers, in preparing for increased density and miniaturization of LSI in the future, NEDO implemented the “Super Head Electronic Technology Development Pro- motion Project” project in 1995-2001 to promote research and development of an“electronic beam mask writing device” capable of writing further fine sized circuits.

At NuFlare Technology Inc. (at the time: Toshiba An example of a photo mask (photo of a mask for adjusting the position Corporation, Toshiba Machine Co., Ltd.) that partici- of the device) pated in the project, starting with successful development in 1998 of an electronic beam mask writing device that supports an LSI having a design dimension of 180nm, the most recent model is capable of sup- porting an LSI of a super ﬁne dimension of 22nm, and now has come to obtaining an international share of more than 90%. NuFlare Technology, Inc. Control device of EBM

57 December 2009

Gigaphoton Inc. ・Development of F2 Laser Lithography Technology Electronic Information (FY1999‒ FY2001) ,etc.

Development of a Laser Light Source Indispensable for Surface Machining for Manufacturing Miniature Semiconductor Devices

The home appliance and information technology (IT) Up until 2003, Gigaphoton’ s ArF excimer laser light equipment that make our lives more convenient are source accounted for merely 10% of the global market continuously being reﬁned for higher performance. To share. By 2008, market share had reached 50% and is this end, the miniaturization of semiconductor integrat- expected to continue to gain additional market share. ed circuits is essential as miniaturization enables high-speed signal transmission and energy, and cost savings. Likewise, lithography technology, which requires laser light sources, is indispensable to miniaturization. In the semiconductor industry, integration density is said to double every 18 months according to Moore’ s Law, and micromachining also is progress- ing at this pace. In the latter half of the 1990s, the cutting edge of light source development was the ArF laser with a wavelength of 193 nm. The United States, which had fallen behind in the semiconductor industry until then,

started to develop F2 lasers with a wavelength of 157

nm, as did Japan, which in 1998 developed an F2 laser Silicon wafer for circuit fabrication to rival it. However, in 2001, Nikon developed its unique ArF

liquid immersion technology that surpassed the F2 laser. This new technique produced lithography performance equivalent to 134 nm by applying the refrac- tion rate of light. In response, Gigaphoton focused on developing an ArF laser for liquid immersion. By applying its injec- tion-locking platform capable of high luminous intensi- ty at very narrow wavelength widths, which the company developed while working on the development of

the F2 laser, narrow wavelength widths of 0.25 picom- Micromachining laser is emitted from the round component in the eters were achieved. This enabled reductions in micro- center machining from 90 to 32 nm. This was the birth of a supermicromachining technique in which the width of a groove was equivalent to several hundred atoms. Gigaphoton Inc.

58 December 2013

Osaka University

Kogakugiken Corp. Electronic Information

・Research and Development for Photon Measurement and Processing/High-light-concentration All-solid-state Laser Technology(FY1997-2001)and others World’s First Realization of an All Solid-state UV Laser Source with Advanced Waver-length Conversion Characteristic

Various digital devices, communication devices, automobiles, and medical equipment around us are supported by high-density, high-integration semiconductor integrated circuits (LSIs), and ultraﬁne measurement and processing with lasers are critical for manufacturing processes of the semiconductors. In the current semiconductor industry, an UV laser with short wave length, high workability, and high light concentration are needed for cutting, processing, and measuring objects. For semiconductor exposure processes, a laser with mixed gases (excimer laser) is

widely used. However the excimer laser uses toxic CLBO crystal grown to 400g gases such as Ar or F and requires large equipment and maintenance cost. Also its laser quality is rather low and the energy conversion eﬃciency is low. Sasaki Takatomo, professor emeritus at Osaka University, and Mori Yusuke, professor at Osaka University, discovered CLBO crystal which had an advantage in the wave length conversion from infrared radiation to ultraviolet radiation. For the development of the crystal, they participated in NEDO’s“Research and development for photon measurement and processing” to establish a high-quality CLBO crystal

growing technology. They also established a crystal Heated, stirred melting pot used with solution stirring method grinding and processing technology together with “Kogakugiken Corp.” in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As a result they could produce“an all solid-state UV laser source device (CLBO wave length conversion device)” whose energy conversion eﬃciency was about ﬁve times higher than the conventional excimer laser. The developed CLBO wave length conversion device began to be sold by Kogakugiken Corp. in April 1996, and now takes up 100% share in the solid-state UV laser market in the world.

Very delicate crystal, packed for delivery to avoid exposure to air Osaka University / Kogakugiken Corp.

59 December 2013

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Hitachi, Ltd. Electronic Information Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation ・R&D of 3D Nanoscale Certiﬁed Reference Materials Project (FY2002-2006) Realized the World’s Smallest Scale Assuring a Single Atom Size Error

Computers are now used in almost everything such In 2012, the microscales were installed to more than as PCs, smart phones, home electric appliances, 200 length measurement SEMs and the world market automobiles, and robots. LSI (large-scale integration), share of the SEMs was about 90%.* (*Press release by the brain of computers, has been made more compact Gartner, US.) and more highly functional by the microfabrication techniques. On the other hand, for ensuring the quality of ultrafine circuits, it is necessary to measure accurately the pattern width on a LSI using a reference “scale”. Smaller scales are therefore necessary to manufacture smaller LSIs. In the 2000s, a scale of 100nm scale resolution became necessary. In addition, international certification on the resolution was necessary, although there was no methodology or equipment to certify the 100nm resolution. In 2002, the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, through the NEDO Project, in collaboration with Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation. which developed the Cross sectional microscope image of ultra-fine scale at 100nm intervals 100nm scaling resolution scale began to develop measurement equipment for strict measurement of y / Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation 100nm based on the length definition of the International System of Units. As a result, they succeeded in the development of highly-practical, extremely high-resolution measurement equipment, with which one could measure 100nm intervals with an error of ±0.04nm or smaller, for the first time in the world in 2006. Then it became possible to issue“calibration certificate,” traceable according to the national standards of length, for a scale of 100nm scaling resolution. A“reference microscale” of 100nm scale resolution with a calibration certificate was installed to a length measurement scanning electron microscope (length measurement SEM) of Hitachi High-Technologies Deep ultra violet laser diffraction pitch calibration system at Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA)

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technolog Corporation, which began to be sold in December 2007.

60 RETISSA: retinal imaging laser eyewear that looks just like eyeglasses Electronic･Information Japan has 1.5 million people with low a red-green-blue (RGB) laser beam not blur. To ensure user safety, vision, a visual impairment that that directly projects images onto the RETISSA enables imaging with a laser cannot be corrected by eyeglasses or user’s retina using a microelectrome- that is weaker than indoor lamps and contact lenses. In the Development chanical systems (MEMS) mirror and meets the most stringent safety Support Project for Practical Applica- hemispherical reflecting mirror. This standards, based on international and tion of Problem-Solving Welfare method allows vision aid even for domestic standards for laser product Equipment, RETISSA, a groundbreak- people with cornea or lens problems. safety (IEC 60825-1/JIS C 6802) and ing eyewear device that directly U.S. Food and Drug Administration projects images onto the user’s retina, Realizing a convenient regulations. These research and was developed using a semiconduc- eyewear device through development results have earned tor laser and other technologies. downsizing and resolution RETISSA many awards, including the enhancement Minister of Economy, Trade and Allowing more light to enter Industry Award (received jointly with the eyes The idea of directly projecting images Fujitsu) and the U.S. Media Panel Development of an Eyewear Device onto the retina is not new, but the Innovation Award (Grand Prix) at Low vision has various causes, includ- bulkiness of such devices in the past CEATEC 2016. In 2018, the release of ing severe nearsightedness, farsight- has prevented them from becoming a wearable display using RETISSA for Low-Vision Aid That Uses edness, astigmatism, cataracts, and popular. In light of this, QD Laser, Inc. technologies is scheduled. glaucoma. Although there are vision worked to develop compact, (Interview: October 2017) Semiconductor Laser Technology aids such as magnifying glasses and lightweight MEMS reflecting mirrors, video magnifiers, they cannot correct front-imaging cameras, and other QD Laser, Inc. vision to the point where the user can optical parts and control devices, and Clean Device Society Promotion Program see the facial expressions of others or created an eyewear device that can Development Promotion Project for Practical Use of Walfare Equipment go out unaccompanied. A leading be worn just like regular eyeglasses. company in quantum dot laser To form a clear image, the company technology, QD Laser, Inc. conducted also worked to enhance the resolu- research in a NEDO project and com- tion of images projected onto the mercialized an eyewear device that retina. Although existing visible light mitigates the inconvenience people laser technology was used, the devel- with low vision experience based on opment of RETISSA involved the its semiconductor laser and optical adjustment of laser beam thickness design technologies. The device, and optical design to correct the RETISSA, has a miniature laser distortion of images projected onto projector inside its frame which sends the retina so that the images would The inner workings of RETISSA. An optical system sends a three-color laser beam Despite its extremely small size, A projector mounted on the right-eye side via mirrors to the pupil of the eye the mirror iscapable of imaging projects images. about 1,000 dots horizontally by 600 dots vertically at high speed. RGB laser beam Reflecting mirror Smart glasses Extended functionality Crystalline for vision lens Virtual reality I T Enter- Projection Telemedicine tainment Connections onto retina with the cloud Striving to develop Working to downsize MEMS mirror Business Development of RETISSA, Examination Augmented and application eyewear based on an eyewear device and Medical reality an eyewear device care Operational semiconductor enhance its resolution Social support for direct retinal imaging welfare laser technologies in a NEDO project Low-vision aid Visual compensation Schematic

Using a laser beam composed of red, green, and blue light (the QD Laser Inc.’s roadmap for application of its retinal imaging technology. It starts three primary colors of light), images are projected onto the with the social welfare and medical care sectors and the goal of making RETISSA retina after being sent to the MEMS mirror, reflecting mirror, and “smart glasses” with IT functionality. (Data courtesy of QD Laser, Inc.) pupil of the eye. (Data courtesy of QD Laser, Inc.)

14 NEDO PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2018 SUCCESS STORIES 15 In this NEDO project, Lasertec Corporation developed “ABICS,” an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) Electronic Information ･ mask blank inspection and review system. EUV Adhesion of Absorber is a wavelength of light shorter than ultraviolet. foreign particles The project has established the next-generation Multilayer (Mo/Si) Phase defects inspection technology that meets the requirement of Substrate

EUV lithography for commercial production. Backside layer Particles on Pattern defect Commercialization of next-generation backside Mask blank defect types (Data courtesy of Lasertec) inspection technology for semiconductor

13.5 193/199 266 488 device production nm nm nm nm The further miniaturization of semiconductors is highly anticipated today. EUV lithography is a next-generation lithography capable of printing finer, more complex circuit patterns on silicon wafers. Mass production of

semiconductors using EUV lithography is expected to Multilayer (277 nm) begin in 2019. Essential for this next-generation semiconductor development is inspection technology Establishment of Next-Generation EUV light at the wavelength of 13.5 nm (left) that can detect small nanometer-scale defects and enables inspection deep inside mask blanks. particles on the surface of mask blanks as well as inside Defect mitigation techniques for further Inspection Technology for the them (mask blanks are the substrates of photomasks that are used to transfer circuit patterns to wafers). yield improvement Semiconductor Manufacturing Process For such sophisticated inspection, technological Making mask blanks defect-free is almost impossible to development using EUV was required. achieve even with today’s cutting-edge technology.

ABICS EUV mask blank inspection and review system (Photo courtesy of Lasertec) Under such circumstances, Lasertec developed ABICS, With the development of ABICS, Lasertec has enabled an inspection system using EUV light to detect the adoption of defect mitigation that allows the use of extremely small defects in mask blanks. The company mask blanks with defects. During photomask production, developed dark-field inspection technology with two if the positions of defects on mask blanks can be modes of optics: 26x magnification inspection mode arranged in a way that they are hidden behind circuit for scanning mask blank surfaces at high speed, and patterns, they will not be etched onto silicon wafers. To 1,200x magnification observation mode for close-up make this happen, it is crucial to know the coordinates observation of individual defects. This technology has of defect positions with an accuracy of 10 to 20 nm. enabled high-sensitivity and high-speed inspection for The 1,200x magnification observation mode of ABICS reliable detection of phase defects as small as 50 nm in enables the measurement of defect coordinates with width and 1 nm in height. Unlike conventionally used such accuracy. This innovative inspection technology Mask blank (Photo courtesy of Lasertec) Photomask (Photo courtesy of Lasertec) Lab with the highest cleanness level light at the wavelengths of 193 nm, 266 nm, and 488 allows us to pretend that defects never occurred. (Photo courtesy of Lasertec) nm, the 13.5 nm EUV Demand for semiconductor devices will continue to

1 Mask substrates light reaches deep inside increase as they are widely used in such applications as Lasertec Corporation mask blanks without mobile devices, IoT consumer electronics, artificial Development of Next-Generation Semiconductor Microfabrication and Basic Evaluation Technologies attenuation, thereby intelligence (AI), and autonomous driving systems. 2 Mask blanks enabling the detection of ABICS detects small defects in EUV mask blanks to abnormal reflectivity. prevent them from causing semiconductor device Aims Challenges Achievements malfunctions. It is a unique system that is expected to 3 Photomasks underpin next-generation semiconductor development. Establishing inspection This highly accurate inspection technology will Technological contribute not only to the development of the technology to detect The commercialization of development of EUV Exposure semiconductor industry but also to the progress of society. defects in EUV mask EUV mask blank inspection 4 Wafers optics featuring high (Interview: August 2018) blanks to contribute to the technology to facilitate the sensitivity and development of early realization of EUV throughput for practical next-generation lithography 5 Semiconductor use devices semiconductor devices

Semiconductor manufacturing processes. ABICS technology is used for inspecting mask blanks in the second step shown above. (Data courtesy of Lasertec)

10 NEDO Project Success Stories 11