These initial results meet the requirements of the next 4 generations of electronic chips. Building on this success, CEA-Leti and Arkema have created a development platform dedicated to this technology. As part of their joint laboratory, Arkema and CEA-Leti, with the help of Professor Hadziioannou's team of LCPO, have successfully obtained a 20 nanometer (nm) pitch and reduced the diameter of contacts down to 7nm thanks to nanostructured polymers, thereby demonstrating the compatibility of this technology for technological nodes ranging from 20nm to sub-10nm.

On the strength of these initial positive results, Arkema and CEA-Leti have created IDEAL (Insertion of Directed Self-Assembly lithography for CMOS application), a collaborative research platform dedicated to the development and industrialization of lithography based on nanostructured polymers. This platform relies on CEA-Leti’s expertise in process and electronic component integration, and on Arkema’s know-how in the development and industrialization of nanostructured polymers. These complementary capabilities will help adapt materials and processes to achieve optimum results and make the technology available to the semiconductor industry without delay.

Going beyond the boundaries of " classic " lithography

The semiconductor industry has had to contend with the limits of conventional optical lithography for several years now. The cost and the problems encountered with the extreme ultra violet technology undermine the feasibility of the technological roadmap of micro-electronics. Lithography by self-assembly (or nanostructuring) of polymers is a highly promising technological alternative due to its low manufacturing costs and its straightforward integration in existing processes for the manufacture of microprocessors and other electronic chips.

Since the early 2000s, Arkema has been developing for various applications a block copolymer technology that yields innovative nanostructured materials boasting a wide range of properties, some of which are particularly suited to self-assembled lithography.

"The creation of this platform is an initial success for our brand-new collaboration, and it illustrates the importance of combining material, process and integration know-how at an early stage. It also bears testimony to Arkema’s ability to develop new copolymers and to adapt its industrial resources to this demanding micro-electronics sector in terms of product performance and purity," declared Ian Cayrefourcq, Director Emerging Technologies at Arkema.

"Lithography based on nanostructured copolymers opens up very encouraging prospects in terms of performance and cost for the semiconductor industry. Cooperation between Arkema, an innovative world-leading chemical company, and CEA-Leti, a world-renowned institute in the integration of CMOS technologies, will help develop materials and processes directly transferrable and compatible with the industry’s standards," pointed out Laurent Malier, CEA-Leti Director.

Visit CEA-Leti at www-leti.cea.fr