Worldwide technologies and the ITRS in the current economic climate

摘要

The semiconductor industry has successfully undergone two major transitions, in the 70's and in the mid-80's, that have been followed by long periods of sustained growth. A third transition is approaching in the second half of this decade that promises to fuel the growth of the semiconductor industry well into the second decade of this century, if well executed. Many new materials and a renewed MOS structure will be necessary to revitalize the basic device capabilities. Lithography technology is a key enabler of the semiconductor industry. After a decade of discussions and heated debates, the lithography roadmap has been finally internationally accepted and the wavelengths of choice identified and agreed upon: 193nm, 157nm, and 13.5nm. Execution is now the name of the game. As the level of investments required for the development and deployment of the overall lithography infrastructure continues to escalate with time and as execution on a tight time table is a must, it is necessary to resort to any available cooperation among consortia, supplier companies and IC companies to maintain the semiconductor industry on the historical 25-30% cost reduction per function per year that has been, and still remains, at the center of its success.