South Korean media reported that a South Korean company has developed a new material that is expected to significantly improve the yield rate of the extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) of Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML.

According to a report by BusinessKorea, Graphene Lab, a developer of semiconductor and display materials, recently announced that it has developed an EUV photomask pellicle (pellicle) technology that is made of graphene and is less than 5 nanometers, and is ready for production. Mass production.

Kwon Yong-deok, CEO of Graphene Lab, said, "Reticle pellicles used to be made of silicon, but we use graphene. The hood will be a boost to wafer fabrication yield."

Reticle pellicles are thin films that protect the reticle surface from airborne micromolecules or contaminants, which is critical to the yield performance of advanced process technologies at the 5nm or below node. In addition, the photomask pellicle is a consumable that needs to be replaced regularly, and since the light source wavelength of the EUV lithography exposure equipment is relatively short, the pellicle needs to be thinner to increase light transmittance. Silicon has been used to make pellicles before, but graphene would be a better material because the pellicles made from graphene are thinner and more transparent than silicon.

According to the report, the EUV photomask pellicle must be able to withstand the high temperature of 800 degrees or higher that occurs during the exposure process, so its hardening characteristics at high temperatures, silicon products are very easy to crack. Graphene Lab pointed out that once the graphene EUV photomask pellicle is adopted, it is estimated that the global pellicle market will reach 1 trillion won by 2024, and there will be great business opportunities. At that time, semiconductor companies including TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel are expected to become potential customers of Graphene Lab.