Corning Incorporated, one of the world's leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science, today unveiled Corning EXTREME ULE Glass, a next-generation material that will support chip manufacturers in meeting the rapidly growing demand for advanced and intelligent technologies. The new material will help chipmakers improve photomasks - the stencils for chip design - which are critical for the mass production of today's most advanced and cost-efficient microchips.

Corning designed EXTREME ULE Glass to withstand the highest intensity extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, including high numerical aperture (High NA) EUV, which is rapidly becoming an industry standard. EUV lithography allows manufacturers to use the most advanced photomasks to pattern and print the smallest, most complex chip designs. This process requires extreme thermal stability and a uniform glass material to help ensure consistent manufacturing performance.

"As the demands of integrated chipmaking grow with the rise of artificial intelligence, glass innovation is more important than ever," said Claude Echahamian, Vice President & General Manager, Corning Advanced Optics. "EXTREME ULE Glass will expand Corning's vital role in the ongoing pursuit of Moore's Law by helping enable higher-powered EUV manufacturing as well as higher yield."

The thermal expansion qualities of EXTREME ULE Glass help deliver remarkable consistency and performance across all photomasks. In addition, the glass's exceptional flatness and uniformity significantly reduces photomask waviness, helping limit unwanted variability for manufacturers and allowing for the application of advanced coatings.

EXTREME ULE Glass marks an evolution in Corning's portfolio of ULE (Ultra-Low Expansion) glass, a titania-silicate glass material with near-zero expansion characteristics long used for EUV photomasks and lithography mirrors. By using its innovative glass-forming process, Corning expects to reduce both the energy used and waste generated in production, helping to contribute to Corning's commitment to sustainability.

Corning will present EXTREME ULE Glass and other innovative semiconductor materials at SPIE Photomask Technology + Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography conference in Monterey, California, on Sept. 30 - Oct. 3.