:: The Technology


Nanomachining Defined
Nanomachining, a new defect repair technique in the semiconductor industry, combines the positional control of an AFM and proprietary Nanomachining hardware and software to perform material removal at nanometer levels.

The Benefits of Nanomachining
The benefits of Nanomachining technology as applied to photomask repair are the precise and accurate removal of defects in quartz, chrome, MoSi, and various exotic materials. RAVE's emphasis has been on materials that provide significant challenges for the current industry standard repair techniques; specifically, quartz bumps on alternating phase shift masks, trimming of carbon patches, and repairs within tight lines and spaces.

The Nanomachining Advantage
Several advantages of the Nanomachining technique include the ability to:

• Machine in tight geometries
• Approximate line edge slope for both wet and dry etched material
• Image with resolution exceeding today's needs
• Extend to future mask sizes and technologies including NGL
• Develop custom repair processes and tips quickly
• Image and repair quartz bumps of nearly any size and shape
• Minimize surface damage and achieve superior edge control and transmission