Samsung develops next-generation EUV key components

Samsung Electronics has begun developing advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles to close the market share gap with manufacturing rival TSMC.

The company's Semiconductor Research Institute recently issued a recruitment notice to develop a pellicle that meets EUV transmission of 92%. The company said at the Samsung Manufacturing Forum in October 2021: "We have developed a pellicle with an EUV transmittance of 82% and plan to increase the transmittance to 88% by the end of the year." Currently, Samsung Electronics A pellicle with a transmittance of 88% has been developed. This means that the South Korean tech giant achieved its target in about a year and proposed a new development roadmap to increase transmission rates by 4 percentage points.

Samsung Electronics has also begun researching high-number aperture (NA) pellicles, which is called the next-generation EUV process. In its latest recruitment notice, the company mentioned the development of next-generation pellicles based on new materials. It announced that it will work with external research institutions to develop and evaluate EUV pellicles made of carbon nanotubes and graphene. The company also plans to select researchers to design large-scale production facilities for the company's in-house developed nanographite films (NGF).

"Samsung Electronics promotes the development of EUVpellicle with the aim of quickly catching up with the No. 1 manufacturing company TSMC," an analyst said.

EUVpellicle is a material necessary to use light during the exposure process to print circuit shapes on semiconductor wafers. They serve as a covering to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the mask. pellicle helps reduce costs by minimizing defects in the process and extending the life of expensive masks. However, commercialization is difficult due to the characteristics of EUV light absorption by most materials. Experts say that although Samsung Electronics has improved its pellicle technology, it has not yet introduced the material into its foundry/DRAM production lines, arguing that it is too early to apply the material to mass production lines.

Samsung Electronics rival TSMC has been using its own EUV pellicle on its mass production lines since 2019. The Taiwanese manufacturing giant announced in 2021 that it would increase EUVpellicle production capacity 20 times compared to 2019.

A small Korean company has developed a material that promises to significantly improve the yield of Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML's extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment.

Graphene Laboratory, a developer of semiconductor and display materials, announced on November 14 that it has developed technology to use graphene to make EUV films (pellicles) smaller than 5 nanometers and is ready to mass-produce new films.

"Previously, the membrane was made of silicon. But we used graphene," said Kwon Yong-deok, CEO of Graphene Lab. "The graphene membrane will be a yield booster for semiconductor companies using ASML's EUV lithography equipment."

Film is a thin film that protects the photomask surface from airborne molecules or contaminants. Critical for ultrafine manufacturing processes at 5 nanometers or below. It is a consumable item that needs to be replaced regularly. Since the light source of EUV equipment has a shorter wavelength, the film needs to be thinner to increase light transmittance. Silicon has been used to make films before, but graphene is a better material because it is thinner and more transparent than silicon.

EUV films must be able to withstand the high temperatures of 800 degrees or more that occur during exposure. Due to its hardening properties at high temperatures, silicone is very susceptible to cracking.

The global film market is expected to reach KRW 1 trillion by 2024. "Samsung Electronics, TSMC and Intel are potential customers of Graphene Lab," said CEO Kwon.

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