Step-and-Repeat Exposure System

To create the most effective system for non-critical layers of next-generation DRAMs and MPUs, the company offers a new i-line stepper, NSR-SF100.

The NSR-SF100 is designed to realize superior cost performance in a mix and match strategy with KrF excimer laser scanners, which are now the main systems in fab lines.

The NSR-SF100 achieves a high resolution of 0.4 um or smaller and a 1 / 4 reduction ratio on an exposure field of 25 x 33 mm. The new i(I)-line stepper also boasts a high throughput of 120 or more wafers/hour for 200 mm wafers. In addition, the new system is compliant with full-scale 300 mm wafer fab lines.

Main Features

• Wide Exposure Field, High Resolution, and High Throughput- At 25x33 mm, the NSR-SF100 not only has secured the same large exposure field as a scanner for a step-and-repeat system, it has realized a sub 0.4 um resolution as well. Furthermore, the new system achieves the high throughput of 120 or more wafers / hour for 200 mm wafer processing.
• Optimized for Mix and Match- In addition to having full operation compatibility with the KrF excimer laser scanners NSR-S204B and NSR-S203B, the NSR-SF100 also has reticle compatibility with the i-line scanner NSR-S103B. The NSR-SF100 can be utilized for non-critical layers in a mix and match system when fab lines move beyond 0.18 um applications to 0.15 um chips, when the ArF excimer laser scanner is deployed in mass production, and when fab lines produce 0.13 um devices.
• Ready for 300 mm Wafers- The NSR-SF100 design predicts the line configuration for 2001 and beyond, and responds with a high throughput of 80 plus wafers/hour on full-scale production lines using 300 mm wafers. Furthermore, since the NSR-SF100 can be upgraded from 200 mm wafer applications, the system can be made ready if a 200 mm wafer line is converted for 300 mm wafers in the future.

Main Specifications

• Resolution- 0.4 um or better
• N.A. (Numerical Aperture)- 0.5
• Light source- i(I)-line (wavelength: 365nm)
• Reduction ratio- 1:4
• Exposure area- 25 x 33mm
• Total alignment accuracy- 45nm or less (M + 3 sigma)
• Throughput- 120 wafers / hour (200mm wafer), 80 wafers / hour (300mm wafer,approximately)

Nikon Corporation, Fuji Building, 2-3, Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8331, Japan (Nippon). Tel: +81-3-3214-5311.