SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- During the SPIE Microlithography conference here today, a U.S.-led R&D consortium is expected to announce new performance upgrades for an alpha-prototype exposure tool, based on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology.
In a pair of technical papers being presented at the conference, theU.S.-led EUV consortium plans to announce new optics, laser sources and other features for the alpha EUV tool. The upgrades will enable the tool to print static images at the 70-nm (0.070-micron) and 50-nm (0.05-micron) process technology nodes.
Last year, the U.S.-led group-dubbed Extreme Ultraviolet LLC--announced it had developed and demonstrated the world's first exposure tool based on EUV. At the time, the tool was able to print static images at the 100-nm (0.10-micron) node (see Feb. 27, 2001, story).
The EUV LLC consortium is aiming its EUV-based tool for the development of next-generation devices with features sizes of 0.07 micron and below. The consortium is made up of Advanced Micro Devices, IBM, Infineon, Intel, Micron, Motorola, and U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories.
The EUV LLC is not developing a commercial product, but rather an "alpha" prototype tool that proves the technology is viable.
In a paper to be presented today, the EUV LLC is expected to announce a new set of optics and power sources for the alpha tool, dubbed the Engineering Test Stand (ETS).
The new optics, dubbed the ETS Set-2 Optics, enables the alpha tool to print 70- and 50-nm static images. In addition to the optics, "static, small-field printing capabilities have been added to the EUV phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer at the advanced light source," according to the paper.
The EUV LLC has also boosted the power. The drive laser and xenon target from TRW Corp. have been upgrade within the ETS, resulting in a tenfold improvement in power and a threefold boost in efficiency.
"The resulting exposure time is about four seconds with the new power sources," according to the EUV LLC paper. "These experiments are the first step toward achieving operation using all three laser chains for a total drive laser power of 1,500 Watts," the paper said.
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