"How do you know that using ArF technology will cause more line-edge fluctuations and irregularities?

The ArF technology route is available in IEEE magazines, but the papers published by engineers from both Nikon and Canon only talk about the benefits and not the defects. Lin Benjian asked in surprise.

Zhou Xin said: "In order to mislead their competitors, Nikon and Canon deliberately did not talk about the shortcomings of the ArF technology route.

In order to let competitors also step on this pit.

They have invested a lot of R&D money in the ArF technology route, but they have not found a way to solve the problem of line-side fluctuations and irregularities caused by ArF light sources, so they think that other competitors will not be able to solve this problem. ”

Lin Benjian nodded silently: "That's right."

That's it. ”

Zhou Xin continued: "Misleading competitors on the technical route, isn't this a routine operation in the field of integrated circuits? ”

Lin Benjian is still very curious, he knows the flaws of the ArF technical route, because he has been engaged in research in this field for more than 20 years, and he has a large number of contacts.

Due to the non-disclosure agreement, his friends could not tell him directly, and could only reveal to him by implication that the ArF technical route had major flaws.

He is also just a guess about this, a guess without evidence.

Why can Zhou Xin be so sure and explain the defects of the ArF technical route so clearly?

You must know that the laboratories that are qualified to carry out ArF technology route experiments are only those lithography machine companies.

After drinking water, Zhou Xinji said: "Limber, I know what you are thinking, did I buy off Nikon's technical personnel and obtain technical secrets from them.

In fact, the flaws of the ArF technical route, which are easy to deduce.

The wavelength of the ArF light source is 193 nm, which is shorter than the 248 nm wavelength of the KrF light source. Short-wavelength light sources are obviously subject to more severe scattering, diffraction, and optical near-field effects during lithography, resulting in increased line-edge fluctuations and irregularities during pattern transmission.

Lithography using ArF light sources at the same time is used in more advanced process nodes, which results in the need for higher resolution of wafers.

As the size decreases, the edge of the pattern during lithography is more susceptible to factors such as optical near-field effects, diffraction, and photoresist absorption, resulting in line-edge fluctuations and irregularities.

This is an inference based on physical knowledge. ”

Lin Benjian applauded, "Wonderful deduction and keen insight."

At that time, when Zhengming told me that he had found a genius student from Yan University, I was still thinking about how talented he was to make him so proud.

Your talent in this area is even better than I suspected.

What you just said is two points short.

One point is that the wavelength of the ArF light source is more easily absorbed by the photoresist, which can lead to uneven exposure of the photoresist, which in turn affects the image quality. Therefore, it is necessary to design a special photoresist specifically for the ArF light source.

However, the photoresist is designed specifically for the ArF light source to reduce absorption, and the new photoresist is likely to further cause line-edge fluctuations and irregularities.

In addition, ArF is used to build an advanced process, including multiple exposure technology, phase-shift photomask technology, and polarized light technology.

These techniques in turn increase line-edge fluctuations and irregularities to a certain extent.

So there are more reasons for the line-side fluctuations than you might think. ”

Zhou Xin asked: "But there are so many difficulties, why are you still optimistic about the ArF route?" ”

How did Zhou Xin know that Lin Benjian was optimistic about the ArF technical route, because Lin Benjian said it himself when he was interviewed at the Optics Conference this time.

"Is it to help the lithography company cover up?"

Lin Benjian smiled: "I have left IBM, and IBM has hardly continued to invest in the field of lithography machines in recent years.

I didn't work for Nikon or Canon, so why cover for them.

Of course, I am more optimistic about the ArF technical route from my heart.

What we just talked about are the shortcomings of ArF, which are only temporary.

There are also many difficulties in the process of replacing the g-line and i-line with the KrF light source. ”

The G line is a light source with a wavelength of 436 nm, and the I line is a light source with a wavelength of 365 nm.

"Relative to the g-line and i-line, KrF requires new photoresists and anti-reflective coating materials to adapt to the characteristics of the KrF light source.

At the same time, KrF requires higher performance optical systems and photomask materials. More advanced lenses and optics were needed to achieve higher numerical apertures and resolutions.

In addition, photomask materials need to have lower scattering and absorption characteristics.

KrF also needs to optimize the exposure process to improve image quality. At that time, we mainly used double exposure and out-of-focus exposure techniques to reduce lithography error.

Let me think, by the way, we had to think about control when we were developing the KrF light source, because KrF achieves higher resolution, so we need more stringent process control requirements.

It is necessary to have more precise control of parameters such as photoresist coating thickness, exposure dose, and development process to ensure lithography imaging quality and yield.

We overcame all these difficulties, and finally the KrF light source replaced the g-line and i-line and became the most advanced process light source today.

Similarly, in the future, short-wavelength light sources will inevitably replace long-wavelength light sources, which is the inevitable of technological progress.

The difficulties we have just discussed are only temporary. ”

ASML, Nikon, and Canon have only suspended their investments in ArF, not stopped investing in ArF technology.

Later, ASML overtook in corners, also because they chose the right technical route, the ArF light source uses water as the medium and smears a layer of water on top of the photoresist.

The refractive index of water is 1.44,193 nm÷ 1.44≈134 nm, and the wavelength of the ArF light source is further reduced.

ASML was able to take out Nikon and Canon and monopolize the field of lithography machines, and they made the right choice at two key points in the technical route.

When they should be stable, they were more stable than Nikon, and thus gained a firm foothold in the lithography machine market.

When they should be aggressive, they were more aggressive than Nikon, thus occupying the high-end market, eating up all the high profits, and maintaining their technological leadership in the future.

After the breakthrough of ArF's technical route, the wavelength of ArF is 193nm, and he can manufacture chips of up to 65nm.

If you want to manufacture chips below 40nm process, you need to find a light source below 160nm.

Companies such as Nikon and Canon chose the 157nm F2 laser, while ASML found a light source as the medium and directly put it in place.

Of course, it's not as simple as adding a layer of water.

"I've always thought that there is a solution to the ArF technical route.

The first is to design a photoresist specifically for the ArF light source, the second is to develop an anti-reflective coating, and then to improve the optical system of the lithography machine and find ZEISS to customize more advanced lenses.

to achieve higher numerical apertures and resolutions.

At the same time, it is optimized during the exposure process. I have designed a resolution enhancement technique specifically for ArF light sources.

Includes auxiliary features, off-axis illumination, dual exposure technology, and more to improve pattern transfer quality and increase resolution. Lin Benjian is very excited, it is rare to see a colleague who understands ArF technology so well.

The other people who knew this thing had signed a confidentiality agreement, and Lin Benjian had a very unpleasant chat with them.

Huaguo is not only poor in lithography machines, but also in the entire high-end manufacturing industry, even if you can build a lithography machine, the optical lens can also jam your neck.

However, Zeiss is a German company and is not listed, and Ameriken's long-arm jurisdiction does not control Zeiss.

After listening to this, Zhou Xin sighed that the other party deserved to be a master, and he had already completed the plan before joining TSMC.

For the same thing, some people talk on paper, and some people win thousands of miles away.

Huaguo's values are result-oriented, and Zhou Xin knows Lin Benjian's future achievements, not to mention that Lin Benjian said that these are absolute dry goods.

After discussing the future of ArF technology with Lin Benjian, Zhou Xin asked: "Lin Bo, I plan to set up a lithography machine company, and I need someone who really knows how to help me."

Do you have the will to help me do things, the position I gave you is R&D subjective.

The first batch of R&D funds is one billion US dollars, and I will give you 20% of the shares, but you need to sign a non-compete agreement after you join, and our lithography machine company will be located in China. ”

After listening to the first half of the sentence, Lin Benjian wanted to agree immediately, one billion dollars of research and development funds, and 20% of the shares.

That's a lot of trust, and this company is worth at least $1 billion in R&D funding alone.

Directly it is to give you 200 million.

After listening to the second half of the sentence, his heart was cold: "Newman, I know that you are from Huaguo, and I hope to help Huaguo develop in the field of semiconductors."

I am also of Chinese descent, and under the premise of having the ability and opportunity, I also hope to contribute to the development and progress of the semiconductor industry in China.

However, the research and development of lithography machines is very dependent on cooperation with chip manufacturers.

There are no mature chip manufacturers in Huaguo, and it is difficult for us to make progress in placing our R&D base in Huaguo.

Whether I agree to your terms or not, I suggest you put it in the bend or the American.

There is TSMC in the bend, and Ameriken has Intel's chip foundry.

In both places, you have the opportunity to put your product through full experimentation in a production environment. ”

ASML's R&D centers are located all over the world.

Zhou Xin said: "Zhang Rujing of Shida Semiconductor is preparing to return to China to set up a chip foundry.

Their site, funding, and team are already in place.

In the pre-preparation stage and laboratory research and development stage, we do not need to cooperate with foundries during this period.

Our progress will be slower than that of Zhang Rujing, and when our laboratory products are developed, we can send them to them for verification.

Zhang Rujing's chip foundry, we only had the opportunity to enter when it was just starting.

Whether it's TSMC, Intel, or Samsung, it's hard for them to give a newly established lithography company a chance.

Involve our lab products in their production process.

On the contrary, in my opinion, Huaguo is where the opportunity lies, and we need to use Huaguo's foundry to make a name for ourselves, and then we have the opportunity to cooperate with other chip foundries.

This is also the way the countryside surrounds the city. ”

The reason why Huaguo's lithography machine is a laboratory product is because it is not fully validated in a production environment.

Therefore, ASML's embargo on China is a good thing in a sense, if it is not banned, Huaguo's self-developed lithography machine will never have the opportunity to enter the production process.

Lin Benjian said: "How many people are there in the lithography machine company you want to set up? ”

Zhou Xin said: "You are the first, you are responsible for building the R&D team, and you are the R&D supervisor.

I will give you complete trust and autonomy.

I will only give me advice and reflections on the direction of research and development. ”

Lin Benjian was a little speechless after hearing this, to put it bluntly, there is only money and no one.

"I need time to think.

Newman, since you've invited me, I don't mind being more direct.

For a lithography company, a billion dollars may just be an upfront investment in R&D, and if we can't break even sooner and make a lithography machine that can go into production.

In the future, you will need to continue to invest in R&D expenses, or simply dissolve the company.

Therefore, $1 billion is just the ticket, and the breakeven of the product means that the lithography machine company has survived.

Secondly, even if we set up a company, there are still many patents that cannot be bypassed, and we need to buy them from companies such as Nikon, ASML, IBM, and Texas Instruments.

We can't develop all the technologies ourselves.

Of course, in the future, if they want to use the technology we develop, they also need to pay us patent royalties.

In addition, the salary you opened is very high, and it is the first time I have received such a high salary offer.

From the point of view of treatment, it is definitely able to satisfy me.

Lin Chuangdu, which I founded, has been established for almost eight years, and the valuation is not even 50 million US dollars.

It's just that I'm in charge of this alone, and I'm not sure I can do it well.

I don't actually have much management experience, I have only managed a few people's R&D team, and I have managed the R&D team of a lithography machine company, and I have never done management work of this scale.

I was in charge of building a team of all the R&D personnel of a lithography company from scratch, and I have never done it before.

I'm worried that I won't be able to do it well. ”

Zhou Xin is not worried, after Lin Benjian joined TSMC, he became the vice president of TSMC at the highest.

For a company of TSMC's size, the vice president has much more people to manage than the lithography company they want to establish.

Zhou Xin said: "I fully believe that you have this ability.

Managing a few people and managing dozens of people is actually about the same, you just need to manage the supervisor well.

In addition, I will help you find a good enough helper who will take care of the formation and management of the company with you. ”

Lin Benjian asked curiously: "Who?" Do I know each other? Is it Zhengming?

Did you persuade him to leave Berkeley and start a business with you?

Zhengming is better than me, and Siluo Semiconductor is more valuable than Lin Chuang, and the valuation is much higher.

Masaaki doesn't have the idea of starting another company right now."

Zhou Xin shook his head: "It's not Professor Hu, I don't know if you recognize it."

He was a bend man who used to do analog IC design at a semiconductor company in California.

Guan Jianying, do you know each other? ”

Lin Benjian said: "I seem to have a little impression, but I am definitely not familiar with it, at most I have seen it." ”

Yes, Zhou Xingang learned that Lao Guan was kicked out.

This is to make up for yesterday, today it is more than 1w, yesterday's 4k plus today's 6k.

Originally, I wanted to be rotten in the middle, but in the end I gritted my teeth and persevered.

Even on weekends, writing 10,000 words is still tiring.

Finally ask for a monthly pass!

(End of chapter)