Contact (photo)lithography and this nanoimprint lithography are not the same thing.
The 2nd is like embossing, the 1st is like stencil (like other types of photolithography, but the photomask touches the wafer).
The 2nd is like embossing, the 1st is like stencil (like other types of photolithography, but the photomask touches the wafer).
https://global.canon/en/technology/nil-2023.html
Would they still have to make a standard photomask and use that to produce a mold using EUV lithography? At which point a cheaper process could be used for production. ASML would still be in that supply chain, but only for mold production.
> In addition to the technology enabling high-accuracy measurement of positional-deviation information, matching technology enabling alignment with lower-layer patterns is also important. Canon has developed a proprietary matching system that achieves alignment by using laser irradiation to thermally deform the wafer (Fig. 2). This system makes it possible to change the heat input pattern and freely deform the wafer by controlling an ultra-fine mirror group called a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). Instead of assuming that thermal deformation of the wafer worsens alignment precision as is conventionally thought, Canon has applied an innovative new approach to the alignment (Fig. 3).
This is damn cool (hah)! They use a DMD to deposit packets of heat to different parts of the mold to warp to match the underlying layer it needs to imprint for localized nm level positioning. Bad ass.
Am I wrong?
In nanoimprint lithograhy, a stamp is pressed into the resist on wafer and leaves the desired pattern behind.
The difference is that the resist is removed mechanically instead of chemically.
For the case of chip lithography they'd probably make source masks, copy the first generation a time or two, and use those secondary source masks to produce consumable 'stamps' for production.
Hopefully the stamps maintain sufficient quality across at least a couple batches (50-100+?) of wafers.
It only touches a liquid photo-resist that is spread on the wafer. The stamp is transparent, which allows UV light to shine though and exposes the photo-resist, which solidifies into a mask matching the stamp.