ASx Series

Photomask Processing Platform for advanced Bake, Resist Strip & Clean and Develop

The ASx series is SUSS MicroTec’s fully-automated photomask processing platform for 250 nm to 65 nm technology nodes with advanced bake (qualified down to 14 nm node and beyond), clean, develop and etch technologies. The series offers reliability, stability and performance to meet critical challenges of defect-free processing of masks exposed to 248 nm and 193 nm lithography.

Highlights

Highest first pass cleaning yield, resulting in extended mask life

Low cost of ownership with small footprint (1200 x  1200 mm)

High reliability and uptime

More than 250 ASx Sold

State of the Art Advanced Bake - Qualified down to 14 nm Node and beyond

Advanced Single Substrate Cleaner ASC 5500

The ASX ensures 100% soft defect removal, careful PSM cleaning and minimal residual ions during critical cleaning stages:

  • Resist strip and pre-clean
  • Final clean
  • Pellicle adhesive cleaning
  • Backside cleaning of pellicallized masks

Multiple Technologies

  • Dual megasonic cleaning
  • High pressure Fulljet cleaning
  • Brush cleaning
  • In-situ SC1, in-Situ SPM, 172nm UV dry cleaning, ultra-clean hot DI rinse
  • Backside rinse nozzles
  • Re-ionization of DI water by CO2 or NH4OH
  • ESD-safe cleaning
  • Binary and phase shift masks
  • Photomasks and other square substrates up to 9”
  • Round substrates (wafers or imprint masks) up to 300mm

Product Highlights

  • Minimal phase and transmission change
  • Low residual ion concentrations avoiding haze
  • Monitoring PoU media parameters
  • Fully automated, including SMIF load / unload

In Line with the Industry

  • SEMI S2, S8, S13 compliant
  • CE marked
  • Conform to European harmonized standards and machine directive 2006/42/EC, EMC directive 2004/108/EC and low voltage directive 2006/95/EC
  • DIN ISO 14.644 class 3 controlled environment
  • Ready for factory automation via SECS/GEM 200 mm standard interface
Post-Exposure Bake System APB9500

Superior Performance

State-of-the-art fully automated mask bake and chill system, valuable to different applications like

  • Post-exposure bake
  • Post-coat bake of phase shift masks and mask blanks
  • Chilling
     
  • Precision uniform bake by 25 independently controlled zones in one hot plate
  • Measurement of uniformity by sensor array mask with 25 sensors
  • Bake temperature up to 220° C (typical 90 to 130° C)
  • Precision cool plate for chilling
  • Combined hot plate - cool plate stack
  • Up to 2 hot plates and cool plates stacks in one APB9500 for highest process flexibility and throughput requirements
  • SEMI S2, S8, S13 compliant
  • CE marked
  • Conform to European harmonized standards and machinery directive 2006/42/EC, EMC directive 2014/30/EC and low voltage directive 2014/35/EC
  • DIN ISO 14.644 class 3 controlled environment
  • Ready for factory automation via SECS/GEM 200 und 300 mm standard interface
  • Bake self-optimization SW procedure
  • CD uniformity optimization by profile bake
  • Mirror bake functionality
  • Storage for temperature sensor masks in each stack
  • Can be clustered to E-beam writers or Developer (ASP) very easily
  • Small footprint
Develop System ASP5500
  • Lowest impact developing by A+ Nozzle with continuous media distribution over the whole mask
  • Active degassing of the developer prevents micro-bubbles for low defect counts
  • Clustered equipment with APB for PEB
  • Efficient chemical filtration (amines/acids) and precise temperature and humidity control
  • Fully automated including SMIF load / unload
  • Enhanced process control and monitoring features
  • To be combined with Post-Exposure-Bake-System APB9500 for optimum results
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