500 results about "Extreme ultraviolet lithography" patented technology

An all-refelctive optical system for a projection photolithography camera has a source of EUV radiation, a wafer and a mask to be imaged on the wafer. The optical system includes a first concave mirror, a second mirror, a third convex mirror, a fourth concave mirror, a fifth convex mirror and a sixth concave mirror. The system is configured such that five of the six mirrors receives a chief ray at an incidence angle less than substantially 12 DEG , and each of the six mirrors receives a chief ray at an incidence angle of less than substantially 15 DEG . Four of the six reflecting surfaces have an aspheric departure of less than substantially 7 mu m. Five of the six reflecting surfaces have an aspheric departure of less than substantially 14 mu m. Each of the six refelecting surfaces has an aspheric departure of less than 16.0 mu m.

A laser produced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source based on a water droplet target has been implemented an auxiliary electrode system between the source and the first collector mirror. The auxiliary electrode system creates a repeller electric field, possibly a dc voltage imposed on the mirror that slows down and reverses the trajectories of ions from the source before they impact the collection mirror. The source modified according to the invention was evaluated with respect to the demands of EUV lithography and found to have much extended operational lifetimes. The spectral distribution of the generated radiation as well as the conversion efficiency into line radiation at 13 nm was determined. Long time measurements of the reflectivity of silicon/molybdenum multilayer mirrors for up to from 107 to 109 shots show the useful influence of the treatment of ions emitted from the source. Several methods of debris reduction were tested and discussed. Surface analysis of the treated multilayer mirrors of is presented. Long time measurements of the reflectivity of silicon/molybdenum multilayer mirrors for up to 109 shots show the advantage provided by this invention.

In an EUV light source apparatus, a collector mirror is protected from debris damaging a mirror coating. The EUV light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated; a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber; a plasma generation laser unit for irradiating the target material within the chamber with a plasma generation laser beam to generate plasma; an ionization laser unit for irradiating neutral particles produced at plasma generation with an ionization laser beam to convert the neutral particles into ions; a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field or electric field forming unit for forming a magnetic field or an electric field within the chamber so as to trap the ions.

The present invention relates to a novel photoresist composition that can be developed with an aqueous alkaline solution, and is capable of being imaged at exposure wavelengths in the deep ultraviolet. The invention also relates to a process for imaging the novel photoresist as well as novel photoacid generators.

The novel photoresist comprises a) a polymer containing an acid labile group, and b) a novel mixture of photoactive compounds, where the mixture comprises a lower absorbing compound selected from structure 1 and 2, and a higher absorbing compound selected from structure 4 and 5,

• • where, R₁ and R₂ R₅, R₆, R₇, R₈, and R₉ are defined herein; m=1–5; X⁻ is an anion, and Ar is selected from naphthyl, anthracyl, and structure 3,
  • where R₃₀, R₃₁, R₃₂, R₃₃, and R₃₄ are defined herein.

An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus using a spectrum purity filter capable of obtaining EUV light with high spectrum purity. The apparatus includes a chamber; a target supply unit for supplying a target material; a driver laser using a laser gas containing a carbon dioxide gas as a laser medium, for applying a laser beam to the target material to generate plasma; a collector mirror for collecting and outputting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a spectrum purity filter provided in an optical path of the extreme ultraviolet light, for transmitting the extreme ultraviolet light and reflecting the laser beam, the spectrum purity filter including a mesh having electrical conductivity and formed with an arrangement of apertures having a pitch not larger than a half of a shortest wavelength of the laser beam applied by the driver laser.

An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus in which only particles having a high transmittance for EUV light adhere to an EUV collector mirror even if fast ions emitted from plasma collide with a structural member in a vacuum chamber, and thereby, the reflectance thereof is not easily degraded. The apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber; a target supply unit for supplying a target to a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target to generate the plasma; a collector mirror for collecting and outputting extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the plasma; a collector mirror holder for supporting the collector mirror; and a shielding member formed of a material having a high transmittance for the extreme ultraviolet light, for shielding the structural member such as the collector mirror holder from the ions generated from the plasma.

An all-reflective optical system for a projection photolithography camera has a source of EUV radiation, a wafer and a mask to be imaged on the wafer. The optical system includes a first convex mirror, a second mirror, a third convex mirror, a fourth concave mirror, a fifth convex mirror and a sixth concave mirror. The system is configured such that five of the six mirrors receives a chief ray at an incidence angle of less than substantially 9°, and each of the six mirrors receives a chief ray at an incidence angle of less than substantially 14°. Four of the six reflecting surfaces have an aspheric departure of less than substantially 12 mum. Five of the six reflecting surfaces have an aspheric departure of less than substantially 12 mum. Each of the six reflecting surfaces has an aspheric departure of less than substantially 16 mum.

A device and method for generating extremely short-wave ultraviolet electromagnetic wave, utilizing a theta pinch plasma generator to produce electromagnetic radiation in the range of 10 to 20 nm. The device comprises an axially aligned open-ended pinch chamber defining a plasma zone adapted to contain a plasma generating gas within the plasma zone; a means for generating a magnetic field radially outward of the open-ended pinch chamber to produce a discharge plasma from the plasma generating gas, thereby producing a electromagnetic wave in the extreme ultraviolet range; a collecting means in optical communication with the pinch chamber to collect the electromagnetic radiation; and focusing means in optical communication with the collecting means to concentrate the electromagnetic radiation.

The device comprises a device (2) for creating an essentially linear target (4) in an evacuated space where laser beams (1) are focused, the target being suitable for interacting with the focused laser beams (1) to emit a plasma emitting radiation in the extreme ultraviolet. A receiver device (3) receives the target (4) after it has interacted with the focused laser beams (1), and a collector device (110) collects the EUV radiation emitted by the target (4). The focusing elements (11) for focusing the laser beams on the target (4) are arranged in such a manner that the laser beams (1) are focused on the target (4) laterally, being situated in a common half-space relative to the target (4) and being inclined at a determined angle lying in the range about 60° to about 90° relative to a mean collection axis (6) perpendicular to the target (4). The collector device (110) is disposed symmetrically about the mean collection axis (6) in the half-space containing the laser beams (1) focused on the target (4) and inside a conical space (8) centered on the mean collection axis (6) with a vertex situated at the target (4) and a half-angle at the vertex that is less than the angle of inclination of the focused laser beams (1) relative to the mean collection axis (6). The device is suitable for use as a source for EUV radiation in lithography for fabricating integrated circuits.

Methods and apparatus for internally or directly cooling a mirror using a fluid with laminar flow properties are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an internally cooled mirror includes an optical surface that absorbs light, and at least one microchannel formed beneath the optical surface. The mirror also includes a port that supplied a fluid to the microchannel. The fluid is subjected to a laminar flow and absorbs heat associated with the absorbed light.

An EUV lithographic apparatus includes an EUV radiation source, an optical element and a cleaning device. The cleaning device includes a hydrogen radical source and a flow tube in communication with the hydrogen radical source. The cleaning device is configured to provide a flow of hydrogen radicals and the flow tube is arranged to provide a hydrogen radical flow at a predetermined position within the lithographic apparatus, for example for cleaning a collector mirror.

An off-axis projection optical system including first and second mirrors that are off-axially arranged is provided. The tangential and sagittal radii of curvature of the first mirror may be R_1t and R_1s, respectively. The tangential and sagittal radii of curvature of the second mirror may be R_2t and R_2s, respectively. The incident angle of the beam from an object point to the first mirror 10 may be i₁, and an incident angle of the beam reflected from the first mirror 10 to the second mirror 30 is i₂. The values of R_1t, R_1s, R_2t, R_2s, i₁ and i₂ may satisfy the following Equation.

R_1t cos i₁=R_2t cos i₂

R_1s=R_1t cos²i₁

R_2s=R_2t cos²i₂

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing of a multilayer system (25) with a cap layer system (30), in particular for a reflective optical element for the extreme ultraviolet up to the soft x-ray wavelength range, comprising the steps of: 1. preparing a coating design for the multilayer system (25) with cap layer system (30); 2. coating a substrate (20) with the multilayer system (25) with cap layer system (30); 3. spatially resolved measurement of the coated substrate in terms of reflectance and photoelectron current in at least one surface point; 4. comparison of the measured data with data modelled for different thicknesses of the layers (31, 32, 33) of the cap layer system (30) and/or the layers (21, 22, 23, 24) of the multilayer system (25) for determining of the thickness distribution obtained by the coating; 5. if necessary, adjusting of the coating parameters and repeating steps 2 to 5 until the coated thickness distribution coincides with the design. The invention also relates to further manufacturing methods, reflective optical elements, EUV-lithography apparatuses, and methods for operating optical elements and EUV-lithography apparatuses as well as methods for determining the phase shift, methods for determining the layer thickness, and apparatuses for carrying out the methods.

An extreme ultraviolet light source device which makes it possible to increase a working distance and obtain extreme ultraviolet light with a high output. The extreme ultraviolet light source device generates a plasma by irradiating a target (22) with laser light from a driving laser device (25), and generates extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light with a wavelength of several nanometers to several tens of nanometers. The extreme ultraviolet light source device comprises a target supply device which has a charge applying unit (23) that applies a charge to the target (22), and an acceleration unit (24) which accelerates the charged target (22) using an electromagnetic field. The target supply device supplies the target (22) comprised of a rare gas element such as xenon (Xe) or the like, or a metal such as lithium (Li), tin (Sn), tin oxide (SnO₂) or the like, as ionized molecules, atoms or masses comprising a plurality of atoms, or as ionized clusters.

An EUV light source apparatus by which detachment of a chamber or a part of the chamber, movement to a maintenance area, and highly accurate placement relative to projection optics can be performed easily for maintenance of the EUV light source apparatus. The EUV light source apparatus is an apparatus for generating plasma by applying a laser beam to a target material within a chamber and entering EUV light radiated from the plasma into projection optics of exposure equipment, and includes a positioning mechanism for positioning the chamber or a maintenance unit of the chamber in a predetermined location where an optical axis of the collected extreme ultraviolet light and an optical axis of the projection optics of the exposure equipment are aligned, and a movement mechanism for moving the chamber or the maintenance unit of the chamber between the predetermined location and a maintenance area.

In an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from a plasma generated by irradiating a target, which is a droplet D of molten Sn, with a laser light, and controlling the flow direction of ion generated at the generation of the extreme ultraviolet light by a magnetic field or an electric field, an ion collection cylinder 20 is arranged for collecting the ion, and ion collision surfaces Sa and Sb of the ion collection cylinder 20 are provided with or coated with Si, which is a metal whose sputtering rate with respect to the ion is less than one atom/ion.

Ion-beam based deposition technique are provided for the planarization of pit and scratch defects in conjunction with particle defects. One application of this planarization technique is to mitigate the effects of pits and scratches and particles on reticles for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In the planarization process, thin Si layers are successively deposited and etched away where the etching is directed at angles well away from normal incidence to the substrate to planarize pits and scratches without causing the particle defects to get too large; this is followed by a normal incidence etching process sequence designed primarily to planarize the particles but which will also planarize the pits and scratches to completion. The process also shows significant promise for planarizing substrate roughness.

A monitoring system for an lithographic system is disclosed. In particular, the monitoring system can be utilized in an extreme ultraviolet lithographic system. In a monitoring system according to the present invention, a plurality of detectors are positioned to receive radiation from a pattern of positions on a mirror that is part of the lithographic system. In some embodiments, the plurality of detectors may be positioned on the mirror. In some embodiments, the plurality of detectors may be positioned behind the mirror and receive radiation through holes formed in the mirror. In some embodiments, radiation from the pattern of positions may be reflected by facets into the detectors.

A method and system for cleaning collector optics in a light source chamber. In producing, for example, extreme ultraviolet light for lithography, debris such as tungsten can accumulate on optical components near a light source in the light source chamber.

An etchant, such as a fluorine-containing gas, can be introduced into the light source chamber. The etchant is ionized via electrodes to generate free fluorine. The electrodes can be, for example, existing light source chamber components including the optical components. The fluorine can then react with the debris, forming gaseous compounds, which are pumped out of the light source chamber.

The worktable is composed of fine positioning platform module, coarse positioning platform module and base module. Base module is located at bottom most. Being located above the base module, coarse positioning platform module can be moved related to base module along Y direction. Through magnetic suspension guide track, the base module supports the coarse positioning platform module. Being located above the coarse module, fine positioning platform module through magnetic suspension guide track supported by the coarse module can be moved related to the coarse module along X direction. Cable desk, balancing piece and electromagnet can reduce position error and increase rigidity of work head effectively. The invention can realize XY linear motion, and fine motions in 6D: X, Y, Z,ª’_X, ª’_Y, ª’_Z. Features are: simple structure, good rigidity, low energy consumption and high precision. The invention is suitable to photo etching under extra ultraviolet etc.