SkyWater has received a  Multicolumn E-Beam Lithography (MEBL) system for volume production from Multibeam Corp.

The Multibeam (MB) platform  offers a high-throughput direct write patterning system that is orders of magnitude faster and more productive than conventional e-beam tools. The MB system will be available to SkyWater customers for early concept prototyping and rapid production.

MEBL enables several new production capabilities for SkyWater’s customers including secure chip ID for anti-counterfeit applications and full wafer patterning to support focal plane read-out ICs and other types of large format die.

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MEBL also offers large depth of focus for a range of high topology microfluidic and MEMS architectures, curvilinear designs for photonics, and high-density MOS. In addition, it is the only production lithography tool capable of sub 50 nm geometries on 200 mm wafers.

Configured with multiple miniaturized electron beam columns, the MB platform elevates E-Beam Lithography (EBL) to a breakthrough maskless lithography production system with compelling performance and cost advantages for today’s IC fabs.

The delivery of the first Multibeam system follows a close collaboration with SkyWater over the past two years. This partnership provided critical fab operational insights which were used to define key system performance specifications before delivery of the MB platform to SkyWater.

“From the outset of our engagement with SkyWater they supported our mission to re-innovate EBL for high-volume production and provided critical user perspectives that helped us accelerate our development program and commercialise a world-class maskless lithography system,” says Multibeam CEO David Lam.

SkyWater will enable access to the tool for initial customer designs in 4Q24.