Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography

Albany NanoTech (Albany, NY) has received delivery of a new state-of-the-art tool for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography research, built by Energetiq Technology, Inc. (Woburn, MA), a developer and manufacturer of advanced short-wavelength light products for use in high-technology applications. The EQ-10M is a 10-watt, high-brightness EUV light source which will be used for metrology research applications at the UAlbany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at Albany NanoTech. The device, based on Energetiq's Electrodeless Z-PinchT technology, will serve to further augment Albany NanoTech's capabilities as a global center for advanced lithography research.

"Energetiq has developed a truly innovative EUV light source that is likely to significantly enhance EUV metrology, making mask inspection faster as well as more reliable and cost-effective," said Gregory Denbeaux, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nanoscience at CNSE. "This tool will play a significant role in our lithography research program as we move to 13.5 nm lithography - the most advanced research taking place today." Lithography is the process of using light to imprint patterns on semiconductor materials that are used for integrated circuits. Lithography is one of the key technologies that has enabled the semiconductor industry to meet the challenge of Moore's Law by allowing a 30% decrease in the size of printed dimensions every two years. EUV lithography is central to the future miniaturization of semiconductor devices since it deals in light with a wavelength of approximately 13.5 nanometers, significantly smaller than the current 193 nm tools currently used in semiconductor manufacturing. EUV discharge plasma sources produce light by passing a current through a gas, causing the atoms in the gas to heat sufficiently that they emit the very short wavelength EUV light. Traditionally, EUV sources have used a pair of electrodes through which the current is passed. These electrodes can overheat causing debris that may end up in the optical system. The Energetiq EQ-10M employs an electrode-free technology by coupling the current inductively into the discharge plasma.

Visit www.albanynanotech.org and www.energetiq.com.