Next generation photo-resists for EUV lithography

Irresistible Materials (IM) is developing next generation photo-resist materials for the semiconductor industry.

A photo-resist is used within the manufacturing process of microchips. It acts as a type of mask that enables patterns to be etched into silicon through a process known as lithography. It is these features etched into silicon that act as the 'wires' of the modern day microchip.

Resists are thus critical to the semiconductor industry, and the ever-decreasing size of microelectronics is possible only through continuous advancements in lithography and resist technologies. However, current lithography technology, where the radiation used is 193nm wavelength light, is reaching its limit, and is unable to meet industry targets past 2020 (the wavelength is too large for the targeted microchip feature sizes).

To address this, a new generation of lithography technology is being introduced in 2020, called Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV). In EUV lithography, the wavelength of the radiation is reduced to 13.5nm enabling higher resolution patterns, and thus smaller micro-chip features.

However, there is presently no resist solution that meets industry targets for EUV lithography past 2021 (current solutions only address the 2020 entry node). This creates a major need and opportunity within the semiconductor industry.

Through this project, IM will complete the Experimental Development of our patented EUV resist material to directly addresses this need and opportunity, and prepare the material for production scale up, and full context commercial pilot trials and subsequent commercial launch following project completion.