Imec exhibits superior lithography to cut back CO2 emissions in chip factories

Imec has unveiled a brand new climate-friendly solution to produce patterns on chips utilizing lithography and etch for superior chip factories.

Leuven, Belgium-based Imec mentioned the tech can scale back the carbon dioxide footprint of lithography and etch for superior expertise nodes for chip factories.

Photolithography is a key a part of the method of producing of built-in circuits, or semiconductor chips. It makes use of mild to switch a sample onto a substrate, usually a silicon wafer, nearly like printing a design on high of a chip floor.

Imec mentioned it may considerably scale back the carbon footprint related to lithography and etch processes in semiconductor fabrication. The announcement was made in the course of the 2024 Superior Lithography + Patterning Convention, the place Imec offered sustainable alternate options and practices to curtail direct emissions of CO2 in these vital processes.

Imec’s analysis signifies that lithography and etch processes contribute over 40% of direct emissions in superior logic node Scope 1 and Scope 2 classes. Semiconductor units produced in 2021 generated a CO2 equal footprint of about 175 megatonnes, equal to the yearly emissions related to about 30 million folks.

Imec’s alternate options embody methods to simplify the dry etch processes broadly utilized in chip manufacturing. The goal is to cut back the environmental influence of those processes whereas sustaining high-quality semiconductor fabrication.

Imec.netzero Digital Fab Mannequin

Imec.netzero, a digital fab mannequin developed inside Imec’s Sustainable Semiconductor Applied sciences and Techniques (SSTS) program, performed a pivotal position in demonstrating the emissions influence. Imec showcased the contributions of lithography and etch processes to Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, emphasizing the necessity for modern options.

Imec proposes instructions for future patterning, together with ultra-thin resists and underlayers, minimal passivation, and low course of temperatures for etch. A Excessive-NA-compatible steel line etch course of was demonstrated, showcasing a major discount of roughly 94% in course of gasoline emissions.

Addressing lithography challenges

Challenges in lithography embody emissions related to electrical energy era. Engineers have tried utilizing greener power, decreasing multi-patterning steps, minimizing photoresist dose, and enhancing scanner throughput for power effectivity.

“Sustainability is vital for Imec and we’re happy to see that it’s also gaining significance on the SPIE Superior Lithography and Patterning convention,” mentioned Emily Gallagher, a principal member of the technical workers at Imec, in a press release. “A casual search of papers exhibits a promising pattern: in 2018 there was solely restricted one paper that talked about sustainability and now, solely six years later, the convention is anticipating 45 papers within the sustainability observe, 4 of them coming from Imec. Final yr
shattered international local weather data, so it’s important that all of us take motion as organizations and as people. Imec has embraced this motion in any respect ranges together with our analysis.”

Imec’s initiatives in course of innovation and sustainability replicate a broader business shift in direction of eco-friendly semiconductor fabrication.