Jan 18th - Toppan, IBM To Develop Photomask For 14nm Chips

Toppan Printing Co. and IBM Corp. of the U.S. will work together to develop a photomask for the production of 14-nanometer system chips.

In the chipmaking process, a photomask plays the role of a photographic negative, transferring a circuit pattern onto a silicon wafer.

Currently, 20-nanometer chips are the most advanced type. Using the 14-nanometer technology will allow chipmakers to turn out 40-50% more chips from a silicon wafer, improving efficiency.

Toppan Printing and IBM will use existing technology so chipmakers can start 14-nanometer production without spending hefty sums on new machines.

It was believed that chipmaking technology more advanced than that for 20-nanometer chips would require extreme ultraviolet lithography and that the mass production of next-generation system chips would be impossible until around 2015.

But Toppan and IBM plan to create a photomask that uses conventional optical lithography to produce 14-nanometer chips. This will enable chipmakers to begin 14-nanometer production without replacing their overall manufacturing facilities.

The firms will develop the new photomask at IBM's factory in the state of Vermont. Toppan's factory in Saitama Prefecture is tasked with establishing the technology for the mass production.

The partners aim to start mass-producing the photomask in 2013.