Takaharu Komiya

Development of projection optics set-3 for high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet exposure tool (HiNA)

We have developed a high-numerical-aperture extreme ultraviolet exposure tool (HiNA). HiNA is equipped with an illumination system, projection optics, a mask stage, and a wafer stage in the vacuum chamber. The projection optics consist of two aspherical mirrors (M1 and M2). The numerical aperture of the optics is 0.3. Thus far, we fabricated two sets of projection optics (set-1 and set-2). The wave-front errors of set-1 and set-2 were 7.5 and 1.9nm rms, respectively. We developed a third set of projection optics (set-3), the target wave-front error of which was less than 1nm rms. In set-3, we also attempted to reduce flare. We completed the mirror polishing, coating, and mirror adjustment of set-3. By using a recently developed polishing method, we reduced low-spatial-frequency roughness (LSFR), mid-spatial-frequency roughness (MSFR), and high-spatial-frequency roughness, simultaneously. The predicted wave-front error calculated from the LSFR number was 0.69nm rms. MSFR, which strongly affects the flare o...

Fabrication of aspherical mirrors for HiNA (high numerical aperture EUV exposure tool) set-3 projection optics

Aspherical mirror fabrication of HiNA set-3 projection optics was completed. By using a new polishing method, we successfully reduced low spatial frequency roughness (LSFR), mid spatial frequency roughness (MSFR) and high spatial frequency roughness (HSFR) compared with HiNA set-1 and set-2 projection optics. MSFR, which strongly affects the flare of the optics, was remarkably reduced to less than 0.2nm rms. HiNA projection optical system with the numerical aperture of 0.3 consists of two aspheric mirrors (M1 and M2). We had already fabricated two sets of the HiNA projection optics. The wavefront error (WFE) of the set-1 optics was 7.5nm rms and that of the set-2 optics was 1.9nm rms. We tried to reduce the WFE and flare in the set-3 optics. The target number of WFE of the set-3 optics was less than 1nm rms. The LSFR, MSFR and HSFR of the M1 of the set-3 optics were 0.25nm rms, 0.17nm rms and 0.10nm rms, respectively. The LSFR and MSFR are almost half values compared with those of the M1 for the set-2 optics. The HSFR was also reduced from 0.13nm rms (set-2) to 0.10nm rms (set-3). The LSFR and MSFR of the M2 were 0.25nm rms and 0.20nm rms, respectively. The estimated wavefront error calculated from these LSFR numbers is 0.7nm rms.

Fabrication of aspherical mirrors for EUV projection optics set-3 of HiNA

We developed a high-numerical-aperture EUV exposure tool (HiNA). HiNA is equipped with an illumination system, projection optics, a mask stage and a wafer stage in the vacuum chamber. The projection optics consist of two aspherical mirrors (M1 and M2). The numerical aperture of the optics is 0.3. Thus far, we fabricated two sets of projection optics (set-1 and set-2). The wavefront errors of set-1 and set-2 were 7.5nm rms and 1.9nm rms, respectively. We developed the third set of projection optics (set-3), the target wavefront error of which was less than 1nm rms. In set-3, we also attempted to reduce flare. We completed the mirror polishing, coating and mirror adjustment of set-3. Using a new polishing method, we successfully reduced low-spatial-frequency roughness (LSFR), mid-spatial-frequency roughness (MSFR) and high-spatial-frequency roughness (HSFR) simultaneously. The predicted wavefront error calculated from the LSFR number was 0.69nm rms. MSFR, which strongly affects the flare of the optics, was significantly reduced to less than 0.2nm rms. The estimated flare was 7%, which is significantly reduced to one-fourth that of set-2. The wavefront error of set-3 was measured with the visible-light point diffraction interferometer (PDI) after coating and assembly. The wavefront error measured after adjustment and cramping of the adjustment system was 0.90nm rms, which is less than one-half the wavefront error of set-2.