Status of EUV-lamp development and demonstration of applications

Abstract

Compact, flexible laboratory sources offer advanced flexibility in developing components for EUV-lithography by supplementing beamlines at storage rings. Hence, they are the basis for transferring EUV-metrology and technology to individual, industrial and university R & D labs. Laboratory sources have features similar to the sources planned for EUVL production on one hand and offer high flexibility like storage ring beamlines on the other hand. Discharge based EUV sources offer some flexibility, which allow for tuning of the spectral and spatial characteristics of their emission. Depending on the system complexity sources can be supplied in various forms ranging from low budget semi-manual systems over OEM components to fully automatic stand-alone sources. As power scaling has been demonstrated by just adding higher power generators and cooling, these sources can be matched to various levels of flux requirements. AIXUV's discharge based EUV-sources have been used as beamline supplement for tasks closely connected with the development of EUV-Lithography. Examples are: development of tools for EUV source characterization (prototype testing, qualification and calibration), "in-band-EUV" open frame resist exposure, reflectometry of EUV mask blanks and EUV mirrors and for basic research using XUV radiation as thin film analytics and EUV microscopy.