EUV emission from spherical and planer targets were precisely characterized as an experimental database for use in
EUV source generation at high repetition rates. In the single-shot base experiments, conversion efficiency as high as
those for the plasma geometry has been demonstrated. The integrated experiment was made with 10 Hz plasma
generation.
We propose a new scheme for high conversion efficiency from laser energy to 13.5 nm extreme ultra violet emission
within 2 % band width, a double pulse laser irradiation scheme with a tin droplet target. We consider two-color lasers, a
Nd:YAG laser with 1.06 µm in wavelength as a prepulse and a carbon dioxide laser with 10.6 µm in wavelength for a
main pulse. We show the possibility of obtaining a CE of 5 - 7 % using a benchmarked radiation hydro code. We have
experimentally tested the new scheme and observed increase of CE greater than 4 %. We show many additional
advantages of the new scheme, such as reduction of neutral debris, energy reduction of debris ions, and decrease of out
of band emission. We also discuss debris problems, such as ion sputtering using newly developed MD simulations, ion
mitigation by a newly designed magnetic coil using 3-PIC simulations and tin cleaning experiments.
Laser-produced Sn plasma is an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, however the highest risk in the Sn-based EUV light source is contamination of the first EUV collection mirror caused by debris emitted from the Sn plasma. Minimum mass target is a key term associated with relaxation of the mirror contamination problem. For design of the optimum minimum mass Sn target, opacity effects on the EUV emission from the laser-produced Sn plasma should be considered. Optically thinner plasma produced by shorter laser pulse emits 13.5 nm light more efficiently; 2.0% of conversion efficiency was experimentally attained with drive laser of 2.2 ns in pulse duration, 1.0 × 1011 W/cm2 in intensity, and 1.064 μm in wavelength. Under the optimum laser conditions, the minimum mass required for sufficient EUV emission, which is also affected by the opacity, is equal to the product of the ablation thickness and the required laser spot size. Emission properties of ionized and neutral debris from laser-produced minimum mass Sn plasmas have been measured with particle diagnostics and spectroscopic method. The higher energy ions have higher charge states, and those are emitted from outer region of expanding plasmas. Feasibility of the minimum mass target has been demonstrated to reduce neutral particle generation for the first time. In the proof-of-principle experiments, EUV emission from a punch-out target is found to be comparable to that from a static target, and expansion energy of ion debris was drastically reduced with the use of the punch-out target.
For EUV lithography the generation of clean and efficient light source and the high-power laser technology are key issues. Theoretical understanding with modeling and simulation of laser-produced EUV source based on detailed experimental database gives us the prediction of optimal plasma conditions and their suitable laser conditions for different target materials (tin, xenon and lithium). With keeping etendue limit the optimal plasma size is determined by an appropriate optical depth which can be controlled by the combination of laser wavelength and pulse width. The most promising candidate is tin (Sn) plasma heated by Nd:YAG laser with a pulse width of a few ns. Therefore the generation technology of clean Sn plasma is a current important subject to be resolved for practical use. For this purpose we have examined the feasibility of laser-driven rocket-like injection of extremely mass-limited Sn or SnO2 (punched-out target) with a speed exceeding 100m/s. Such a mass-limited low-density target is most preferable for substantial reduction of ion energy compared with usual bulk target. For high average power EUV generation we are developing a laser system which is CW laser diode pumped Nd:YAG ceramic laser (master oscillator and power amplifier system) operating at 5-10 kHz repetition rate. The design of practical laser for EUV source is being carried out based on the recent performance of >1 kW output power.
In this paper, we described a laser plasma source for Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) based on a water droplet target. We successfully generated stable multi-kHz water droplets with several hundred μm diameter using our experimentaql setup. We realized a good synchronization of laser with droplet by employing droplet-probing photo diode (PD) signal to trig YAG laser timely. We got EUV emission with pulse to pulse stability of 3.4% (1σ) from this droplet region without being destroyed due to hot laser plasma formation from the previous droplet.
Particle-cluster tin target is presented as the solution of a 100W EUV source for EUVL. Theory for maximizing conversion efficiency of a laser-produced plasma is derived and the theory is experimentally confirmed by using a dispersed SnO2 particles. The EUV intensity 4 times higher than that from a plasma on a solid Sn plate target is observed at the optimized density. The achieved conversion efficiency for dispersed particles is estimated to be as high as 3%/(2π str 2%BW) or higher from the value for a Sn plate of 0.8% measured by using two multilayer mirrors and a calibrated photodiode. Theoretical consideration reveals that larger diameter plasma enables higher EUV power. The particle-cluster can be delivered at multi kHz rep-rate by using water droplet. Experimental confirmation of delivering particles by droplets is also reported.
Debris-free generation of a tin plasma was demonstrated in the cavity-confined configuration. Narrow band emission at 13.7-nm was observed in an emission spectrum of a cavity confined tin plasma. The spectral efficiency was as high as 12% and we found the conversion efficiency could reach 6%/2π str ultimately while lots of works are required to achieve this value. We also confirmed a magnetic field has some effect of stopping a plasma.
We succeeded in generating a strong narrowband peak at 13.7 nm in a cavity confined Sn plasma. Fraction of the energy within 2% bandwidth at 13.7 nm against the total radiation spectrum was 11.3%. In our experiment, the plasma is generated not on a solid plate but in a cavity as described below. A YAG laser pulse ablates the surface of a concave structure Sn target in order to supply the material for plasma generation. The next laser pulse with 1064nm wavelength heats the ablated material to generate a high temperature plasma. The ablation YAG laser is focused to 600μm diameter with a flux of 10 J/cm2. The heating YAG laser is focused to 100μm diameter at a delay time of 30 ns after the laser ablation. Emission spectra are observed using a grazing incidence Hitachi flat-field grating and a back side illuminated CCD detector. Fraction of the energy at 13.7nm within 2% bandwidth in the whole radiation energy was 11.3%. However, the intensity of the spectrum peak was about 1/10 against the plane Sn target LPP source. When nano (less than 200 nm diameter) particle SnO2 deposited on a 100nm-thick Si3N4 membrane were irradiated, a sharp peak was observed. The intensity of the spectral peak of the nano particle SnO2 target LPP source was as high as that of the plane Sn target LPP source. The EUV energy within 2% bandwidth at around 13.7 nm to the whole radiation energy of the nano particle SnO2 target LPP source was 7.4%.
In order to protect a multilayer mirror from sputtering or ion implantation, high-energy ions ejected from EUV source plasma are to be blocked. We propose use of a laser-produced plasma as an ultra-fast shutter. Ion signal form an ion-source plasma dropped abruptly by two orders of magnitude to a noise level after the shutter plasma generation. The stopping effect for the high-energy ions was observed to reduce as the distance of shutter plasma expansion increases, but the suppression of ions below detection level was observed up to 10 mm. We concluded that reduction of ion signal was caused by in-take of the source plasma flow into the stream of the shutter plasma.
Laser plasma light source using double pulses laser irradiation and through-hole method is proposed as a mass-limited target srouce for extreme UV (EUV) radiation. After minimum necessary material is supplied using the ablation laser from a solid target, only ablated material is irradiated with the heating laser to produce a high-temperature plasma, and EUV radiation is extracted passing through the hole formed in the solid target. Fundamental concept of this scheme, EUV radiation and great reduction of particle debris were experimentally confirmed.
Magnetic field shield for laser produced plasma (LPP) had been investigated. The interaction between expanding LPP and magnetic field is not described by Lorentz force, but, may be described by magneto hydro dynamics. When a magnetic field strength of 0.6T was placed between LPP and a faraday cup, attainment ratio of plasma to a faraday cup was decrease to 20%. The attainment ratio was decreased from 0.4 to 0.25 with varying the distance between the plasma and the magnetic field from 10 mm to 70 mm. And, it was observed that plasma detoured around a magnetic field.
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