JSR/Inpria, Lam Research Enter Cross Licensing and Collaboration Agreement to Advance Semiconductor Manufacturing

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JSR Corporation, a leading technology company focused on material innovation and the parent company of Inpria Corporation, a metal oxide photoresist solution provider, Lam Research Corp., a global leader in semiconductor fabrication equipment and services, announced that JSR/Inpria and Lam have entered into a non-exclusive cross-licensing and collaboration agreement to advance leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing. The partnership is intended to accelerate the industry’s transition to next-generation patterning, including dry resist technology for EUV lithography, and advance the development of next-generation materials for atomic layer etching and deposition processes.

The agreement capitalizes on JSR/Inpria’s innovative semiconductor materials, including metal oxide solutions and Lam’s deep capabilities in deposition, etch and EUV patterning, including Aether®, Lam’s ground-breaking dry resist equipment and process technology that reduces the cost and complexity of creating the intricate patterns required for chips for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC).

The companies will collaborate to integrate JSR/Inpria’s patterning resists and films with Lam’s etch and dry resist deposition technologies. Lam and JSR/Inpria will also work together to expand innovation in several areas to support chipmakers as they scale in the AI era, including research and development related to metal oxide resists, high NA EUV patterning for advanced nodes, and other advanced films for next-generation patterning. In addition, leveraging JSR’s recent acquisition of Yamanaka Hutech Corporation, Lam and JSR plan to explore on new precursor materials and processes for advanced atomic layer deposition and etch solutions.

“At JSR, we are committed to advancing cutting edge materials to enable our customers’ most demanding technology roadmaps,” said Toru Kimura, senior officer, JSR Corporation. “By combining JSR and Inpria’s materials expertise with Lam’s strengths in deposition, etch, and dry resist technologies, we aim to accelerate solutions for EUV lithography – including high NA – and support the industry to scale efficiently for the new AI era.

“By richly complementing Lam’s proven atomic layer deposition and etch capabilities with JSR’s deep expertise in advanced patterning materials, this collaboration enables us to accelerate innovation at a time of rising semiconductor complexity,” said Vahid Vahedi, chief technology and sustainability officer, Lam Research. “This includes driving new low-NA and high-NA EUV patterning materials and metal oxide resists and providing greater access to Aether dry resist technology.”

Inpria and Lam have also agreed to dismiss all claims against each other in the litigation Inpria v. Lam Research (Case 1:22cv01359) in the District Court of Delaware and all related inter partes review (IPR) proceedings.