A laser-produced plasma source based on thin-film Gd targets for next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography

Xiao CHEN; Yao LI; Jianbo HOU; Zhe ZHANG; Xianyang LU; Yu YAN; Liang HE; Yongbing XU

doi:10.1088/2058-6272/acd61e

Plasma Science and Technology > 2023 > 25(10): 102001. > DOI: 10.1088/2058-6272/acd61e

Xiao CHEN, Yao LI, Jianbo HOU, Zhe ZHANG, Xianyang LU, Yu YAN, Liang HE, Yongbing XU. A laser-produced plasma source based on thin-film Gd targets for next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography[J]. Plasma Science and Technology, 2023, 25(10): 102001. DOI: 10.1088/2058-6272/acd61e

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A laser-produced plasma source based on thin-film Gd targets for next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography

Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Photonic and Electronic Materials Sciences and Technology, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China

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Corresponding author:
Yao LI, E-mail: liyao@nju.edu.cn

Yongbing XU, E-mail: ybxu@nju.edu.cn
Received Date: March 20, 2023
Revised Date: April 25, 2023
Accepted Date: May 15, 2023
Available Online: December 05, 2023
Published Date: June 26, 2023

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

We have studied laser-produced plasma based on mass-limited thin-film Gd targets for beyond the current extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source of 13.5 nm wavelength based on tin. The influences of the laser intensity on the emission spectra centered around 6.7 nm from thin-film Gd targets were first investigated. It is found that the conversion efficiency of the produced plasma is saturated when the laser intensity goes beyond 2 × 10¹¹ W cm⁻². We have systematically compared the emission spectra of the laser-produced plasma with the changes in the thicknesses of the thin-film Gd targets. It is proved that a minimum-mass target with a thickness of 400 nm is sufficient to provide the maximum conversion efficiency, which also implies that this thickness is the ablation depth for the targets. These findings should be helpful in the exploration of next-generation EUV sources, as the thin-film Gd targets will reduce the debris during the plasma generation process compared with the bulk targets.
- extreme ultraviolet light source,
- laser-produced plasma,
- gadolinium

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61427812, 61805118, 12104216 and 12241403), and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (Nos. BK20192006, BK20180056 and BK20200307).

References (29)

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