Companies Partner to Enhance Lithography Tools

ASML MaskTools, a business unit of ASML Holding NV of Santa Clara, Calif., has forged a mul-tiyear agreement with Micron Technology Inc. of Boise, Idaho, to further develop the capability of lithography tools. The companies will focus on low k₁ imaging at and below the 95-nm node.

As part of the collaboration, Micron has acquired a global license for ASML's intellectual property, which it will use for volume production. It also will purchase the Wilton, Conn., unit's MaskWeaver for resolution enhancement techniques implementation and the LithoCruiser for ASML scanner optimization. In turn, Micron will supply ASML with mask-making and -characterization services to help qualify its Twinscan ArF scanners for volume production at the 65- and 45-nm nodes.