Intel Corp. here has revised its lithography roadmap, disclosing it will push out the insertion dates of 157-nm and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) tools due to probable delays with the technologies.
Intel's new and surprising lithography roadmap indicates that EUV will not be ready for production until 2009, and confirms previous reports on SBN that 157-nm tools will not be ready for the 65-nm node in 2005 (see Jan. 7 story ). It also means that 193-nm tools will be extended to become the workhorse scanner for most of this decade--at least according to Intel.
Major lithography tool vendors are also expected to announce changes to their own roadmaps at next week's SPIE Microlithography conference in Santa Clara.
At Intel, meanwhile, the chip giant originally had a straightforward progression in its lithography roadmap. The company planned to use 193-nm lithography tools for the critical layers at the 90-nm node in 2003, 157-nm tools for the 65-nm node in 2005, and finally, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) for 45-nm in 2007 and beyond.
Under the new roadmap, there is no change at the 90-nm node. But now, Intel plans to extend the 193-nm tools down to the 65-nm node, due to technical issues and delays with the 157-nm scanners in the market, said Peter Silverman, Intel Fellow and director of company's lithography capital equipment operations.
--By Mark LaPedus, source: Silicon Strategies.com
Article can be read here.
