Multibeam is re-innovating electron-beam lithography (EBL) and launching a new generation of maskless EBL systems for fab production.
It’s the only multicolumn e-beam lithography (MEBL) platform in the wafer fab equipment industry that offers full-wafer direct-write capabilities with fine resolution in a modular architecture optimized for scale. The fully automated system features multiple miniaturized e-beam columns and advanced algorithms that enable precision patterning with fab-level productivity. In this talk, we’ll show examples of patterns written by Multibeam’s MEBL system, including very large field of view (FoV) up to full wafer, huge depth of focus (DoF) deeper than 10 micrometers, radial lines at arbitrary angles, and curvilinear patterns with excellent line-edge roughness and CD uniformity. These capabilities greatly enhance leading-edge IC makers’ first-mover advantages in emerging and high-growth applications. Several use cases will be discussed. The maskless nature of Multibeam’s MEBL system enables rapid prototyping and fast cycles of learning, seamless transition to pilot production, leading to faster time to market at lower cost. Large FoV enlarges interposers in advanced packaging, up to full wafer, no longer limited to a few optical reticle fields. Radial and curvilinear lines in combination with adaptive patterning vastly increases chiplet-to-chiplet interconnect density, thereby greatly improving bandwidth and cutting power in AI-driven advanced integrated chips. Curvilinear patterning is critical in processing advanced photonic devices; large DoF helps overcome challenges of topographic surfaces encountered in making compound semiconductor devices such as SiC. Developed by patterning and fab equipment experts, the Multibeam system makes patterns that are impossible, difficult, or too expensive for mask-based solutions, with breakthrough time-to-market advantages. It complements existing optical lithography and is poised to play a key role in accelerating chip innovation.
