In the semiconductor industry, the increasing miniaturization of integrated circuits requires the development of high-resolution lithography techniques to improve the performance of microelectronic components.

Wafer

Cymer specializes in the design and manufacture of deep ultraviolet (DUV) light sources that contribute to the manufacture of semiconductor devices. The company’s photolithography equipment uses DUV light generated by excimer lasers to reproduce patterns on silicon wafers. These lasers use argon fluoride (ArF) or krypton fluoride (KrF) gases.

The DUV light produced by excimer lasers breaks molecular bonds on the surface of materials, ablating the material. These lasers are highly effective in the semiconductor industry, and even in eye surgery, as they can remove layers of surface material in a controlled manner and with great finesse.

Among the products offered by Cymer, immersion lithography and argon fluoride dry lithography devices produce a laser beam with a wavelength of 193 nm, enabling critical layers to be patterned during the manufacture of integrated circuits at very high resolutions.

In the future, excimer lasers could be supplied with fluorine using SUDFLUOR’s Green Tiger generator, a solution that would eliminate the need for bottled fluorine.