Sub-Wavelength Lithography Employing Phase Masks

Luminescent Technologies is developing a disruptive innovation to improve sub-wavelength lithography for semiconductor manufacturing. The company has developed a new approach for optimizing photomasks as an inverse problem. It is a radical departure from existing resolution enhancement technologies that merely perturb the original design. Unlike existing techniques, this technology will consider the full realm of possible mask patterns which can diffract light in such a way as to print the desired circuit. In general, the optimal mask pattern will not resemble the original design; to the eye, it will appear more like a hologram. By using an inverse problem methodology to find the optimal mask, we can create masks which provide far better resolution and higher yields than any other competing technology. For phase II, we intend to develop our technology to the point that it can be used to print wafers with leading edge semiconductor manufacturers.