This section provides an overview for electron beam lithography systems as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 5 electron beam lithography system manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked electron beam lithography system companies as of November, 2024: 1.TCK inc, 2.STS-Elionix, 3.Vistec Electron Beam GmbH.
Table of Contents
Electron beam lithography systems are used to draw circuit patterns for LSI (large-scale integration) circuits.
Electronic devices such as cell phones and PCs contain semiconductor electronic circuit components called LSI.
After designing an LSI circuit, the circuit pattern must be burned onto a reticle (equivalent to film in silver halide photography) with an electron beam.
At this time, dimensional and positional errors must be kept within 2 to 5 nm.
The electron beam lithography system is used to burn the circuit pattern onto the reticle with this accuracy.
Electron beam lithography systems are used in the baking process of ultra-fine circuits used in LSIs.
LSI is an essential component of electronic devices. For example, LSIs are used as components in cell phones, PCs, game consoles, cameras, and other devices.
LSI designs change depending on the application, and there are LSIs suitable for various fields, such as communication devices, power supplies, acoustic processing, image processing, sensors, and AI.
In order to accommodate a wide range of LSI design patterns, circuit patterns designed by CAD (computer aided design) are burned onto reticles using an electron beam lithography system.
The LSI process is largely divided into design, front-end process, and back-end process.
Circuit patterns are drawn on reticles in the design stage, highly integrated electronic circuits are formed on silicon wafers in the front-end process, and semiconductors are cut from the wafers, fixed in place, and sealed in the back-end process.
In the design stage, the fine circuit pattern of the LSI is conventionally burned onto the reticle by optical transfer, similar to silver halide photography.
However, visible light has a wavelength of approximately 400 nm to 700 nm, so circuits finer than the wavelength of light cannot be burned onto the reticle.
As LSIs have become larger and larger over time, the subject of research was how to concentrate numerous circuits on a small LSI.
This is where the electron beam came in.
The wavelength of an electron beam is 0.012 nm at an acceleration voltage of 10 kV, so it can draw much finer circuit patterns than light.
However, to draw highly detailed circuit patterns, a high-precision electron beam lithography system is required.
The electron beam lithography system was developed for this purpose.
There are two types of electron beam lithography systems: the raster scanning system (which arranges "dots" like pixels on a TV) and the vector scanning system (which fills in shapes such as circles and rectangles).
This electron beam lithography system enables the drawing of high-definition circuit patterns on reticles.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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JEOL USA, Inc., established in 1962 and headquartered in Peabody, Massachusetts, serves as a supplier specializing in electron microscopes, ion beam instruments, mass spectrometers, and NMR spectrometers. The company provides a range of products, including transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscopes (SEM), microprobes (EPMA) and augers, electron beam lithography (direct write and photomask), mass spectrometers (including DART and ambient ionization), and more. It also offers medical and industrial equipment for high-precision testing, measurement, and analysis in various applications, including batteries, ceramics, chemistry, energy, and environmental sectors. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JEOL Ltd. in Japan.
NuFlare Technology, Inc., established in 2002 and headquartered in Kanagawa, Japan, is a manufacturer that develops and produces semiconductor production systems. The company's product line includes EB mask writer, mask inspection system, and epitaxial reactors. It also offers services related to the installation, maintenance, and repair of its semiconductor production systems. Its product is used for detecting defects in patterns written on photomasks to be transferred to wafers. The company has achieved ISO 9001 and OHSAS18001 certification. It serves a range of industries, including semiconductor, materials, and device manufacturers.
Vistec Electron Beam GmbH, established in 2006 and headquartered in Jena, Germany, is a manufacturer of electron-beam lithography systems based on variable-shaped beam technology. The company specializes in the design and production of lithography systems that cater to a wide array of applications, including silicon direct write, photonics, and advanced research. Its product portfolio features the Vistec SB3050-2 and Vistec SB254, which are equipped with automated handling and designed for high writing accuracy. These systems are pivotal in semiconductor manufacturing, mask making, and integrated optics. The company also offers customer support, calibration services, and tailored solutions.
TCK inc, founded in Japan in 2005, is a supplier of semiconductor related devices. The company's product portfolio includes precision machines, information industry machines, piezoelectric actuator mechanisms, piezoelectric actuator mechanisms, and particle beam imaging systems. It also provides services such as Equipment Calibration Services, Preventive Maintenance Programs, Repair and Equipment Upgrades, and Retrofits. it serves markets like Automotive and Transportation, Aerospace and Defense, Medical Devices and Healthcare, and Energy and Renewable Energy.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | TCK inc |
31.3%
|
2 | STS-Elionix |
23.6%
|
3 | Vistec Electron Beam GmbH |
17.2%
|
4 | JEOL USA, Inc. |
15.0%
|
5 | NuFlare Technology Inc. |
12.9%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the electron beam lithography system page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 2 | 40.0% |
Japan | 2 | 40.0% |
Germany | 1 | 20.0% |