The HERCULES®NIL is designed with EVG’s proprietary SmartNIL imprinting technology with resist coating, cleaning and baking preprocessing steps and is the latest addition to EVG’s NIL product range.
The HERCULES®NIL is a fully-integrated UV nanoimprint lithography track system designed for wafers up to 200 mm in size. It is based on a modular platform and is a “one stop shop“ solution where the user loads the tool with bare wafers and 100% processed nanostructured wafers are returned.
The system can be used to optimize the process chain and manufacture multi-use soft stamps, which act as the foundation for high-volume production, without the need for supplementary equipment.
A special feature of the HERCULES®NIL is that it can be upgraded with a Class 1 (ISO 3) capable mini-environment to ensure the highest-quality master replication and lowest defect rates.
The introduction of the HERCULES®NIL as a 100% NIL solution for high-volume manufacturing, has reinforced EVG’s position in the full-area NIL equipment sector.
The HERCULES®NIL Fully-Integrated UV Nanoimprint Lithography Track Solution from EV Group
EVG®HERCULESeNIL UV-NIL Track System up to 200 mm
EVG®HERCULESeNIL showing buffer station, prealigner, dual-endeffector robot, shielded UV-NIL imprinting station
EVG®HERCULESeNIL pre-processing modules
Fully populated 6" Si substrate imprinted using the SmartNIL™ process
12.5 nm half-pitch US test structures Source: EVG
Honeycomb texturing of Multicrystalline Silicon (mc-Si) Courtesy of Fraunhofer ISE
Key Benefits
The main benefits of the HERCULES®NIL include:
- Easy operation and maintenance-friendly
- Enables large scale manufacturing of 40 nm structures
- Integrates pre-processing and SmartNIL™
- Fully-automated imprinting and controlled low-force detachment for maximum working stamp reusability
- Volume-proven imprinting technology with excellent replication fidelity
- Supports many structure shapes and sizes
- Optimized modular platform for high throughput
- Multiple-use soft stamp technology lowers cost of ownership
- Master template lifetime similar to masks used for optical lithography
- Working stamp manufacturing capability
- Rapid curing times due to high-power lamp house
- Optional mini-environment and climate control for ideal process stability and yield
Technical Features
The technical features of the HERCULES®NIL include:
- Alignment - <3µm
- High-power narrow band exposure as light source
- Coating - Nanometer precise thickness control (±1%)
- Residual layer (based on process) - sub-15 nm
- Throughput (based on process) - Up to 40 wafers /h (200 mm)
- Multiple-use polymer stamps (based on process) - >100 imprints / stamp
- Supported automated separation
- Integrated chemical cabinet
- Open material platform for all imprint materials available in the market
- Optional mini environment and climate control