Optical lithography stalls X-rays
Article Abstract:
Optical lithography will continue to be used in making advanced DRAM integrated circuits; X-ray lithography will not be needed until the year 2000. Optical lithography using 200-400-nanometer (nm) ultraviolet (UV) wavelength dominates in integrated circuit manufacturing, while deep-UV lithography is not accepted because of a lack of positive- and negative-tone photoresist systems. Feature resolution and depth of focus improve 25 to 100 percent by optical phase-shifting masks that use interference to cancel diffraction effects. Multilevel resist processing and top-surface imaging techniques also improve resolution and focus, but are complex and expensive processes. I-line lithography, which is in the 365-nm UV spectrum wavelength, will be strong at least until 1995, and deep-UV steppers will surge and peak in 1998 for 256M-bit DRAMS, crossing from i-line to X-ray lithography.
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1991
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How to prevent circuit zapping
Article Abstract:
Electrical overstress is the enemy of modern electronics. It can strike a consumer product in the home, an avionics package on an F-16, or an IC on the assembly line. When an IC is subjected to transient overstress, the failure mechanism is usually electrothermal. Electrostatic discharge accounts for a majority of overstress transients, most of them occurring in factories that make electronic devices and usually generated by assembly-line workers who have acquired a static charge. Discharge can be minimized by having workers wear grounded wrist straps. Overstress is limited by combining electromagnetic shielding, filtering, and protective devices such as Zener diodes.
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1987
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