Bruker Advances NanoIR Technology to Support Next-Gen Semiconductor Research
Collaboration with imec expands AFM-IR applications in EUV lithography and advanced materials analysis
Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR) announced accelerated development of its photothermal AFM-IR spectroscopy capabilities to address research challenges facing the semiconductor industry as device architectures continue to shrink and systems become increasingly more complex. As the largest supplier of nanoscale infrared (nanoIR) spectroscopy technology to the semiconductor industry, Bruker is expanding the use of AFM-IR beyond its established role in nanoscale contamination analysis into research areas that underpin next-generation semiconductor technologies. These include EUV photoresist patterning and development, advanced materials for transistor scaling, and site-selective nanoscale surface functionalization for emerging sensing and functional device applications.
In a Joint Development Project (JDP) with imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in advanced semiconductor technologies, Bruker has installed its Dimension IconIR system to help assess the utility of photothermal AFM-IR for addressing these critical step-function research questions. The collaboration focuses on evaluating how nanoscale chemical characterisation can shed light on material behaviour and interfaces that influence semiconductor process development and device performance.
“Metrology requirements for advanced semiconductor research are evolving rapidly, and together with Bruker, we will assess how nanoIR technology can help address emerging requirements in nanoscale materials characterisation,” said Albert Minj, senior researcher at imec and project lead of the JDP. “The IconIR system enables label-free chemical analysis with sub-5-nanometer resolution, which supports a deeper understanding of EUV resist chemistry and material interactions relevant to next-generation device concepts.”
“Our collaboration with imec allows us to greatly expand the capabilities of photothermal AFM-IR in semiconductor research environments,” added David V. Rossi, President of Bruker’s Nano Surfaces and Metrology Division. “By investigating complex material systems and interfaces, nanoscale infrared spectroscopy can provide chemical insights that are impossible to access with conventional techniques.”
