New photomask etcher tackles 22nm barrier

Applied Materials launched its Centura Tetra X Advanced Reticle Etch system, an optimized lithography system targeted at challenging device layers at 22nm and beyond.

Applied Materials said Tetra X goes beyond where its industry-standard Tetra III platform excels as it ensures mask accuracy at the 2nm critical dimension uniformity (CDU) barrier. Highly demanding double-patterning and source-mask optimization techniques will benefit from Tetra X as it delivers highly uniform, linear etch across all features sizes and pattern densities with "virtually-zero" defects, according to the company.

Tetra X uses proprietary, real-time process monitoring technology, as well as several other system enhancements, to implement the next-generation hard mask, opaque MoSi2, and quartz etch processes used to fabricate advanced binary and phase shift photomasks, Applied Materials added.