Shalom SMT!

The future of semiconductor lithography is taking shape in seven different locations all over the world. SMT teams are hard at work in Jena, Wetzlar, Rossdorf and Oberkochen (in Germany), Dublin and Danvers (in the USA) and, last but not least, Israel!

Israel is a high-tech country. It is ranked seventh in the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2021 – after Silicon Valley, but ahead of Shanghai, Tokyo and Seattle. Israel is also where the USB stick was invented, Apple’s facial recognition software was developed and the country boasts specialists in Google algorithms.

In 2008, ZEISS acquired Pixer Technology, a start-up company specializing in the optimization of mask parameters for photolithography. Ever since then, ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment (SMT) has been carrying out research, development and production operations at the Bar Lev site, in the heart of an extensive industrial park north of Haifa. High-tech companies abound in this region and therefore are many well-trained IT- and hardware-specialists there. It is also home to famous equipment manufacturers such as KLA (a leader in process control) and Applied Materials (a leader in materials engineering solutions), along with software companies and hardware producers.

The ZEISS team in Bar Lev consists of a total of 55 employees from across different backgrounds – and this number is growing all the time. What’s more, job rotation means the team regularly obtains reinforcements from other SMT sites.

The Israeli team’s mask tuning solutions are called ForTune and are constantly redefining the possibilities and boundaries of photolithography. A specific laser processing of the photomask enables mask parameter optimization. This reduces errors during the exposure process. Technophiles may be interested to know that ForTune systems improve the wafer on-product overlay in the DUV range and specifically reduce the mix and match overlay in the EUV range.
In this way, ForTune helps semiconductor manufacturers comply with strict specifications and reduces the probability of process defects during wafer exposure.
  

SMT staff in Bar Lev have big plans. In the meantime, they are a global player for the semiconductor industry and the order books are well filled. They are determined to enhance their mask tuning system software and hardware, and to win further market shares. Their target groups include mask shops and wafer fabs. It’s a team task that requires a joint effort to succeed. Interaction with other product teams and/or Sales and Service Companies (SSCs) has therefore been increasing on an ongoing basis in recent times.
The tasks within the framework of these partnerships are also growing. Further development of the mask tuning portfolio and expansion of platform development expertise are just two examples. In concrete terms, that also means taking over production management tasks for other ZEISS product fields – for Metrology, Repair and Process Control Solutions, for instance.
Having more tasks calls for additional keen minds and helping hands, so the multicultural ZEISS team is looking for reinforcements.