SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) and GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced the establishment of a new Advanced Patterning and Productivity Center (APPC), which will be located at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) in Albany, N.Y. The $500 million, 5-year program will accelerate the introduction of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technologies into manufacturing. The center is anchored by a network of international chipmakers and material and equipment suppliers, including IBM and Tokyo Electron, and will generate 100 jobs.

EUV lithography is a next-generation semiconductor manufacturing technique that produces short wavelengths (14-nanometers and below) of light to create minuscule patterns on integrated circuits.

The APPC will tackle the challenges associated with commercializing EUV lithography technology. A key component of the center will be the installation of the ASML NXE:3300 EUV scanner, a tool for the development and manufacturing of semiconductor process technologies at 7nm and beyond. This installation follows the installation of the IBM supported ASML NXE:3300B EUV scanner already in place at SUNY Poly.

The center aims to bring mask and materials suppliers together to extend the capabilities of EUV lithography through exploring fundamental aspects of the patterning process. Other projects will be focused on enhancing productivity, in preparation for implementing EUV lithography in the manufacturing of leading-edge products in GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ production facility in Malta, NY.

Through the APPC, members will have access to SUNY Poly’s patterning infrastructure, which includes film deposition and etch capability, patterning systems, EUV mask infrastructure, and world-class EUV imaging capabilities.