Keywords
Citation
(1999), "Silicon Valley Group unveils Procell a vital partner in lithography cluster productivity", Microelectronics International, Vol. 16 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.1999.21816cad.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Silicon Valley Group unveils Procell a vital partner in lithography cluster productivity
Silicon Valley Group unveils Procell™ a vital partner in lithography cluster productivity
Keywords Silicon Valley Group, Lithography
Silicon Valley Group has unveiled its innovative ProCell DUV Coat/Develop cluster system for both 200 and 300mm wafers. This hexagonal cluster platform and patented synchronous scheduling will significantly improve process consistency at 250nm and beyond. This system is seen as a major breakthrough for chipmakers worldwide since it addresses many of the bottlenecks commonly associated with traditional linear tracks. The ProCell Coat/Develop cluster completes the lithography process in 12 perfectly balanced moves the minimum number possible.
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Until now, lithography track systems have been based on a linear design developed for I-Line processing that has wafers moving from one process step to another on a linear track. Inherent in these conventional linear designs are system-induced delays and complicated wafer handling movements that contribute to inconsistent process results and that negatively affect critical dimension performance.
Overcoming traditional industry bottlenecks, ProCell takes full advantage of a revolutionary platform design, allowing the processing of more than 40 wafers simultaneously with varying position, time requirements and sequencing. A patented synchronous scheduling algorithm called Advanced Guidance System (AGS) optimizes wafer movement by calculating the optimal wafer path before movement is initiated, resulting in the transport of each wafer at the precise moment necessary for consistent process results.