Molecular Imprints, Inc. (MII), a developer of advanced semiconductor lithography, has announced the delivery of an advanced lithography platform which uses Xaar 1001 inkjet printheads to pattern 450mm silicon wafer substrates.

The first patterned 450mm wafers produced using the Imprio 450 were showcased by Intel Corporation at the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) in January. This represents a major step in semiconductor manufacturing and accelerates the industry’s transition to 450mm wafers by two years or more.

The advanced design of the Xaar 1001 with its patented TF Technology recirculates the resist fluid directly past the back of the nozzle, effectively managing temperature, keeping particles in suspension and evacuating any bubbles from inside the printhead. This is ideal for applying functional fluids where high performance, productivity and reliability are essential. This application demonstrates the increasing adoption of inkjet within advanced manufacturing processes and underscores Xaar’s efforts to extend its inkjet technology into new markets. 

“While the development period has been extensive, the results are impressive and show that Xaar technology has the potential to deliver ultra-precise results within a highly demanding manufacturing application,” says Mark Alexander, director of marketing at Xaar.

Xaar, an independent supplier of industrial inkjet printheads, has worked closely with MII on the application of their Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography (J-FIL) technology. The MII Imprio 450 tool uses a special version of the Xaar 1001 printhead to print tiny droplets of resist fluid to the precise patterning requirements of the J-FIL technology.