EBL2 is TNO's platform for EUV exposure testing and surface analysis. EBL2 is capable of generating conditions relevant to EUV mask operation at all foreseen source power nodes. The authors describe how TNO performs a customized (accelerated) lifetime test on EUV masks. The required gas, EUV, and thermal parameters will be considered, and related to simulated and measured performance of EBL2. This approach can also be applied to EUV pellicles and optics.
TNO has built EBL2; a facility for EUV exposure testing and surface analysis. EBL2 is capable of testing EUV optics, EUV photomasks, pellicles, and other components under controlled conditions, relevant to EUV scanner and source operation at all foreseen source power nodes. The system consists of an EUV beam line coupled to an X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy system by an automated sample handler. The current contribution reports on the results of the qualification testing of the EUV beam line. Topics investigated include handling and position control, thermal management, a relevant gas environment, EUV irradiation and metrology, and first EUV exposures.
At TNO an extensive EUV optics life time program has been running for over 15 years together with our partners ASML and Carl Zeiss. This has contributed to the upcoming introduction of EUV High Volume Manufacturing (HVM). To further help the industry with the introduction of EUV, TNO has worked on extending their facilities with a number of reticle and pellicle research infrastructure facilities. In this paper we will show some of the facilities that are available at TNO and shortly introduce their capabilities. Recently we have opened our EBL2 facility, which is an EUV Beam Line (EBL2) meant for studying the effects of high power EUV illumination on optics, reticles and pellicles up to the power roadmap of 500 W at intermediate Focus (IF). This facility is open to users from all over the world and is beneficial for the industry in helping developing alternative capping layers and contamination control strategies for optics lifetime, new absorber materials, pellicles and resists. The EBL2 system has seen first light in December 2016 and is now in the final stage of acceptance testing and qualification. It is expected that the system will be fully operational in the third quarter of 2017, and available for users. It is possible to transfer reticles to and from the EBL2 by means of the reticle handler using the dual pod interface. This secures backside cleanliness to NXE standards and thus enables wafer printing on a NXE tool in a later stage after the exposures and inspection at EBL2. Besides EBL2, a high performance and ultra-clean reticle handler is available at TNO. This handler incorporates our particle scanner Rapid Nano 4 for front side inspection of reticle blanks with a detection limit down to 20 nm particles. Attached to the handler is also an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) inspection tool for back-side reticle or pellicle inspection with a resolution down to 1 micron.
Recently TNO has established EBL2; an exposure and analysis facility for testing EUV optics, reticles and pellicles
under relevant EUV scanner and source conditions. The facility and EUV source complies with the ASML power
roadmap of EUV systems up to a power of 500 W IF. This enables life time testing of EUV optics, reticles and pellicles
under conditions which are not yet available to industry, helping the industry in preparing for HVM production.
The EBL2 facility consists of a EUV source, collector optics, exposure chamber, XPS chamber, and automated sample
handling. The exposure chamber has capabilities for plasma analysis, imaging ellipsometry for in-situ analysis of the
sample under radiation, photodiodes for power measurements and a scintillator disk for spot profiles. It is possible to
insert spectral purity filters and apertures in the beam line for wavelength tuning and beam shaping. The source is Sn
fueled DPP source made by our partner Ushio and is based on the proven technology from the ASML AD-tools,
providing a similar spectrum and pulse shape as used in the ASML NXE scanners. We show the results of first light
obtained in December 2016. The XPS is capable of handling and analyzing full reticles and data on the obtained surface
sensitivity and imaging quality will be shown.
TNO is building EBL2 as a publicly accessible test facility for EUV lithography related development of photomasks, pellicles, optics, and other components requiring EUV exposure. EBL2 consists of a EUV Beam Line, a XPS system, and sample handling infrastructure. Recently we finished installation of the source, exposure chamber, handlers and XPS system. This paper describes the integration process and first light of the EUV source.EBL2 accepts a wide range of sample sizes, including EUV masks with or without pellicles. All types of samples will be loaded using a standard dual pod interface. EUV masks returned from EBL2 will retain their NXE compatibility to facilitate wafer printing on scanners after exposure in EBL2. The Beam Line provides high intensity EUV irradiation from a Sn-fueled EUV source from Ushio. EUV intensity, spectrum, and repetition rate are all adjustable. The XPS system is now operational and accepts samples up to reticle size.
TNO is building EBL2: a laboratory EUV exposure system capable of operating at high broad band EUV powers and
intensities, in which XPS analysis of exposed samples is possible without breaking vacuum. Its goal is to accelerate the
development and testing of EUV optics and components by providing a publicly accessible exposure and analysis
facility. The system can accept a range of sample sizes, including standard EUV reticles with or without pellicles. In the
beam line, EUV masks and other samples can be exposed to EUV radiation in a controlled environment that is
representative of actual operating conditions. This contribution will describe the design of the EUV beam line.
TNO is building EBL2 as a publicly accessible test facility for EUV lithography related development of photomasks,
pellicles, optics, and other components. EBL2 will consist of a Beam Line, an XPS system, and sample handling
infrastructure. EBL2 will accept a wide range of sample sizes, including EUV masks with or without pellicles. All types
of samples will be loaded using a standard dual pod interface. EUV masks returned from EBL2 will retain their NXE
compatibility. The Beam Line provides high intensity EUV irradiation from a Sn-fueled EUV source. EUV intensity,
pupil, spectrum, and repetition rate are all adjustable. In-situ measurements by ellipsometry will enable real time
monitoring of the sample condition. The XPS will be capable of analyzing the full surface area of EUV masks and
pellicles, as well as performing angle resolved analysis on smaller samples. Sample transfer between the XPS and the
Beam Line will be possible without breaking vacuum.
The introduction of ever higher source powers in EUV systems causes increased risks for contamination and degradation
of EUV masks and pellicles. Appropriate testing can help to inventory and mitigate these risks. To this end, we propose
EBL2: a laboratory EUV exposure system capable of operating at high EUV powers and intensities, and capable of
exposing and analyzing EUV masks. The proposed system architecture is similar to the EBL system which has been
operated jointly by TNO and Carl Zeiss SMT since 2005. EBL2 contains an EUV Beam Line, in which samples can be
exposed to EUV irradiation in a controlled environment. Attached to this Beam Line is an XPS system, which can be
reached from the Beam Line via an in-vacuum transfer system. This enables surface analysis of exposed masks without
breaking vacuum. Automated handling with dual pods is foreseen so that exposed EUV masks will still be usable in
EUV lithography tools to assess the imaging impact of the exposure. Compared to the existing system, large
improvements in EUV power, intensity, reliability, and flexibility are proposed. Also, in-situ measurements by e.g.
ellipsometry is foreseen for real time monitoring of the sample condition. The system shall be equipped with additional
ports for EUVR or other analysis tools. This unique facility will be open for external customers and other research
groups.
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