SEMATECH, UAlbany Launch Lithography Program

AUSTIN, Texas & ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 7 -- The University at Albany (UAlbany) and International SEMATECH (ISMT), a consortium of semiconductor manufacturers, have completed negotiations on a joint five-year program to accelerate the development of next-generation lithography.

Under the contract, ISMT will conduct a program in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography infrastructure, focused on advanced work in three areas -- mask blanks, resist and EUV extensions -- at UAlbany's new 300 mm wafer cleanroom complex. The program is being called International SEMATECH North.

With the construction of two new 300 mm cleanroom facilities, UAlbany is the centerpiece of Governor George E. Pataki's $1 billion initiative to bring high-tech consortia, companies and jobs to New York.

According to Kevin Kemp, EUV program manager for ISMT, the EUV infrastructure program to be conducted at UAlbany will complement and expand on work being done at ISMT's headquarters in Austin, Texas.

"During the recent International Symposium on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, hosted by ISMT, participants identified 10 critical EUV issues facing the industry over the next year," said Kemp. "ISMT will be addressing those issues to help our members and the industry bring EUV lithography to commercialization. Our goal is to have the needed EUV infrastructure in place and ready for introduction in 2007."

For more information, visit: www.albany.edu