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。     

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.     

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。     

等离子体尺寸对放电极紫外光源影响

计算了放电等离子体极紫外光刻光源中,不同等离子体长度条件下的收集效率,实验上研究了等离子体长度对Xe气放电极紫外辐射的影响。结合本系统光学收集系统设计参数和理论计算结果,给出了不同等离子体长度条件下中间焦点处13.5 nm（2%带宽）光功率。结果表明等离子体长度为3~6 mm时毛细管光源中间焦点光功率和尺寸最优。     

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%.     

放电等离子体极紫外光源中的主脉冲电源

描述了Z箍缩放电等离子体极紫外光源系统中的主脉冲电源,给出了主电路拓扑结构,重点介绍了三级磁脉冲压缩网络,给出了关键参数的设计计算,并且介绍了新颖的末级磁脉冲压缩放电结构。实验结果显示:各级磁脉冲压缩效果达到设计指标,电源输出电压峰达30 kV,输出电流峰值大于40 kA,电流脉冲宽度200 ns,满足Z箍缩放电等离子极紫外光源对主脉冲的要求。     

放电等离子体极紫外光源中的主脉冲电源

描述了Z箍缩放电等离子体极紫外光源系统中的主脉冲电源,给出了主电路拓扑结构,重点介绍了三级磁脉冲压缩网络,给出了关键参数的设计计算,并且介绍了新颖的末级磁脉冲压缩放电结构。实验结果显示:各级磁脉冲压缩效果达到设计指标,电源输出电压峰达30 kV,输出电流峰值大于40 kA,电流脉冲宽度200 ns,满足Z箍缩放电等离子极紫外光源对主脉冲的要求。     

Ultimate efficiency of extreme ultraviolet radiation from a laser-produced plasma

An analytical formula for maximizing radiation efficiency from a laser-produced plasma is derived. The maximum efficiency is achieved when the plasma expansion distance during laser heating is equal to the laser absorption length. The dependence of the radiation efficiency on the plasma density is confirmed by experiments using a particle-cluster target. By creating a relatively uniform density plasma with a 300 microm diameter by dispersing SnO(2) particles coated on a Si wafer, the conversion efficiency at 14 nm, as high as 4 times as that for a Sn plate target, is achieved.     

Generation of extreme ultraviolet vortex beams using computer generated holograms

We fabricate computer generated holograms for the generation of phase singularities at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths using electron beam lithography and demonstrate their ability to generate optical vortices in the nonzero diffraction orders. To this end, we observe the characteristic intensity distribution of the vortex beam and verify the helical phase structure interferometrically. The presented method forms the basis for further studies on singular light fields in the EUV frequency range, i.e., in EUV interference lithography. Since the method is purely achromatic, it may also find applications in various fields of x ray optics.     

Spectroscopic observation of a quasi-steady-state plasma in contact with a neutral gas

Very intense spectral lines of He⁺ were observed when a He plasma was brought into contact with a He gas. The population densities of the excited levels of He⁺ ions were found to be much larger than the values expected in the steady state for the given electron temperature and density. The contact mechanism and a method of determining the electron temperature and the electron and ion densities are discussed for the quasi-steady state.     

Demonstration of fiber-laser-produced plasma source and application to efficient extreme UV light generation

Efficient generation of extreme UV (EUV) light at lambda = 13.5 nm from a bulk Sn target has been demonstrated by using a fiber laser. The conversion efficiency from the 1064 nm IR to the EUV was measured to be around 0.9% into 2pi steradians within a 2% bandwidth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an all-fiber system was used to generate EUV or soft x rays.     

Strong resonance enhancement of a single harmonic generated in the extreme ultraviolet range

We report the demonstration of strong resonance enhancement of a single high-order harmonic in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) region generated from the interaction of a femtosecond pulse with low-ionized In ablation. A strong 13th harmonic (61.2 nm) of Ti:sapphire laser radiation with output intensity almost two orders of magnitude higher than neighboring harmonics was observed in these studies. The high conversion efficiency of the 13th harmonic (8 x 10(-5)) is attributed to multiple collisions of electron trajectories with the origin due to multiphoton resonance with the In ion.     

Experimental observation of classical subwavelength interference with a pseudothermal light source

We report the experimental observation of classical subwavelength double slit interference with a pseudothermal light source. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical simulation using the second order correlation function for the thermal light.     

高频离子源等离子体的光谱诊断

 采用发射光谱法研究了高频离子源的等离子体性质。该离子源应用于ZF-200keV中子发生器中，是一种电感耦合型无极环形放电高频离子源。实验采用绝对定标后的光学多道分析系统测定了离子源等离子体在不同阶段氢原子巴耳末谱线系中前三条谱线的强度，并采用部分局部热力学平衡状态的理论，计算出了相应阶段高频离子源等离子体的电子温度、氢原子浓度、氢离子浓度等参数，并进行了简要分析。     

高频离子源等离子体的光谱诊断

采用发射光谱法研究了高频离子源的等离子体性质。该离子源应用于ZF-200keV中子发生器中,是一种电感耦合型无极环形放电高频离子源。实验采用绝对定标后的光学多道分析系统测定了离子源等离子体在不同阶段氢原子巴耳末谱线系中前三条谱线的强度,并采用部分局部热力学平衡状态的理论,计算出了相应阶段高频离子源等离子体的电子温度、氢原子浓度、氢离子浓度等参数,并进行了简要分析。     

Narrow-bandwidth diode-laser-based blue and ultraviolet light source

A compact, tunable and narrow-bandwidth laser source for blue and ultraviolet radiation is presented. A grating-stabilized diode laser at 922 nm is frequency-stabilized to below 100 Hz relative to a reference resonator. Injection of the diode-laser light into a tapered amplifier yields a power of 0.5 W. In a first frequency-doubling stage, more than 200 mW of blue light at 461 nm is generated by use of a periodically poled KTP crystal. Subsequent second-harmonic generation employing a BBO crystal leads to about 1 mW of ultraviolet light at 231 nm. Received: 12 August 2002 / Published online: 15 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-89/32905-200, E-mail: christian.schwedes@mpq.mpg.de RID="**" ID="**"Present address: PTB, Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany     

Auto-cleaning of deposited tin debris in a laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source by using a liquid jet target containing tin chloride

We have demonstrated auto-cleaning of deposited tin debris produced in a laser-plasma extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source by using a liquid jet target containing tin chloride solution. The use of double laser pulse irradiation improved the EUV conversion efficiency of 1.1%, which was 3.3 times as large as that obtained with single laser pulse irradiation. At an appropriate concentration of tin chloride, the amount of deposited debris was balanced out with that of sputtered and/or etched debris, resulting in a thickness of deposited debris less than 1 nm after 40?000 laser pulse irradiations.     

Micro-pinch formation and extreme ultraviolet emission of laser-induced discharge plasma

Extreme ultraviolet(EUV) source produced by laser-induced discharge plasma(LDP) is a potential technical means in inspection and metrology. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser is focused on a tin plate to produce an initial plasma thereby triggering a discharge between high-voltage electrodes in a vacuum system. The process of micro-pinch formation during the current rising is recorded by a time-resolved intensified charge couple device camera. The evolution of electron temperature and density of LDP are obtained by optical emission spectrometry. An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer is built up to investigate the EUV spectrum of Sn LDP at 13.5 nm. The laser and discharge parameters such as laser energy, voltage, gap distance,and anode shape can influence the EUV emission.