Achieving low-wavefront specifications for DUV lithography: impact of residual stress in HPFS fused silica

Abstract

As optical lithographers push to extend optical lithography technologies to create smaller features with higher NA, lower k1 values and shorter wavelengths, transmitted wavefront specifications for HPFSR fused silica blanks continue to tighten. HPFSR fused silica blanks are typically certified for acceptance using an interferometer operating at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. As the market demands increasingly tighter homogeneity specifications, it has become critical to understand the sources of variation in wavefront measurements. Corning has recently initiated a study to identify those sources of variation. One glass attribute being studied is the impact of residual stress on the wavefront. It is known that residual stresses can alter the refractive index of fused silica. To obtain the residual stress measurements, birefringence measurements were obtained at 632.8 nm for comparison to wavefront measurements at 632.8 nm. The relationship between residual birefringence and transmitted wavefront measurements, at 632.8 nm on Corning HPFSR fused silica blanks, is explored in this paper.