基于脉冲CO2激光锡等离子体光刻光源的极紫外辐射光谱特性研究

研究了不同条件下脉冲放电CO₂激光烧蚀平板锡靶产生的等离子体极紫外辐射特性, 设计并建立了一套掠入射极紫外平焦场光栅光谱仪, 结合X射线CCD探测了光源在6.5～16.8 nm波段的时间积分辐射光谱,得到了极紫外光谱随激光脉宽, 入射脉冲能量及背景气压的变化规律。实验结果发现：入射激光脉冲能量在30～600 mJ变化时,极紫外辐射光谱的强度随辐照激光脉冲能量的增加而增加, 但并不是线性关系, 具有饱和效应, 且产生极紫外辐射的脉冲能量阈值约为30 mJ,当激光脉冲能量为425 mJ时具有最高的转换效率,此时中心波长13.5 nm处2%带宽内的转换效率约为1.2%。激光脉冲半高全宽在50～120 ns范围内变化时, 极紫外辐射光谱的峰值位置均位于13.5 nm,光谱形状几乎没有什么变化, 但是脉宽从120 ns变到52 ns后,由于激光功率密度的提高,极紫外辐射强度也随之增强了约1.6倍。极紫外光谱的强度随背景气压的增大而迅速下降, 当腔内空气气压为200 Pa时, 极紫外辐射光子几乎被全部吸收,而当缓冲氦气气压为7×104 Pa时,仍能够探测到微弱的极紫外辐射信号,计算表明100 Pa的空气对13.5 nm极紫外光的吸收系数为3.0 m-1,而100 Pa的He气的吸收系数为0.96 m-1。     

Effect of Nd:YAG Laser Energy on Multilayer Hollow Nanofiber Target's Extreme Ultraviolet Conversion Efficiency

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV), 13.5 nm, lithography techniques have attracted a great deal of attention because of the mass production of 50 nm critical dimensions as the future generation lithography. One of key issues to be clarified for the development of a 13.5 nm EUV light source is to improve the conversion efficiency (CE). In this paper, hollow multilayer nanofibers were fabricated through the combination of a layer-by-layer (LBL) technique with the electrospinning technique. The obtained hollow fibers were employed as EUV targets. In order to improve the CE, the irradiated laser energy was increased from 10¹⁰ to 10¹¹ W/cm² and the CE was correspondingly increased from 0.43 to 0.83%.     

Effect of focal spot size on in-band 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet emission from laser-produced Sn plasma

The effect of focal spot size on in-band 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from laser-produced Sn plasmas was investigated for an EUV lithography light source. Almost constant in-band conversion efficiency from laser to 13.5 nm EUV light was noted with focal spot sizes from 60 to 500 microm. This effect may be explained by the opacity of Sn plasmas. Optical interferometry showed that the EUV emission must pass through a longer plasma with higher density when the focal spot is large, and strong reabsorption of EUV light was confirmed by a dip located at 13.5 nm in the spectrum.     

Characterization of a laser-plasma extreme-ultraviolet source using a rotating cryogenic Xe target

A laser-plasma source for extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light that uses a rotating cryogenic solid-state Xe target has been characterized. We focused on parameters at the wavelength of 13.5 nm with 2% bandwidth required for an EUV lithography source and investigated improvements of the conversion efficiency (CE). With the drum rotating, there was an increase in CE and less fast ions compared with the case for the drum at rest. It is considered that the Xe gas on the target surface can produce optimal-scale plasma, and satellite emission lines in Xe plasma effectively increase the EUV intensity, and the ion number is decreased by the gas curtain effect. The dependence of CE on the laser wavelength, laser energy and intensity also studied. As a result, the maximum CE was 0.9% at 13.5 nm with 2% bandwidth under the optimal condition. By continuous irradiation of a Nd:YAG slab laser at a repetition rate of 320 Hz and an average power of 110 W, the target continuously generated EUV light with an average power of 1 W at 13.5 nm with 2% bandwidth. The achieved performances provide valuable information for the design of a future EUV lithography source.     

Parametric optimization of a narrow-band 13.5-nm emission from a Li-based liquid-jet target using dual nano-second laser pulses

We demonstrate the applicability of a Li-based liquid jet as a regenerative source of narrow-band extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission at 13.5 nm. It was found that a conventionally used single laser pulse did not produce optimum plasma conditions for a low-Z target, like Li. It was shown that deployment of dual nano-second laser pulses enhanced the in-band EUV conversion efficiency (CE) at 13.5 nm in 2 sr by three times its value using a single laser pulse. Dependence of the emission spectra and EUV CE on the delay time between dual laser pulses revealed that the emission at 13.5 nm from Li ions was preferably enhanced at a lower plasma temperature compared to that at 13.0 nm from oxygen ions.     

脉冲激光辐照液滴锡靶等离子体极紫外辐射的实验研究

采用波长13.5 nm的极紫外光作为曝光光源的极紫外光刻技术是最有潜力的下一代光刻技术之一, 它是半导体制造实现10 nm及以下节点的关键技术. 获得极紫外辐射的方法中, 激光等离子体光源凭借转换效率高、收集角度大、碎屑产量低等优点而被认为是最有前途的极紫外光源. 本文开展了脉冲TEA-CO₂激光和Nd:YAG激光辐照液滴锡靶产生极紫外辐射的实验, 对极紫外辐射的谱线结构以及辐射的时空分布特性进行了研究.实验发现: 与TEA-CO₂激光相比, 较高功率密度的Nd:YAG激光激发的极紫外辐射谱存在明显的蓝移; 并且激光等离子体光源可以认为是点状光源, 其极紫外辐射强度随空间角度变化近似满足Lambertian分布.     

Effect of prepulse laser wavelength on EUV emission from CO2 reheated laser-produced Sn plasma

We investigated the role of prepulse laser wavelength on extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emission and ionic debris generation. A 6 ns Nd:YAG laser operating at 266 nm was used to generate a pre-plasma that was then reheated by a 35 ns CO₂ laser pumping pulse at 10.6 μm. At an ideal delay time, improvement in EUV conversion efficiency (CE) of up to 30 % was seen compared to the CE from the pumping pulse alone. It was also shown that the most probable Sn ion kinetic energies were reduced significantly with the use of a prepulse, however, ion fluence increased. These results were compared to those obtained using a 1064 nm prepulse.     

Opacity effect on extreme ultraviolet radiation from laser-produced tin plasmas

Opacity effects on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from laser-produced tin (Sn) plasma have been experimentally investigated. An absorption spectrum of a uniform Sn plasma generated by thermal x rays has been measured in the EUV range (9-19 nm wavelength) for the first time. Experimental results indicate that control of the optical depth of the laser-produced Sn plasma is essential for obtaining high conversion to 13.5 nm-wavelength EUV radiation; 1.8% of the conversion efficiency was attained with the use of 2.2 ns laser pulses.     

Bi靶激光等离子体极紫外光源以及碎屑辐射特性研究

激光等离子体极紫外光源具有体积小、稳定性高和输出波长可调节等优势,在极紫外光刻领域发挥着重要的作用。Bi靶激光等离子体极紫外光源在波长9～17 nm范围内具有较宽的光谱,可应用于制造极紫外光刻机过程中所需的极紫外计量学领域。利用平像场光谱仪和法拉第杯对Bi靶激光等离子体极紫外光源以及离子碎屑辐射特性进行了实验研究。在单脉冲激光打靶条件下,实验中观察到Bi靶激光等离子极紫外光谱在波长12.3 nm处出现了一个明显的凹陷,其对应着Si L-edge的吸收,是Bi元素光谱的固有属性。相应地在波长为11.8和12.5 nm位置处产生了两个宽带的辐射峰。研究了两波长光谱特性以及辐射强度随激光功率密度的变化。结果表明,在改变聚焦光斑大小实现不同激光功率密度（0.7×1010～3.1×1010 W·cm-2）过程中,当功率密度为2.0×1010 W·cm-2时两波长处的光辐射最强,其原因归结为Bi靶极紫外光辐射强度受激光能量用于支撑等离子膨胀的损失和极紫外光被等离子体再吸收之间的平衡制约所致。在改变激光能量实现不同激光功率密度过程中,由于烧蚀材料和产生两波长所需高阶离子随着功率密度的增加而增加,增强了两波长处的光辐射。进一步,研究了双脉冲激光对Bi靶极紫外光谱辐射特性影响,实验发现双脉冲打靶下原来在单脉冲打靶时出现在波长13～14 nm范围内的凹陷消失。最后,对单脉冲激光作用Bi靶产生极紫外光源碎屑角分布进行了测量。结果表明,当探测方向从靶面法线方向移动到沿着靶面方向上的过程中,探测到Bi离子动能依次减小,并且离子动能随激光脉冲能量降低而呈线性减小。此项研究有望为我国在研制极紫外光刻机过程所需的计量学领域提供技术支持和打下夯实的基础。     

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.     

Ablation and surface modifications of PMMA using a laser-plasma EUV source

Surface modification and micro-structuring of polymers for different application is mainly performed using ultraviolet (UV) radiation from excimer lamps or excimer lasers. In this case, however, the radiation penetration depth may exceed 100 μm, thereby degrading the polymer deep inside. On the other hand, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is absorbed in a layer approximately 100 nm thick only. In this work, the radiation from a laser-plasma EUV source based on a double-stream gas-puff target is focused with a gold-coated ellipsoidal collector for surface modification of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The spectrum of the focused radiation consists of a narrow feature with maximum at 10 nm and a long-wavelength tail up to 70 nm. The PMMA samples are mounted in the focal plane of the EUV collector or at some distance downstream this plane and irradiated for 10–60 s with 10-Hz repetition rate. The irradiated polymer samples were investigated using a scanning electron microscope. When the EUV fluence exceeds 10 mJ/cm², smooth ablation of PMMA was obtained. For lower fluences but close to this value, strong surface modifications appeared.     

An extreme ultraviolet radiation source based on plasma heated by millimeter range radiation

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source based on a low-pressure discharge sustained in a magnetic trap by high-power electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of 75 GHz is discussed. The experimental radiation power in the wavelength range of 13.5 nm ±1% was as high as 50 W. The conversion of microwave radiation into EUV radiation was about 1%.     

Infrared suppression by hybrid EUV multilayer--IR etalon structures

We have developed a multilayer mirror for extreme UV (EUV) radiation (13.5?nm), which has near-zero reflectance for IR line radiation (10.6?μm). The EUV reflecting multilayer is based on alternating B4C and Si layers. Substantial transparency of these materials with respect to the IR radiation allowed the integration of the multilayer coating in a resonant quarter-wave structure for 10.6?μm. Samples were manufactured using magnetron sputtering deposition technique and demonstrated suppression of the IR radiation by up to 3 orders of magnitude. The EUV peak reflectance amounts 45% at 13.5?nm, with a bandwidth at FWHM being 0.284?nm. Therefore such a mirror could replace conventional multilayer mirrors to suppress undesired spectral components in monochromatic imaging applications, including EUV photolithography.     

Secondary electron yield measurements of carbon covered multilayer optics

Carbon contamination on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optics has been observed in EUV lithography. In this paper, we performed in situ monitoring of the build-up and removal of carbon contamination on Mo/Si EUV multilayers by measuring the secondary electron yield as a function of primary electron energy. An electron beam with an energy of 2 keV was used to simulate the EUV radiation induced carbon contamination. For a clean EUV multilayer, the maximum secondary electron yield is about 1.5 electrons per primary electron at a primary electron energy of 467 eV. The maximum yield reduced to about 1.05 at a primary electron energy of 322 eV when the surface was covered by a non-uniform carbon layer with a maximum thickness of 7.7 nm. By analyzing the change in the maximum secondary electron yield with the final carbon layer thickness, the limit of detection was estimated to be less than 0.1 nm.     

Physical and chemical modifications of PET surface using a laser-plasma EUV source

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is the electromagnetic radiation ranging from vacuum ultraviolet to soft X-rays. A single EUV photon carries enough energy to ionize any atom or molecule. The penetration depth of the radiation in any material is very short, ranging from tens to hundreds nanometers. Intense EUV pulses can remove material from the surface or modify its morphology or/and chemical structure. In this work, the radiation from a laser-plasma EUV source based on a double-stream gas-puff target was used for surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PET samples were irradiated with the EUV pulses emitted from krypton plasma and focused with a gold-plated ellipsoidal collector. The spectrum of the focused radiation covered the wavelength range from 9 to 70 nm. The PET samples were irradiated for 1 s–2 min at a 10-Hz repetition rate. Surface morphology of polymer samples after irradiation was investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Changes in chemical surface structure of the irradiated samples were investigated using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Different kinds of surface microstructures were obtained depending on the EUV fluence in a single pulse and the total EUV fluence. XPS measurements also revealed a modification of the chemical structure.     

Aspects of nanometer scale imaging with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) laboratory sources

Imaging systems with nanometer resolution are instrumental to the development of the fast evolving field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Decreasing the wavelength of illumination is a direct way to improve the spatial resolution in photon-based imaging systems and motivated a strong interest in short wavelength imaging techniques in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) region. In this review paper, various EUV imaging techniques, such as 2D and 3D holography, EUV microscopy using Fresnel zone plates, EUV reconstruction of computer generated hologram (CGH) and generalized Talbot self-imaging will be presented utilizing both coherent and incoherent compact laboratory EUV sources. Some of the results lead to the imaging with spatial resolution reaching 50 nm in a very short exposure time. These techniques can be used in a variety of applications from actinic mask inspection in the EUV lithography, biological imaging to mask-less lithographic processes in nanofabrication.     

PMMA and FEP surface modifications induced with EUV pulses in two selected wavelength ranges

Surface modification of PMMA and FEP polymers using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) in two spectral ranges was investigated. A laser-plasma EUV source based on a double stream gas puff target equipped with an Au coated ellipsoidal collector was used for the experiment. The spectrum of the focused radiation from Kr plasma consisted of a narrow feature with a maximum at 10 nm and a long-wavelength tail up to 70 nm. Al and Zr filters were employed for the selection of radiation from these two spectral regions. The radiation fluences in the two cases were comparable. Polymer samples were mounted in the focal plane of the EUV collector and irradiated for 1–2 min with a 10 Hz repetition rate. Weak ablation accompanied by creation of micro- and nanostructures of different kinds was obtained in both cases. Significant differences in the surface structures after irradiation of PMMA and FEP in these two spectral regions were revealed.     

Performance of a polarizer using synthetic mica crystal in the 12-25 nm wavelength range

To develop polarizer functioning in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray region, the polar- ization performance of synthetic mica has been investigated theoretically with a simulation code using Fresnel equations and optical constants from the Henke database. The reflectance of synthetic mica crystal for s and p polarization was measured to investigate its polarization performance in a home-made synchrotron radiation soft X-ray polarimeter at beamline 3W1B, Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF). The reflectivity of the synthetic mica crystal at an angle of grazing incidence of 48° was obtained from the experimental data, which is about 4.8x10<'-3> at 25 nm and 6.0×10<'-4> at 12 nm, and the linear polarizance of the X-ray reflected by the synthetic mica crystal that we measured using an analyzer-rotating method increases from 80% to 96.6% in this EUV region, while higher than 98.2% in the simulation. The result indicates that this synthetic mica crystal works as a practical polarizer in this EUV region of 12-25 nm, and also in an extensive wavelength region higher than 25 nm.     

Wavelength separation from extreme ultraviolet mirrors using phaseshift reflection

A generic design and fabrication scheme of Mo/Si multilayer-grating phaseshift reflector systems is reported. Close to optimized extreme ultraviolet (EUV, λ=13.5 nm) reflectance values up to 64% are demonstrated, while the diffractive properties can be exploited in spectral filtering applications. The results can contribute to a wavelength-unspecific solution for the suppression of λ>100 nm out-of-band radiation in EUV lithography.     

Record high extreme-ultraviolet efficiency at near-normal incidence from a multilayer-coated polymer-overcoated blazed ion-etched holographic grating

We have measured the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) efficiency of a polymer-overcoated blazed ion-etched holographic test grating. The grating had a magnetron-sputtered Mo2C/Si multilayer coating matched to the grating blaze angle of 2.78 degrees. At an angle of incidence of 5.6 degrees and a wavelength of 15.79 nm, the measured efficiency peaks in the second outside order at 29.9%. The derived groove efficiency is 53.0%. To the best of our knowledge these are the highest values obtained yet at EUV wavelengths from a holographic ion-etched blazed grating.