Nikon Precision | Global Site


	Litho Enhancement Paks QUICKpak SHARPpak SMARTpak GEMpak Individual Upgrades

Today’s semiconductor manufacturers are pushing optical lithography far beyond the limit of what was once thought practical. The exposure wavelength in leading-edge fabs has reached 193 nm and the lens NA has been pushed beyond 0.9. The remaining variable useful in extending DUV dry lithography is the k₁ factor.

In addition, due to the large investment associated with lithography equipment, the added challenge for manufacturers is to use their existing tools at levels beyond the initial specifications. SHARPpak was developed to enhance imaging performance through a variety of NSR upgrades that dramatically increase the flexibility of the scanner’s capabilities during wafer exposure. These functions will help reduce the k₁ value and enhance imaging performance for today’s applications, as well as those of the future.

Continuous DOF Expansion Procedure - CDP	Significantly expands the depth of focus for contact hole processes without negatively impacting NSR throughput.
Exposure Dose Change for Specific Shot	Enables flexible definition of the exposure parameters for up to 255 individual shots per process program.
Multi-Dose Control - MDC	Provides a stream-lined dose check sequence when using enhanced dose control functions during exposure.
Scanner Enhanced Field Focusing - S-EFF	Enables the NSR to compensate for intra-shot dynamic focus offsets on even the most challenging layers, while ensuring maximum accuracy and optimized imaging.
Stage Performance Tuning Function - SPTF	Improves scanning MSD beyond specified levels delivering enhanced image contrast for the most stringent levels.

Depth of focus (DOF) increased by 50% using the SHARPpak CDP function for 90 nm contact holes. Exposure Conditions: NA 0.85, σ= 0.5 Conv. 6% HT.