The production of semiconductor chips (also known as integrated circuits, ICs) is mainly divided into three major stages: IC design, IC manufacturing, and IC packaging and testing. IC design is mainly based on the logic design and rule formulation of the chip's design purpose, and masks are made according to the design drawings for subsequent photolithography steps. IC manufacturing involves transferring the chip circuit diagram from the mask to the silicon wafer and achieving the target chip function, including steps such as chemical mechanical polishing, thin film deposition, photolithography, etching, and ion implantation. The completion of IC packaging and performance/functional testing of chips is the final process before product delivery.
Photolithography is the most complex and critical process step in the semiconductor chip production process, which is time-consuming and costly. The difficulty and key point in semiconductor chip production lies in how to create the target circuit pattern on the silicon wafer, which is achieved through photolithography. The level of photolithography directly determines the process level and performance level of the chip. Generally, chips require 20-30 photolithography processes during production, which accounts for about 50% of the IC production process and one-third of the chip production cost.
