6 December 2024 Next step in Moore’s law: high NA EUV system overview and first imaging and overlay performance
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

At this moment, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems equipped with a 0.33 numerical aperture (NA) have proven themselves and are successfully applied in high-volume manufacturing. The next step is 0.55 NA and is ready to enter mass production. This so-called high NA scanner, targeting an ultimate resolution of 8 nm half-pitch, will bring multiple benefits to the semiconductor market such as reduction of process complexity, yield improvement, higher resolution enabling printability of smaller features at increased density, and cost of technology reduction. It will extend Moore’s law for at least another decade. A lens design, capable of providing the required NA, has been identified; this so-called anamorphic lens will provide 8 nm resolution in all orientations. Paired with new, faster stages, and more accurate sensors providing the tight focus and overlay control, it enables future nodes. The first 0.55 NA scanner is located in the so-called high NA Lab in Veldhoven where it is interfaced with a track and operated in cooperation with Imec, Leuven. It also allows for early customer access. We will provide the backgrounds of the architecture of the high NA tool. Next to this, an update will be given on the status of the imaging and overlay performance of this exposure tool.

© 2024 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)
Jan van Schoot, Rob van Ballegoij, Hans Butler, Eelco van Setten, Guido Schiffelers, Wim Bouman, Simon van Gorp, Karl Umstadter, Joerg Zimmermann, Daniel Golde, Jens Timo Neumann, and Paul Graeupner "Next step in Moore’s law: high NA EUV system overview and first imaging and overlay performance," Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning, Materials, and Metrology 24(1), 011009 (6 December 2024). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.24.1.011009
Received: 25 July 2024; Accepted: 11 November 2024; Published: 6 December 2024
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KEYWORDS
Semiconducting wafers

Extreme ultraviolet

Reticles

Scanners

Mirrors

Sensors

Light sources and illumination

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