Laser-produced Tin Research Articles

Correlation between laser absorption and radiation conversion efficiency in laser produced tin plasma

The correlation between the laser absorption and the conversion efficiency (CE) for 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light in a laser-produced tin plasma was investigated. The absorption rate α and the CE were measured simultaneously for a laser-pre-formed low-density tin target as a function of the time delay between the pre-pulse and the main laser pulse. A clear and positive correlation between α and CE was found with increasing delay time; however, the CE decreases rapidly at longer delay times. This result is partly attributed to a reduction in the absorption rate, but is mainly attributed to the self-absorption of EUV light in excessively long-scale plasmas.

Performance of 100-W HVM LPP-EUV source

Abstract At Gigaphoton Inc., we have developed unique and original technologies for a carbon dioxide laser-produced tin plasma extreme ultraviolet (CO2-Sn-LPP EUV) light source, which is the most promising solution for high-power high-volume manufacturing (HVM) EUV lithography at 13.5 nm. Our unique technologies include the combination of a pulsed CO2 laser with Sn droplets, the application of dual-wavelength laser pulses for Sn droplet conditioning, and subsequent EUV generation and magnetic field mitigation. Theoretical and experimental data have clearly shown the advantage of our proposed strategy. Currently, we are developing the first HVM light source, ‘GL200E’. This HVM light source will provide 250-W EUV power based on a 20-kW level pulsed CO2 laser. The preparation of a high average-power CO2 laser (more than 20 kW output power) has been completed in cooperation with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Recently, we achieved 140 W at 50 kHz and 50% duty cycle operation as well as 2 h of operation at 100 W of power level. Further improvements are ongoing. We will report the latest status and the challenge to reach stable system operation of more than 100 W at about 4% conversion efficiency with 20-μm droplets and magnetic mitigation.

Angular distribution of ions and extreme ultraviolet emission in laser-produced tin droplet plasma

Angular-resolved ion time-of-flight spectra as well as extreme ultraviolet radiation in laser-produced tin droplet plasma are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Tin droplets with a diameter of 150 μm are irradiated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The ion time-of-flight spectra measured from the plasma formed by laser irradiation of the tin droplets are interpreted in terms of a theoretical elliptical Druyvesteyn distribution to deduce ion density distributions including kinetic temperatures of the plasma. The opacity of the plasma for extreme ultraviolet radiation is calculated based on the deduced ion densities and temperatures, and the angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is expressed as a function of the opacity using the Beer–Lambert law. Our results show that the calculated angular distribution of extreme ultraviolet radiation is in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.

Spectral Efficiency of Extreme Ultraviolet Emission from CO2 Laser-Produced Tin Plasma Using a Grazing Incidence Flat-Field Spectrograph

A grazing incidence flat-field spectrograph using a concave grating was constructed to measure extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from a CO2 laser-produced tin plasma throughout the wavelength region of 5 nm to 20 nm for lithography. Spectral efficiency of the EUV emission around 13.5 nm from plate, cavity, and thin foil tin targets was studied. By translating the focusing lens along the laser axis, the dependence of EUV spectra on the amount of defocus was investigated. The results showed that the spectral efficiency was higher for the cavity target in comparison to the plate or foil target, while it decreased with an increase in the defocus distance. The source's spectra and the EUV emission intensity normalized to the incident pulse energy at 45° from the target normal were characterized for the in-band (2% of bandwidth) region as a function of laser energy spanning from 46 mJ to 600 mJ for the pure tin plate target. The energy normalized EUV emission was found to increase with the increasing incident pulse energy. It reached the optimum value for the laser energy of around 343 mJ, after which it dropped rapidly.

Development of Laser-Produced Tin Plasma-Based EUV Light Source Technology for HVM EUV Lithography

Since 2002, we have been developing a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-produced tin (Sn) plasma (LPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, which is the most promising solution because of the 13.5 nm wavelength high power (>200 W) light source for high volume manufacturing. EUV lithography is used for its high efficiency, power scalability, and spatial freedom around plasma. We believe that the LPP scheme is the most feasible candidate for the EUV light source for industrial use. We have several engineering data from our test tools, which include 93% Sn ionization rate, 98% Sn debris mitigation by a magnetic field, and 68% CO2 laser energy absorption rate. The way of dispersion of Sn by prepulse laser is key to improve conversion efficiency (CE). We focus on prepulsed laser pulsed duration. When we have optimized pulse duration from nanosecond to picosecond, we have obtained maximum 4.7% CE (CO2 laser to EUV; our previous data was 3.8%) at 2 mJ EUV pulse energy. Based on these data we are developing our first light source as our product: “GL200E.” The latest data and the overview of EUV light source for the industrial EUV lithography are reviewed in this paper.

Emissive characteristics of laser-produced tin plasma

Time-averaged radiation spectra of laser-produced erosion tin plasma are obtained. The peculiarities of formation of excited states of tin atoms and ions in a laser torch at the 1 and 7 mm away from a target have been investigated. The radiation dynamics of the most intense spectral lines of atoms and ions has been analyzed. The correlation of radiation intensities in the maximum for atom and ion spectral lines, recombination times of single- and double-charged ions in a laser-produced tin plasma, and the velocity of plasma propagation have been estimated.

Characteristics of ion debris from laser-produced tin plasma and mitigation of energetic ions by ambient gas

Extreme ultraviolet lithography is most promising for the next generation lithography. However, debris from laser-produced plasma, particularly energetic ions, severely decreases the lifetime of extreme ultraviolet optics. We measured the characteristics of ions from tin plasma by the time of flight method with a frequency-doubled Nd: YAG laser at the intensity of 3.5×1010 W/cm2 (532 nm, 8 ns). Our measurement shows that the maximum and peak of tin ions energies from plasma under the above experimental parameters are about 4.2 and 1.8 keV, respectively. Moreover, it is found that kinetic energy angular distribution of tin ions can be fitted by cos0.8(θ), where θ is the angle with respect to the target normal. We also investigated the mitigation effect of argon, helium gases to the tin ions, and found that tin ions from the plasma can be mitigated effectively at the pressure ∼38 mTorr for argon or ∼375 mTorr for helium, respectively.

Soft X-ray Conversion Efficiencies in Laser-Produced Xenon and Tin Plasmas in a 5–17 nm Wavelength Range

Soft X-ray conversion efficiencies in a 5–17 nm wavelength range in xenon and tin plasmas produced by a 1.06 µm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser were investigated. They were measured to be 25 and 20% for the xenon and tin plasmas, respectively at a laser intensity of about 2×1010 W/cm2. These results indicate that a stand-alone soft X-ray source using a laser-produced xenon or tin plasma is useful for various applications that require intense, soft X-ray photons in a wide wavelength range.

Soft X-ray Conversion Efficiencies in Laser-Produced Xenon and Tin Plasmas in a 5–17 nm Wavelength Range

Soft X-ray Conversion Efficiencies in Laser-Produced Xenon and Tin Plasmas in a 5–17 nm Wavelength Range

Theoretical investigation of dielectronic recombination of Sn12+ions

Theoretical calculations have been made for the dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficients of Sn${}^{12+}$ ion using a relativistic flexible atomic code with configuration interaction. Comparison of the rate coefficients for $4s$, $4p$, and $4d$ subshell excitation shows that while the $4p$ subshell excitation dominates over the whole temperature region, $4d$ subshell excitation at low temperature and $4s$ subshell excitation at high temperature cannot be neglected. In order to facilitate simple applications, the calculated DR rate coefficients are fitted to an empirical formula. The total DR rate coefficient is greater than either the radiative recombination or three-body recombination coefficients for electron temperatures greater than 1 eV. Therefore, DR can strongly influence the ionization balance of laser-produced tin plasmas.

Simulation of particle velocity in a laser-produced tin plasma extreme ultraviolet source

In connection with fast heating in a laser produced plasma (LPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source, the superheating behavior of bulk tin (Sn) at high heating rates is investigated. A constant temperature and pressure molecular dynamics simulation using modified Lennard-Jones and Coulomb potentials suitable for studying the liquid structure of Sn is employed in order to derive the caloric curves of the solid and liquid phases. The results have shown transient effects on the phase transitions. Superheating is observed during the melting and vaporizing processes. The velocity distribution of Sn particles against typical laser fluence in a LPP EUV light source has been numerically investigated using a simplified method including a one-dimensional, two-temperature, molecular dynamics, and steady-state ionization model. In the framework of our model, it was found that ejected Sn particles have a maximum velocity on the order of 10 to 40 km/s in plasma created using a nanosecond pre-pulse neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG, 1.06 μm) laser in EUV lithography experiments.

The effect of excitation wavelength on dynamics of laser-produced tin plasma

We investigated the effect of the excitation wavelength on the density evolution of laser-produced tin plasmas, both experimentally and numerically. For producing plasmas, Sn targets were excited with either 10.6 μm CO2 laser or 1.06 μm Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser; both are considered to be potential excitation lasers for extreme ultraviolet lithography laser-produced plasma light sources. The electron density of the plasma during the isothermal expansion regime was estimated using an interferometric technique. The Stark broadening of isolated singly-ionized emission was employed for deducing the density during the plasma adiabatic expansion regime. Our results indicate that the excitation source wavelength determines the initial density of the plasma, as well the plume expansion dynamics. Numerical simulation using HEIGHTS simulation package agrees well with the experimentally measured density profile.

The effect of laser wavelength on emission and particle dynamics of Sn plasma

We investigated the effects of laser wavelength on the atomic, ionic, and radiative emission from laser-produced tin plasmas. For generating plasmas, planar tin targets were excited using either high intensity neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG, 1.06 μm) or carbon dioxide (CO2, 10.6 μm) laser pulses; both are considered to be potential excitation lasers for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography laser-produced plasma light source. Various diagnostic tools were utilized for investigating ionic, neutral, and radiative emission from Sn plasmas including Faraday cup, witness plate in conjunction with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EUV, and visible emission spectroscopy and photography. Atomic and ionic analysis showed that the amount of debris emitted by the Nd:YAG generated plasmas was considerably higher than the CO2 laser-produced plasmas. The angular distributions of both atomic and ionic debris were found to be more forward-centric for the 1.06 μm generated plasma while being much more uniform for the 10.6 μm heated plasma. EUV and visible emission images of the plasma also showed a forward-centric appearance for 1.06 μm heated plasmas. The strength of excited neutral emission was considerably lower for the case of the 10.6 μm plasma while the kinetic energies of ions debris were found to be much higher for CO2 generated plasmas. Surface analysis of the craters created by the lasers showed that the mass ablation rate is 3.6 times higher for Nd:YAG laser generated plasmas compared to CO2 generated plasmas at maximum EUV emission.

Conversion efficiency calculations for EUV radiation emitted from laser-produced Tin plasmas

Ni-like and Co-like EUV radiation between 11--17 nm emitted from laser produced tin plasmas was modelled by using the hydrodynamic/atomic physics code EHYBRID. The atomic data were obtained using the Cowan code. The effects of driving laser pulse duration and the laser intensity with different wavelengths were investigated. The maximum conversion efficiency was calculated as 13.4% for a 266 nm Nd:YAG laser with 1 \times 10^{13} W/cm^2 pulse intensity and 5 ns pulse duration.

Imaging Diagnostics of Debris from Laser-Produced Tin Plasma with Droplet Target for EUV Light Source

The dynamics of debris from laser-produced tin (Sn) plasma was investigated for a practical extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography source. The kinetic behaviors of the Sn atoms and of the dense particles from Sn droplet target irradiated by double pulses from the Nd:YAG laser and the CO2 laser were also investigated by the laser-induced fluorescence imaging method and a high-speed imaging, respectively. After the pre-pulse irradiation of the Nd:YAG laser, the Sn atoms were ejected in all direction from the target with a speed of as fast as 20 km/s and the dense particle cloud expanded by a reaction force due to the plasma expansion with a speed of approximately 500 m/s. The expanding target was subsequently irradiated by the main-pulse of CO2 laser and the dense cloud was almost disappeared by main-pulse irradiation.

Emission characteristics of debris from CO2 and Nd:YAG laser-produced tin plasmas for extreme ultraviolet lithography light source

We describe a comparative study of the emission characteristics of debris from CO2 and Nd:YAG laser-produced tin plasmas for developing an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography light source. Tin (Sn) ions and droplets emitted from a Sn plasma produced by a CO2 laser or an Nd:YAG laser were detected using Faraday cups and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) detectors, respectively. The droplets were also monitored by using silicon substrates as witness plates. The results showed higher ion kinetic energy and lower particle emission for the CO2 laser than the Nd:YAG laser for the same laser energy (50 mJ). The average ion energy was 2.2 keV for the CO2 laser-produced plasma (LPP), and 0.6 keV for the Nd:YAG LPP. The debris accumulation of the CO2 LPP detected by the QCM detectors, however, was less than one fourth of that of the Nd:YAG LPP for the same laser energy. Using ion energy data, the mirror lifetime is estimated for the CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers. In both cases, the upper limit of the number of shots was of the order of 106.

Investigation of debris dynamics from laser-produced tin plasma for EUV lithography light source

The dynamics of debris from the laser-produced tin (Sn) plasma was investigated for an extreme ultraviolet light source in order to establish the guideline for the optimum design of a mitigation system, such as a mass-limited target. The dissemination of the Sn atoms from the different shapes of a wire and a mass-limited droplet target were investigated using the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging method. The Sn droplet targets with a diameter in the range of 5 to 17 μm were prepared by a new droplet generating technique using a pulsed laser. There was a large difference in the angular distribution of Sn atoms in the plane parallel and perpendicular to the wire axis, indicating the curvature of the target surface governed the angular distribution of the ablated species. The spatial distributions of Sn atoms from the droplet targets were similar to those from the curved surface of the wire targets. The ablation dynamics of the droplet observed by a high-speed imaging camera is also discussed.

Two dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulation for extreme ultra-violet emission from laser-produced tin plasmas

We simulated Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) emission from laser-produced tin plasmas for the lithography of semi-conductor, using one- and two- dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulation codes, and benchmarked the simulations by comparison with recent experiments. We successfully reproduced the measured conversion efficiency, x-ray spectra, plasma density profiles in the experimental conditions. This is the first example of benchmarking the radiation hydrodynamic simulation for the laser-produced tin (Sn) by comprehensive experimental observations. We found self-absorption of radiation due to the large opacity plays an important role in emission. Thus, the photo-excitation is included in our code to reproduce the experimental results.

Comparative study on EUV and debris emission from CO2 and Nd: YAG laser-produced tin plasmas

The emission characteristics of debris from laser-produced tin plasma were investigated for an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) light source. The ions and droplets emitted from tin plasma produced by a CO2 laser or an Nd: YAG laser were detected with Faraday cups and quartz crystal micro-balance (QCM) detectors, respectively. A higher ion kinetic energy and a lower droplet emission were observed in the case of CO2 laser in compared with Nd: YAG laser for the same laser energy (50 mJ). The reason comes from the interaction of the laser pulse with the plasma. CO2 laser is absorbed in superficial region of the plasma due to the long wavelength, in contrast, Nd: YAG laser penetrates deeply into the plasma. Therefore, the absorbed energy density of CO2 laser will be much larger than that of Nd: YAG laser for the same laser energy. This causes the higher ion energy and complete vaporizing the target material.

EUV light source by high power laser

In the development of a high power EUV source used in the EUV lithography system, it is important to understand basic physics of EUV plasma and to optimize laser and target conditions. We have been constructed EUV database of laser-produced tin plasma by the theoretical and experimental studies. On the basis of our understanding, the optimum conditions of lasers and plasmas were clarified, and we proposed the guidelines of laser plasma to obtain clean, efficient and high power EUV source for the practical EUV lithography system. In parallel to such studies, novel targets and high power laser system to generate the optimized EUV source plasma have been developed. Recent progresses of our program are presented.