The global semiconductor market is expanding, and while equipment that maximizes availability is required to manufacture a large number of semiconductors, equipment with low electric power consumption and high productivity is required to realize a sustainable society. The new ArF lightsources developed by Gigaphoton reduce the number of replacement parts required by extending the replacement interval for consumable parts by 20%. The new KrF lightsources reduce the electric power required to produce a wafer by 20%. These have contributed to maximized availability and sustainability.
Chipmakers have used cross-platform of both EUV exposure and ArF immersion multi-patterning exposure depending on cost effectiveness at each layer. ArF immersion exposure has been required lower linewidth roughness(LWR) to reduce cross matched machine overlay(xMMO) which is the overlay between the different platforms. ArF light sources essentially produce speckle as non-uniform intensity distribution resulting from interference effects generated within a beam. It leads to increase LWR, which results in increasing xMMO. The latest ArF immersion light source, GT66A is introduced a new optical pulse stretcher(OPS) that increases pulse duration to reduce speckle by 30% to improves LWR, which reduces xMMO. This technology will improve chip yield for chipmakers in the processes mixed ArF immersion exposure and EUV exposure.
Gigaphoton Inc. has been developing a CO2-Sn-LPP (LPP: Laser Produced Plasma) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source system for high-volume manufacturing (HVM) semiconductor lithography. Original technologies and key components of this source include a high-power carbon dioxide (CO2) laser with 15 ns pulse duration, a short wavelength solid-state pre-pulse laser with 10 ps pulse duration, a highly stabilized small droplet (DL) target, a precise DL-laser shooting control system and unique debris mitigation technology with a magnetic field. In this paper, an update of the development progress of the total system and of the key components is presented.
In advanced lithography processes, immersion lithography technology is beginning to be used in volume production at
the 45-nm technology node. Beyond that, double-patterning immersion lithography is considered to be one of the
promising technologies -meeting the requirements of the next-generation 32-nm technology node. Light source
requirements for double patterning lithography tool are high power and high uptime to enhance economic efficiency, as
well as extremely stable optical performances for high resolution capabilities.
In this paper, the GT62A, Argon Fluoride (ArF) excimer laser light source which meets these requirements is introduced.
The GT62A has an emission wavelength of 193-nm, a power output of 90 W and a repetition rate of 6,000 Hz. The dose
uniformity of the GT62A was improved for reduction of Critical Dimension (CD) variation and better Critical
Dimension Uniformity (CDU). A stable wavelength and a spectrum bandwidth of the GT62A satisfy the requirements of
the high resolution lithography tools which need the steady focus stability. In addition, we verified by simulation that the
spectrum bandwidth control in the GT62A contributes to Depth of Focus (DOF) enhancement. The new technology for
the light source and detailed optical performance data are presented.
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