TOKYOTokyo Electron (TEL), announced Wednesday that it will begin accepting orders for the CLEAN TRACK ACT M (Mask), a high performance photomask resist coater/developer targeted for 90-65nm technology nodes.

The products are based on three separate high performance application modules, including a photomask developer, photomask resist coater, and photomask PEB (Post Exposure Bake) baker. Due to increased complexities such as OPC (Optical Proximity Correction), phase shifting, and use of chemically amplified resists, more advanced processing control and techniques are required to manufacture photomasks for the finer technology nodes.

The CLEAN TRACK ACT M is based on TEL's market-dominating CLEAN TRACK ACT platform and their many years of semiconductor wafer and flat panel display resist coating/development experience. With more than 2,000 systems installed worldwide, the ACT system is well known for its advanced process technologies and high reliability. CLEAN TRACK ACT M is designed for photomask (6025 Substrate) processing for the 90-65nm device nodes. The individual photomask developer, resist coater and baker modules can be configured into one system. With the CLEAN TRACK ACT M, TEL has improved within-mask and mask-to-mask process uniformity while reducing defects.

TEL plans to deliver 20 systems in the first year of the product's release.