Abstract
Each new generation of IC devices brings about a corresponding decrease in linewidths and minimum feature sizes. The technological trends and innovations in IC fabrication processes directly influence the market for masks and mask making equipment. This market is one the most competitive of all front-end semiconductor equipment markets, due to the high price of the equipment and the potential for high profit.
The growth of the mask market is less than the semiconductor market, even though there is a trend to more layers per design due to increased device complexity, because of the numerous devices that can be made from one mask set. The growth of the ASIC market has a strong upward influence on the number of layers and the merchant average selling price, in which merchant average sale prices are the value basis of the captive market. Nevertheless, ASIC manufacturers are maximizing the utilization of masks in an effort to minimize costs, just as the elimination of contact aligners in the fab has extended the lifetime of mask sets. The combination of pellicles, 12-to-16-hour mask turnaround times, and sophisticated CAD programs and design rule checks further reduce the need for more than one mask set per design.
Both revenues and costs have been affected by the increased demand for high-end technology photomasks that require more advanced manufacturing capabilities but generally command higher average selling prices. To meet the technological demands of its customers and position for future growth, vendors must continue to make substantial investments in high-end manufacturing capability both at existing and new facilities.
Photomask demand is driven principally by new design activity, which is gaining momentum in all regions. Additionally, growth is being fueled by customers' ramp of new advanced steppers and scanners that utilize the most advanced photomask products, resulting in higher average selling prices and margins.
Demand for increasingly complex photomask technologies is showing broad based stability as semiconductor designers steadily release 90 nanometer and 65 nanometer products.
This report addresses the strategic issues impacting the mask making, inspection, and repair sectors of the semiconductor industry. The mask making markets are analyzed and projected.
This report examines and projects the technologies involved, their likely developments, why and when their introduction or demise will take place, what problems and choices are facing users, and where the opportunities and pitfalls are.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
- 1.1 The Need For This Report
Chapter 2 Executive Summary
- 2.1 Summary of Major Issues
- 2.2 Summary of Market Opportunities
Chapter 3 Technology Issues
- 3.1 Mask Making
- 3.1.1 Mask Blanks
- 3.1.2 Completed Masks
- 3.2 Mask Making Equipment
- 3.2.1 Electron Beam Systems
- 3.2.2 Laser Pattern Generators
- 3.3 Mask Inspection
- 3.3.1 Mask Defects
- Transmission Variations
- Transparent Defects
- Nuisance Defects
- CD Variations
- Reflectivity Variations
- 3.3.1 Mask Defects
- 3.4 Mask Repair
- 3.4.1 Laser Repair
- 3.4.2 Focused Ion Beam Repair
- 3.4.3 Other Repair Methods
Chapter 4 User - Vendor Strategies
- 4.1 Establishing User Needs
- 4.1.1 Mask Making - Merchant or Captive
- 4.1.2 Submicron Mask Making
- Equipment - Laser vs E-Beam
- 4.1.3 Mask Inspection Equipment
- 4.1.4 Mask Repair - Laser vs FIB
- 4.1.5 Phase-Shift Masks
- 4.1.6 Optical Proximity Correction
- 4.1.7 NGL Technology Challenges
- 4.1.7.1 X-Ray Masks
- 4.1.7.2 EPL Masks
- 4.1.7.3 EUVL Masks
- 4.2 Competitive Vendor Opportunities
Chapter 5 Market Forecast
- 5.1 Driving Forces
- 5.1.1Introduction
- 5.1.2Trends in IC Processing Technology
- 5.1.3 Mask and Reticle Requirements
- 5.1.4 Fast Turnaround Devices
- 5.1.5 Impact of Direct Write E-Beam and X-Ray
- 5.2 Market Forecast Assumptions
- 5.3 Mask Making, Inspection, and Repair
- 5.3.1 Completed Mask Market
- 5.3.2 Reticle/Mask Manufacturing Equipment
LIST OF FIGURES
- 3.1 Light Transmittance of Glasses
- 3.2 Photomask Fabrication Flow
- 3.3 Optical Photomask Fabrication Flow
- 3.4 SCAPLEL Photomask Fabrication Flow
- 3.5 MaskRigger Software in a Mask Fabrication Process
- 3.6 Schematic of a Laser Pattern Generator
- 3.7 Mulith Reference Distribution Aerial Image Formation
- 3.8 Die-to-Die and Die-to-Database Inspection
- 3.9 Percentage Of Yield Losses
- 3.10 Yield Loss Mechanism
- 3.11 Photomask Repair Methods
- 3.12 Schematic of a Focused Ion Beam System
- 3.13 Illustration of Clear and Opaque Mask Repair
- 4.1 Write Time Versus Device Complexity
- 4.2 Subwavelength Gap
- 4.3 Phase-Shifting Masks
- 4.4 iN Phase Mask Design
- 4.5 Illustration of OPC
- 4.6 Main NGL Mask Formats
- 4.7 Mask Costs Versus Feature Size
- 5.1 Production Costs for Maskmaking
- 5.2 Capital Expenditures and Revenues
- 5.3 Photomask Functionality
- 5.4 North American Merchant Mask Making Market Shares
- 5.5 European Merchant Mask Making Market Shares
- 5.6 Worldwide Merchant Mask Making Market Shares
- 5.7 Pacific Rim Merchant Mask Making Market Shares
- 5.8 Japan Merchant Mask Making Market Shares
- 5.9 Worldwide Mask Making Equipment Market Shares
- 5.10 Mask Inspection Market Shares
- 5.11 Mask Metrology Market Shares
LIST OF TABLES
- 4.1 FIB and Laser Repair Comparison
- 4.2 Advanced Optical Lithographic Scenarios
- 4.3 NGL Mask Formats
- 4.4 Cost of Reticle/X-Ray Mask
- 4.5 Phase Shift Mask and X-Ray Mask Manufacturing
- 5.1 Overall Roadmap of Technology Characteristics
- 5.2 Roadmap of Mask Inspection
- 5.3 IC Lithographic Requirements
- 5.4 Increasing Mask Complexity
- 5.5 Worldwide Mask Making Market by Feature Size
- 5.6 Captive Mask Shops
- 5.7 Worldwide Mask Making Equipment Market Forecast
- 5.8 Worldwide Mask Making Equipment Market Shares
- 5.9 Mask Inspection Market Forecast
- 5.10 Mask Metrology Market Forecast
