Zone-Plate-Array Lithography for Mask Making and Military Integrated-Circuit (IC) Manufacturing

The zone-plate-array-lithography (ZPAL) system being commercialized by Lumarray, Inc. (the ZP-150) is proposed as the ideal means of providing quick turn-around on masks for DoD integrated-circuit manufacturing, as well as for maskless direct patterning of wafers. We propose to deliver 10 photomasks, made on the ZP-150, to the University of Maryland and 3 photomasks to a DoD manufacturer. In addition, three wafers will be exposed on the ZP-150 for both Univ. Maryland and the DoD manufacturer. Maskless lithography is the most cost-effective solution for manufacturing IC’s in low volume. ZPAL has delivered high-quality lithography, and promises pattern-placement accuracy and throughput that is superior to what is possible with electron-beam lithography. We show that by means of absorbance modulation, ZPAL technology can be extended to sub-20 nm resolution, and that anticipated improvements in the pixel count and addressing rate of spatial-light modulators will enable ZPAL throughput to approach that of optical-projection lithography.