At-wavelength inspection of sub-40 nm defects in extreme ultraviolet lithography mask blank by photoemission electron microscopy

A new at-wavelength inspection technology to probe nanoscale defects buried underneath Mo/Si multilayers on an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography mask blank has been implemented using EUV photoemission electron microscopy (EUV-PEEM). EUV-PEEM images of programmed defect structures of various lateral and vertical sizes recorded at an ~13.5 nm wavelength show that 35 nm wide and 4 nm high buried line defects are clearly detectable. The imaging technique proves to be sensitive to small phase jumps, enhancing the edge visibility of the phase defects, which is explained in terms of a standing wave enhanced image contrast at resonant EUV illumination.     

Proximity X-ray and extreme ultraviolet lithography

Present status and technical issues of proximity X-ray lithography (PXRL), especially synchrotron radiation (SR) lithography, and extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) for use in the next generation lithography will be presented. To make SR lithography a practical method, many improvements in a wide range of lithographic components have been made over the past several years. These developments have been successfully applied to the fabrication testing of LSIs. For widespread industrial use, the feasibility and cost-effectiveness in mass production should be guaranteed. On the other hand, since there is a strongly demand for EUVL as a main candidate for the nodes of 70 and 50 nm, global consortiums have been making intense efforts to develop key components of EUVL, such as multilayer mirror and masks, resist processes, and sources. To make EUVL a major tool, timing in development and cost of ownership should be critical issues.     

极紫外投影光刻光学系统

极紫外光刻（EUVL）是半导体工业实现32～16nm技术节点的候选技术,而极紫外曝光光学系统是EUVL的核心部件,它主要由照明系统和微缩投影物镜组成。本文介绍了国内外现有的EUVL实验样机及其系统参数特性;总结了EUVL光学系统设计原则,分别综述了EUVL投影光学系统和照明光学系统的设计要求;描述了EUVL投影曝光系统及照明系统的设计方法;重点讨论了适用于22nm节点的EUVL非球面六镜投影光学系统,指出了改善EUVL照明均匀性的方法。     

激光等离子体极紫外光刻光源

研究并讨论了下一代光刻的核心技术之一—激光等离子体极紫外光刻光源。简要介绍了欧美和日本等国极紫外光刻技术的发展概况,分析了新兴的下一代13.5 nm极紫外光刻光源的现状,特别讨论了国内外激光等离子体极紫外光刻光源的现状,指出目前其存在的主要问题是如何提高光源的转化效率和减少光源的碎屑。文中同时概述了6.x nm（6.5～6.7 nm）极紫外光刻光源的最新研究工作。最后,介绍了作者所在研究小组近年来在极紫外光源和极紫外光刻掩模缺陷检测方面开展的研究工作。     

All-reflective optical system design for extreme ultraviolet lithography

All-reflective optical systems,due to their material absorption and low refractive index,are used to create the most suitable devices in extreme ultraviolet lithography （EUVL）.In this letter,we present a design for an all-reflective lithographic projection lens.We also discuss its design idea and structural system.After analysis of the four-mirror optical system,the initial structural parameters are determined,the optical system is optimized,and the tolerances of the system are analyzed.We also show the implementation of optimal layout and desired imaging performance.     

Design of multi-mirror optics for industrial extreme ultraviolet lithography

We develop a new method for multi-mirror optics design. The system includes several mirror groups that will be designed separately to fulfil the designer’s needs. The elements of individual mirror group are all spherical mirrors. The radii and separations of the all spherical mirror groups can be calculated by three conditions: the pupil-stop condition, the non-obstruction condition and the conjugate condition. The connected mirror groups could be optimized as a whole optics by gradual optimization process, and the final optics includes high order aspheric mirrors. The all sphere structure design method is effective to reduce the load of calculation and evaluation of the configurations. The gradual optimization method can help the objective achieve high imaging performance smoothly. Finally we got a NA 0.3 EUVL objective, and the mean wavefront error of 0:0287λ (RMS) is reached.     

Study on contamination of projection optics surface for extreme ultraviolet lithography

Ru-capped Mo/Si multilayer mirrors were irradiated by EUV in a vacuum atmosphere with ethanol or decane gas, and their reflectivity changes by contamination were investigated by changing the amount of introduced gas. The reflectivity hardly decreased by EUV irradiation in the ethanol-introduced atmosphere. On the other hand, the reflectivity decreased by about 5% in the decane-introduced atmosphere at a decane pressure of P_Decane = 1.3 × 10⁻⁴ Pa, an EUV power of about 200 mW/mm², and an EUV dose of 150 J/mm². EUV irradiation to the Ru-capped multilayer mirrors was also performed in the presence of water vapor and decane. The surface oxidation by EUV irradiation with a water vapor pressure of PH₂O=1.3×10⁻⁵ Pa was controlled by the introduction of decane at a pressure of P_Decane = 7.0 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.3 × 10⁻⁶ Pa.     

TEM study of annealed Pt nanostructures grown by electron beam-induced deposition

In this paper we report on the microstructural characterization of Pt nanostructures fabricated by electron beam-induced deposition in a dual beam system and subsequently annealed in furnace. The as-deposited nanostructures are made of a mixture of nanocrystalline Pt and amorphous carbon. We show by transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy that the annealing in presence of oxygen at 550 °C for 30 min is able to remove the amorphous carbon from the nanostructure, leaving polycrystalline Pt grains.     

Spatial chemistry evolution during focused electron beam-induced deposition: origins and workarounds

The successful application of functional nanostructures, fabricated via focused electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID), is known to depend crucially on its chemistry as FEBID tends to strong incorporation of carbon. Hence, it is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms which finally determine the elemental composition after fabrication. In this study we focus on these processes from a fundamental point of view by means of (1) varying electron emission on the deposit surface; and (2) changing replenishment mechanism, both driven by the growing deposit itself. First, we revisit previous results concerning chemical variations in nanopillars (with a quasi-1D footprint) depending on the process parameters. In a second step we expand the investigations to deposits with a 3D footprint which are more relevant in the context of applications. Then, we demonstrate how technical setups and directional gas fluxes influence final chemistries. Finally, we put the findings in a bigger context with respect to functionalities which demonstrates the crucial importance of carefully set up fabrication processes to achieve controllable, predictable and reproducible chemistries for FEBID deposits as a key element for industrially oriented applications.     

激光等离子体13.5 nm极紫外光刻光源进展

半导体产业是高科技、信息化时代的支柱。光刻技术,作为半导体产业的核心技术之一,已成为世界各国科研人员的重点研究对象。本文综述了激光等离子体13.5 nm极紫外光刻的原理和国内外研究发展概况,重点介绍了其激光源、辐射靶材和多层膜反射镜等关键系统组成部分。同时,指出了在提高激光等离子体13.5 nm极紫外光源输出功率的研究进程中所存在的主要问题,包括提高转换效率和减少光源碎屑。特别分析了目前已实现百瓦级输出的日本Gigaphoton公司和荷兰的ASML公司的极紫外光源装置。最后对该项技术的发展前景进行了总结与展望。     

Lateral resolution in focused electron beam-induced deposition: scaling laws for pulsed and static exposure

In this work, we review the single-adsorbate time-dependent continuum model for focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID). The differential equation for the adsorption rate will be expressed by dimensionless parameters describing the contributions of adsorption, desorption, dissociation, and the surface diffusion of the precursor adsorbates. The contributions are individually presented in order to elucidate their influence during variations in the electron beam exposure time. The findings are condensed into three new scaling laws for pulsed exposure FEBID (or FEB-induced etching) relating the lateral resolution of deposits or etch pits to surface diffusion and electron beam exposure dwell time for a given adsorbate depletion state.     

Mass-limited Sn target irradiated by dual laser pulses for an extreme ultraviolet lithography source

A thin Sn film was investigated as a mass-limited target for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography source. It was found that those energetic ions that are intrinsic with the mass-limited Sn target could be efficiently mitigated by introducing a low-energy prepulse. High in-band conversion efficiency from a laser to 13.5 nm EUV light could be obtained using an Sn film with a thickness down to 30 nm when irradiated by dual laser pulses. It was shown that the combination of dual pulse and inert Ar gas could fully mitigate ions with a low ambient pressure nearly without the penalty of the absorption of the EUV light.     

Understanding the electron-stimulated surface reactions of organometallic complexes to enable design of precursors for electron beam-induced deposition

Standard practice in electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) is to use precursors designed for thermal processes, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However, organometallic precursors that yield pure metal deposits in CVD often create EBID deposits with high levels of organic contamination. This contamination negatively impacts the deposit’s properties (e.g., by increasing resistivity or decreasing catalytic activity) and severely limits the range of potential applications for metal-containing EBID nanostructures. To provide the information needed for the rational design of precursors specifically for EBID, we have employed an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) surface science approach to identify the elementary reactions of organometallic precursors during EBID. These UHV studies have demonstrated that the initial electron-induced deposition of the surface-bound organometallic precursors proceeds through desorption of one or more of the ligands present in the parent compound. In specific cases, this deposition step has been shown to proceed via dissociative electron attachment, involving low-energy secondary electrons generated by the interaction of the primary beam with the substrate. Electron beam processing of the surface-bound species produced in the initial deposition event usually causes decomposition of the residual ligands, creating nonvolatile fragments. This process is believed to be responsible for a significant fraction of the organic contaminants typically observed in EBID nanostructures. A few ligands (e.g., halogens) can, however, desorb during electron beam processing while other ligands (e.g., PF₃, CO) can thermally desorb if elevated substrate temperatures are used during deposition. Using these general guidelines for reactivity, we propose some design strategies for EBID precursors. The ultimate goal is to minimize organic contamination and thus overcome the key bottleneck for fabrication of relatively pure EBID nanostructures.     

增强CCD紫外和极紫外成像的荧光物质的研究

CCD广泛用于可见光和近红外波段的成像,为了使CCD也能在紫外和极紫外波段成像,波长转换十分有用。采用对此波段敏感的荧光物质,使辐射到CCD上的紫外和极紫外光转换成可见光,CCD便可对其成像。研究了产生荧光的过程和条件以及用于把紫外和极紫外光转换成可见光的荧光物质需要满足的条件后,发现水杨酸钠、四苯基-丁二烯、六苯并苯和路玛近比较合适,并简明介绍了它们的特性和制备方法。评述了该领域的荧光物质物质的应用前景以及需要改进的方面。     

电子束诱导单壁碳纳米管不稳定的新观察

利用透射电镜在室温下对不同形态的单壁碳纳米管进行了原位电子束辐照研究.研究发现:在相同的辐照条件下随着辐照时间(或辐照剂量)的增加,两端固定的单壁碳纳米管径向收缩,且收缩速率越来越快;相同直径的轴向弯曲的单壁碳纳米管比平直的单壁碳纳米管更加不稳定;一端固定另端自由的单壁碳纳米管轴向收缩,但其直径基本不变.利用单壁碳纳米管纳米曲率效应和能量束诱导非热激活效应,对上述单壁碳纳米管不稳定性现象进行了新的、合理的解释.     

极紫外波段微通道板光电子产出理论分析与实验测量

基于微通道板的光子计数探测器在天文方面得到广泛的应用。该文针对微通道板在极紫外波段的光电子产出进行深入研究,给出了材料光电子产出的理论模型,利用导出的光电子产出公式分析了影响微通道板电极和铅玻璃两种材料光电子产出的因素。理论分析结果表明:材料厚度大于20nm及入射角大于掠入射的临界角是获得较高光电子产出的最佳条件,除去几个特殊波长,两种材料的光电子产出在极紫外波段随波长的增加而减小。利用激光等离子光源量子效率测量装置测量了微通道板光电子产出的波长响应特性,实验结果与理论计算结果基本一致。     

极端远紫外光刻的等离子体光源及其光学性质研究进展

现代技术的飞速发展需要集成电路不断小型化，因而开发下一代光刻光源以满足小型化的要求成为当前的一项紧迫任务。目前工业界确定的下一代光刻光源是波长为13．5nm的极端远紫外（EUV）光源，它能够把光刻技术扩展到32nm以下的特征尺寸，氙和锑材料的等离子体光源被认为是这种光源的最佳候选者。文章在介绍EUV光刻原理和EUV光源基本概念的基础上，讨论了目前研究得最多、技术最成熟的激光产生的和气体放电产生的等离子体EUV光源，对EUV光源的初步应用进行了简单介绍，并着重对氙和锑材料产生的等离子体发射性质和吸收性质的实验与理论研究进展进行了详细介绍与讨论。目前的理论研究进展表明，统计物理模型还不能很好地预测氙和锑等离子体的发射与吸收光谱，因此迫切需要发展细致能级物理模型，以得到更为精确的等离子体光学性质参数，并用于指导实验设计。提高EUV转换效率。     

极端远紫外光刻的等离子体光源及其光学性质研究进展

现代技术的飞速发展需要集成电路不断小型化,因而开发下一代光刻光源以满足小型化的要求成为当前的一项紧迫任务。目前工业界确定的下一代光刻光源是波长为13.5nm的极端远紫外（EUV）光源,它能够把光刻技术扩展到32nm以下的特征尺寸,氙和锑材料的等离子体光源被认为是这种光源的最佳候选者。文章在介绍EUV光刻原理和EUV光源基本概念的基础上,讨论了目前研究得最多、技术最成熟的激光产生的和气体放电产生的等离子体EUV光源,对EUV光源的初步应用进行了简单介绍,并着重对氙和锑材料产生的等离子体发射性质和吸收性质的实     

Classical simulation of atomic beam focusing and deposition for atom lithography

We start from the intensity distribution of a standing wave (SW) laser field and deduce the classical equation of atomic motion. The image distortion is analyzed using transfer function approach. Atomic flux density distribution as a function of propagation distance is calculated based on Monte-Carlo scheme and trajectory tracing method. Simulation results have shown that source imperfection, especially beam spread, plays an important role in broadening the feature width, and the focus depth of atom lens for real atomic source is longer than that for perfect source. The ideal focal plane can be easily determined by the variation of atomic density at the minimal potential of the laser field as a function of traveling distance.     

Reflective mask for projection lithography operating at a wavelength of 13.5 nm

This work is devoted to the technology of mask manufacturing and investigation of the characteristics of the reflective mask employed in the extreme ultraviolet lithography test bench designed at the Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences. The mask??s structure and composition have been optimized. The antireflecting (absorbing) coating and stop-layer materials that are used to etch the mask structure and the multilayer interference system, which reflects radiation at the operating wavelength, have been selected. The mask manufacturing technology is described. The measured reflective and geometrical characteristics of a mask (absorbing layer thicknesses, line widths, and line-edge roughnesses) are presented. A new direct method for certifying mask defects of 30 nm or more is proposed.