Investment Project for Extreme Ultraviolet Nanolitograph

Opportunity Snapshot

  • Country: Russia Russia
  • Industry: Technologies
  • Stage: Start-up
  • Investment size: $7,000,000 / min. $2,000,000
  • Type of investment: Debt

Investment Opportunity

Key equipment and technology has been developed by Russian researchers for industrial production of VLSI and ULSI computer chips of 30-10nm.

The EUV nanolithograph is 80-85% complete. $250,000 are needed for completion and commissioning over a six-month period.

A team of researchers have developed a number of new technological solutions to create extreme ultraviolet (EUV) nanolithographs, operating at a wavelength of λ = 13.4. The device is designed for research on EUV-lithography and fabrication of original arbitrary nanostructures for research purposes.

The developed technical solutions associated with the construction and sale of optical systems, systems for conjugation of images, as well as sources of EUV radiation and means of fixing images, are original ones and can be used for both research in nanolithography, an for industrial nanolithography. In the first case (for research) the new technology offers a higher resolution while in the second case (industrial) it offers greater productivity.

Currently, the development of an experimental nanolithograph (EN) for research purposes is 80% complete. A relatively small investment (mostly for the assembly and tuning) will allow to launch the device in trial operation.

In addition to the experimental units, another part of the FTI is the development of a new technical solutions mask containing the image of a topological layer created by nano-objects, and creating new high-resolution (non-linear, non-organic) resistors. These resistors may allow obtaining high-resolution EUV lithography.

At the moment the main element of the microelectronics manufacturing technology is the technology using 193nm excimer laser radiation using immersion, phase-shifting masks, double exposure, etc.

To achieve structures with higher resolution than 100 nm requires the use of innovative means of exposure. Taking into account the need to develop high-productivity lithography systems, we can look into the following four main areas:
1.extreme UV lithography – EUVL
2.electron projection lithography (SCALPEL)
3.X-ray lithography
4.ion lithography

However, the participants in an SPIE Advanced Lithography conference [http://www.3dnews.ru/news 3DNews News Hardware 01.03.2008] which took place in San Jose, consider that viable alternatives to EUV lithography in 22-nm chip manufacturing do not exist. None of the other discussed methods (nano-imprint lithography, and various ways to double the exposure to optical lithography) cannot be considered a real contender for the title "principal mode of production" for chips smaller than 32-nm.

Investors can contact us on Merar.

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