Several IC, chip-equipment, and material vendors believe it's possible. At the BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology here today, an official from ASML Holding N.V. presented a technical paper on the feasibility of developing 9-inch photomasks for low-cost, chip-making applications.

With the help of several vendors, ASML of the Netherlands claims to have demonstrated a 9-inch reticle production capability for 150- and 130-nm chip applications. The co-authors of the paper include Leica, Motorola, Photronics, Schott, Unaxis, Veeco and others.

The 9-inch photomask is geared for "productivity" in a mask shop, said Kevin Cummings, an official from ASML, during a technical presentation at the BACUS event here today.

But there are also problems associated with 9-inch reticles, namely the infrastructure. Current photomask tools are tailored to support existing 6-inch masks. "Metrology also might be a problem," Cummings said.

Analysts also pointed out that the 9-inch mask is not a new concept. Various vendors have proposed the development of a 9-inch photomask standard some four years, but the concept never took off in the marketplace.

Still, the concept is intriquing--that is, if it can reduce mask costs. One of the pressing issues in the IC industry is the soaring costs of mask, accordng to analysts.

ASML has demonstrated the feasibilty of the concept--even if it remains a novelty item for now. The reticles used in the process were full specification 9-inch blacks.

Using a 50-KeV electron-beam tool, the initial results of the mask showed "good quality processes with the ability to produce 200-nm line and space patterns on the reticle, 120-nm 1:1.5 ptch lines and 200-nm contact features," according to the paper.

The mask itself came from Photronics Inc. It was procesed on an e-beam tool from Germany's Leica Microsystems Lithography GmbH. Unaxis USA Inc. provided the etch tools for the mask.