Padraig Dunne

Rare-earth plasma extreme ultraviolet sources at 6.5–6.7 nm

We have demonstrated a laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source operating in the 6.5–6.7 nm region based on rare-earth targets of Gd and Tb coupled with a Mo/B4C multilayer mirror. Multiply charged ions produce strong resonance emission lines, which combine to yield an intense unresolved transition array. The spectra of these resonant lines around 6.7 nm (in-band: 6.7 nm ±1%) suggest that the in-band emission increases with increased plasma volume by suppressing the plasma hydrodynamic expansion loss at an electron temperature of about 50 eV, resulting in maximized emission.

Optimizing 13.5nm laser-produced tin plasma emission as a function of laser wavelength

Extreme ultraviolet lithography requires a light source at 13.5nm to match the proposed multilayer optics reflectivity. The impact of wavelength and power density on the ion distribution and electron temperature in a laser-produced plasma is calculated for Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers. A steady-state figure of merit, calculated to optimize emission as a function of laser wavelength, shows an increase with a CO2 laser. The influence of reduced electron density in the CO2 laser-produced plasma is considered in a one-dimensional radiation transport model, where a more than twofold increase in conversion efficiency over that attainable with the Nd:YAG is predicted.

Simplified modeling of 13.5 nm unresolved transition array emission of a Sn plasma and comparison with experiment

One key aspect in the drive to optimize the radiative output of a laser-produced plasma for extreme ultraviolet lithography is the radiation transport through the plasma. In tin-based plasmas, the radiation in the 2% bandwidth at 13.5 nm is predominantly due to 4d-4f and 4p-4d transitions from a range of tin ions (Sn7+ to Sn12+). The complexity of the configurations involved in these transitions is such that a line-by-line analysis is, computationally, extremely intensive. This work seeks to model the emission profiles of each ion by treating the transition arrays statistically, thus greatly simplifying radiation transport modeling. The results of the model are compared with experimental spectra from tin-based laser-produced plasmas.

13.5nm extreme ultraviolet emission from tin based laser produced plasma sources

An examination of the influence of target composition and viewing angle on the extreme ultraviolet spectra of laser produced plasmas formed from tin and tin doped planar targets is reported. Spectra have been recorded in the 9–17nm region from plasmas created by a 700mJ, 15ns full width at half maximum intensity, 1064nm Nd:YAG laser pulse using an absolutely calibrated 0.25m grazing incidence vacuum spectrograph. The influence of absorption by tin ions (SnI–SnX) in the plasma is clearly seen in the shape of the peak feature at 13.5nm, while the density of tin ions in the target is also seen to influence the level of radiation in the 9–17nm region.

Feasibility study of broadband efficient “water window” source

We demonstrate a table-top broadband emission water window source based on laser-produced high-Z plasmas. Resonance emission from multiply charged ions merges to produce intense unresolved transition arrays (UTAs) in the 2–4 nm region, extending below the carbon K edge (4.37 nm). Arrays resulting from n=4-n=4 transitions are overlaid with n=4-n=5 emission and shift to shorter wavelength with increasing atomic number. An outline of a microscope design for single-shot live cell imaging is proposed based on a bismuth plasma UTA source, coupled to multilayer mirror optics.

The photoabsorption spectrum of an indium laser produced plasma

The photoabsorption spectrum of In II has been recorded in the 18-33 eV region using the dual laser plasma (DLP) technique. Transitions from the 4d105s2 ground state dominate the In II spectrum with some contribution from the metastable 3P2, 3P1 and 3P0 levels of the excited 4d105s5p configuration also observed. Transitions were identified by comparison with values obtained from multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock calculations.

Extreme ultraviolet source at 6.7 nm based on a low-density plasma

We demonstrate an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source for operation at λ = 6.7 nm by optimizing the optical thickness of gadolinium (Gd) plasmas. Using low initial density Gd targets and dual laser pulse irradiation, we observed a maximum EUV conversion efficiency (CE) of 0.54% for 0.6% bandwidth (BW) (1.8% for 2% BW), which is 1.6 times larger than the 0.33% (0.6% BW) CE produced from a solid density target. Enhancement of the EUV CE by use of a low-density plasma is attributed to the reduction of self-absorption effects.

Systematic investigation of self-absorption and conversion efficiency of 6.7 nm extreme ultraviolet sources

We have investigated the dependence of the spectral behavior and conversion efficiencies of rare-earth plasma extreme ultraviolet sources with peak emission at 6.7 nm on laser wavelength and the initial target density. The maximum conversion efficiency was 1.3% at a laser intensity of 1.6×1012 W/cm2 at an operating wavelength of 1064 nm, when self-absorption was reduced by use of a low initial density target. Moreover, the lower-density results in a narrower spectrum and therefore improved spectral purity. It is shown to be important to use a low initial density target and/or to produce low electron density plasmas for efficient extreme ultraviolet sources when using high-Z targets.

Optimizing conversion efficiency and reducing ion energy in a laser-produced Gd plasma

We have demonstrated an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source at 6.7 nm by irradiating Gd targets with 0.8 and 1.06 μm laser pulses of 140 fs to 10 ns duration. Maximum conversion efficiency of 0.4% was observed within a 0.6% bandwidth. A Faraday cup observed ion yield and time of flight signals for ions from plasmas generated by each laser. Ion kinetic energy was lower for shorter pulse durations, which yielded higher electron temperatures required for efficient EUV emission, due to higher laser intensity. Picosecond laser pulses were found to be the best suited to 6.7 nm EUV source generation.

Conversion efficiency of a laser-produced Sn plasma at 13.5 nm, simulated with a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model and treated as a multi-component blackbody

Efficiency optimization of a stable and debris free plasma source at 13.5 nm, is at the forefront of current extreme ultraviolet lithographic (EUVL) research efforts. To date, 1–2.5% soft x-ray conversion efficiencies (CEs) within a 2% bandwidth (BW) around 13.5 nm and into 2π steradians have been attained experimentally for laser-produced plasmas containing Sn at power densities of 0.5–5 × 1011 W cm−2. In order to complement these experimental endeavours, we have undertaken to study the CE, for the given wavelength regime, in the optically thick limit. We have achieved this by coupling time-dependent and steady-state collisional-radiative (CR) equations to the output of the one-dimensional hydrodynamic code MED103 (MEDUSA), where a solid sphere of radius 50 µm was uniformly irradiated by a high intensity laser pulse with a Gaussian temporal profile. The ion populations obtained from these CR results were then used in an integrated spatio-temporal figure of merit (FOM) together with in-band weighted dipole oscillator strengths and transition energies. The maximum FOM, when divided by the laser energy, was found to occur in the range of peak power densities of 2–3 × 1011 W cm−2 for the steady-state and time-dependent models, respectively. The hydrodynamic variables of these peak power densities were then used in a radiative transfer calculation in which the many-celled spherical plasma was treated as a multi-component blackbody. It is found that CEs of 3.5–6% within the 2% BW per 2π steradians may be achieved. These results are of particular relevance to EUVL technologies where a minimum CE of 3% is required by industry.