CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™
World-class Productivity and Innovative Defect Control Technology

Tokyo Electron (TEL) announced the new 300mm wafer coater-developer, CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™ , in December 2025. The system features innovative defect control technology that can reduce wafer defects and associated costs caused by flawed resist coating by 50% or more compared to previous models^*1.

TEL has provided the coater-developer LITHIUS Pro™ Z, featuring a unique product concept, to the market for over a decade, contributing to the mass production of advanced semiconductors. This article introduces LITHIUS Pro DICE™, which will contribute to achieving ultra-fine patterning using EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography and enhancing the high productivity of DUV (deep ultraviolet) equipment, both necessary for the future evolution of semiconductors.

*1: An estimate by TEL based on a comparison of defect performance and chemical consumption with those of previous models.

Basic Knowledge of Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes - Front-End and Back-End

First, for those readers who are not engaged in semiconductor manufacturing, let us briefly introduce the complex semiconductor production process.

It is said that semiconductor manufacturing involves hundreds to thousands of steps to produce the final product—the semiconductor chip (often simply called “semiconductor” or “chip”).

These processes can be broadly divided into two types: front-end and back-end;

The front-end process involves creating circuits on thin, disc-shaped silicon wafers.
The back-end process includes cutting the processed wafers into chips and assembling them.

One of the Core Front-End Processes - Lithography

The front-end process, also known as wafer processing, involves repeatedly patterning semiconductor devices and wiring to form intricate circuits on the wafer.

TEL offers product lines covering the four core front-end processes: film deposition, lithography, etching, and cleaning.

The CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™ introduced here is used in the lithography process.

Lithography involves uniformly applying a photosensitive film called photoresist, transferring circuit patterns from a photomask onto it using an exposure tool, then selectively developing and removing the photoresist with a developer to form fine circuit patterns.

Lithography processes such as photoresist coating, exposure, and development are often performed inline using a series of connected tools, requiring high reliability and precise control. TEL holds a 90% global market share for coater-developer equipment and nearly 100% share for coater-developer systems used in EUV lithography including High NA^*2.

*2 High NA: A lens with a high numerical aperture, enabling the creation of finer, more precise circuit patterns.

Features of CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™

We will now highlight the features and innovative aspects of the latest model, CLEAN TRACK™ LITHIUS Pro DICE™.

1. Origin of the Name "DICE"

The name "DICE" comes from six key features it offers: Density, Diagnostic, Decrease, Dependable, Delivery, and eco-Defense. This is inspired by a six-sided die.

2. World-Class Productivity

By increasing the number of stacked coating and developing modules, production capacity has been significantly enhanced. This greatly improves the number of wafers processed per hour and the area productivity, achieving world-class productivity.

3. Defect Control Technology

As production capacity increases, the impact of any problems that may occur will become greater. To prevent this, LITHIUS Pro DICE™ is equipped with numerous high-performance sensors inside. It can automatically issue warnings or stop the equipment when abnormalities are detected. Additionally, continuous monitoring collects data even when no abnormalities occur to help prevent future issues.

4. Equipment Autonomy

Previously, multiple manual tasks were required to start up the equipment. LITHIUS Pro DICE™ advances the autonomy of startup processes, improving engineers’ work efficiency. This autonomy also stabilizes operations and enhances reliability.

5. Improved Environmental Performance

Since the chemicals used in manufacturing directly affect product quality and yield, the chemical supply system has been greatly improved. This not only reduces environmental impact but also improves environmental performance by 25%.

LITHIUS Pro DICE™ has enabled a wide range of highly efficient production systems for a wide range of advanced semiconductor devices, including logic, DRAM, and NAND.

As a leading company in semiconductor production equipment, TEL will continue to meet customer needs and contribute to technological innovation in semiconductors.

For more detailed information about the semiconductor production process introduced here, please refer to the links at the bottom of the page.