AGC Asahi Glass (AGC) has decided to drastically expand a supply system for EUV lithography mask blanks at one of its group companies, AGC Electronics, in 2018, according to the Japan-based vendor.
As the sophistication and miniaturization of electronic devices continue to advance, so does demand for faster semiconductor chip calculation speeds as well as higher capacities and more advanced integration. The circuit patterns of semiconductor chips must be further miniaturized in order to achieve these goals, yet with currently available optical lithography technology it is theoretically unrealistic to model miniaturized patterns, referred to as "7nm node." EUV optical technology is considered the most plausible technology to create such miniaturized patterns.
AGC began conducting R&D on photomask blanks utilized in EUV lithography technology in 2003. By combining its core technologies (namely glass materials, glass processing, and coatings), AGC claimed it is currently the only manufacturer in the world capable of handling every aspect of photomask blanks - from the glass material to film material. In anticipation of the expansion of EUV lithography, which is expected to become the prevailing technology, AGC has decided on a drastic expansion of the supply system for EUV lithography mask blanks at one of its group companies, AGC Electronics in 2018.
AGC intends to continue making an aggressive capital investment in EUV lithography mask blanks, which are expected to see significant growth in demand in the coming years, to contribute to further development of the semiconductor industry.
EUV lithography mask blanks are the original plate of "photomask" laminated with multiple layers of film on a lower-expansion glass substrate. Due to the further miniaturization of circuits, EUV mask blanks are increasingly expected to have as close to zero extremely-small-sized defects as possible and to have extremely high flatness.
