Recently, South Korean media reported that Graphene Lab, a South Korean enterprise, has developed a protective film (Pellicle) for EUV light shield based on graphene.
The use of this EUV mask protective film is expected to significantly improve the yield of chips produced using EUV lithography machines.
South Korean enterprises have developed graphene EUV mask protective film, which can greatly improve the yield of 5nm chips
For a moment, it attracted the attention of many people. After all, the yield is now a sword hanging on the wafer factories such as TSMC and Samsung, and the more advanced the technology, the lower the yield.
For example, there have been media reports before that Samsung’s 5nm and 4nm processes have extremely low yield, even only about 30%, which makes Qualcomm unbearable and has to switch to a single device.
And once the yield can be significantly increased, aren’t wafer factories like Samsung seeking to buy? To improve yield is to reduce costs and improve competitiveness.
South Korean enterprises have developed graphene EUV mask protective film, which can greatly improve the yield of 5nm chips
So the question is, what is the protective film of graphene EUV mask and why does it have this effect?
We know that in chip manufacturing, the role of EUV lithography machine is to record the circuit diagram on the photomask plate onto the silicon wafer coated with photoresist through EUV light.
This is a crucial part. The photomask is also the most expensive part of the chip. The cost of a 7nm photomask quickly rises to $15 million.
On the top of the photomask, there is a protective film to protect the surface of the photomask from the influence of micro-molecules or pollutants in the air and the influence of EUV light recording.
South Korean enterprises have developed graphene EUV mask protective film, which can greatly improve the yield of 5nm chips
The film is made of silicon material. Now Korean enterprises use graphene to make this protective film, that is, graphene EUV mask protective film.https://forum.stoneitech.com/
Graphene has better performance, can withstand higher temperature, and has higher hardness and better transmittance. Therefore, when EUV light is used for lithography, it can reduce misjudgment and improve yield.
Graphene Lab said that their graphene EUV mask protective film will soon be mass produced. If it is so magical, then manufacturers such as Samsung, TSMC and Intel will certainly rush to buy it. Then the current mask protective film market, even the wafer market pattern, may be changed.
South Korean enterprises have developed graphene EUV mask protective film, which can greatly improve the yield of 5nm chips
