Since its inception nearly 50 years ago, the semiconductor industry has utilized optical lithography to print ever-shrinking patterns on silicon wafers. For the last two decades, lithographers have predicted the demise of optical lithography because of its presumed inability to print features smaller than the wavelength of light, leading to development of so-called next generation lithography (NGL) technologies such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV), hard X-ray, E-beam direct write (EBDW) or maskless, E-beam projection lithography (EPL), ion beam projection lithography (IPL) and 157nm. Each were designed to displace optical lithography but required costly new infrastructures, including new source, resist and photomask technologies, and have not proven to be economically or technically viable.
Molecular Imprints understands the semiconductor industry’s drive to continue to produce ever-shrinking features on silicon (according to Moore’s Law, Figures One,Two) and has crafted its technology to leverage the existing optical lithography infrastructure. Jet and Flash™ Imprint Lithography (J-FIL™) technology utilizes readily available I-line sensitive photoresist and source technology. In addition, J-FIL masks and templates can be purchased from commercial mask makers, which use their existing photomask manufacturing lines to produce imprint masks and templates. Molecular Imprints is cooperating with manufacturers of mask and template writing tools, repair and inspection tools, and mask blank materials producers to help insure the reliability of the imprint mask supply chain.
