Sokudo Co., Ltd. today
launched its breakthrough SOKUDO DUO platform, a unique new concept in photoresist
coat/develop track systems that provides customers with the ultra-high productivity
needed to optimize leading-edge lithography processing. Incorporating an innovative
dual track design, the SOKUDO DUO simultaneously processes wafers in two lines,
dramatically boosting throughput to 250-300 wafers per hour (wph), depending
on system configuration, while also improving uptime and substantially reducing
system footprint.
“The SOKUDO DUO is the first major track platform created by our joint
venture company, bringing together the significant strengths of both Applied
Materials and Dainippon Screen in its design,” said Tadahiro Suhara, CEO
of Sokudo Co., Ltd. ”Results from several semiconductor manufacturer installations
in Japan and Asia have already confirmed the system’s high productivity
performance.”
In addition to increased throughput, the SOKUDO DUO platform’s dual track
design enables higher system reliability. Since the load is distributed between
two lines, wafer transfer speed can be reduced, even at high output rates. Another
advantage of the system’s dual track design is its non-stop operational
capability. If one line is unavailable due to maintenance, there is no disruption
to the second line, allowing the coat/develop process to continue and reducing
the idle time of the in-line photolithography exposure system.
The SOKUDO DUO design improves wafer output per unit area by up to 40% compared
to previous track systems. This dramatic reduction in system footprint allows
the platform to be installed and maintained using significantly less clean room
space.
The company’s extensive expertise in coat, develop, and bake technology
were incorporated into the SOKUDO DUO platform to support a wide variety of
complex lithography processes, including immersion ArF double patterning. To
further optimize the system’s overall equipment effectiveness for the
entire litho cell, the SOKUDO DUO features integrated wafer cleaning options
to maintain high yield and extend maintenance intervals of the scanner’s
wafer chuck.