Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) is participating in a subproject of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 2022 Materials, Parts and Components Technology Development Program (Package Type), which is led by Park Systems Co., Ltd.

The program is funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and implemented by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology. Park Systems Co., Ltd. serves as the lead organization, with JBNU, Incheon National University, and Hanyang University participating as a consortium.

Through this, JBNU Professor Ahn Sang-min (Department of Physics, College of Natural Science) and his research team will undertake the development of "Repair-Dedicated Cantilever Manufacturing Technology and Sensor Integration Technology," a subproject of "Development of Automated Mask Repair Equipment Equipped with an EUV Mask Defect Detection and Analysis Module," which will receive KRW 4.5 billion in funding over four years.

The team led by Professor Ahn will develop key components capable of manufacturing highly elastic cantilevers to detect and remove defects formed on the surface of EUV (extreme ultraviolet) masks used in semiconductor processes using an atomic force microscope (AFM).

As recent semiconductor processes have shrunk to scales such as 3 nm, surface roughness of silicon wafers has become a critical issue. For extremely small roughnesses below 1 nm, inspections using atomic force microscopes, which enable non-contact, non-destructive testing during semiconductor manufacturing, are being conducted.

* Atomic Force Microscope (AFM): A device that uses a very sharp probe called a cantilever to detect extremely small atomic forces on a surface and visualize them as images.

The core of this research project is to develop a device that uses AFM to remove process-induced defects on EUV masks used in EUV lithography, which creates the critically important patterns on the order of several to tens of nanometers in semiconductor processes.

JBNU Professor Ahn Sang-min is an expert in nanodevice fabrication based on AFM and semiconductor processing technologies, and the team already possesses the technical capabilities required for this project. By fabricating cantilevers dedicated to EUV mask defect removal, they aim to secure technological leadership, overcome the current dependence on full imports, and challenge zero defect rates in semiconductor processes, which is expected to make a significant contribution to the global competitiveness of the domestic semiconductor industry.

In particular, starting with this project, Professor Ahn's team is focusing on research with the goal of growing into the nation's first high-quality cantilever manufacturer through a faculty start-up based on collaboration with Park Systems Co., Ltd.

Professor Ahn Sang-min said, "Korea is a leading semiconductor nation, but if we do not continuously devote effort to developing these detailed technologies, we could lose our global standing. We will do our utmost to contribute to the advancement of Korea’s semiconductor industry and scientific and technological development through the successful completion of this subproject."