EUV lithography at chipmakers has started: performance validation of ASML's NXE:3100

Wagner, Christian; Bacelar, Jose; Harned, Noreen; Loopstra, Erik; Hendriks, Stef; Jong, Ivo de; Kuerz, Peter; Levasier, Leon; Kerkhof, Mark van de; Lowisch, Martin; Meiling, H.; Ockwell, David; Peeters, Rudy; Setten, Eelco van; Stoeldraijer, Judon; Young, S.; Zimmerman, John; Kool, Ron

doi:10.1117/12.878603

Cited by 27 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…The 6 NXE:3100 systems that are at customer sites are being used for process and device development [1,15]. An additional NXE:3100 system at ASML is being used for new developments and further system improvements.…”

Section: Nxe Performance Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2010 ASML has started the shipments of the second generation EUV system, the NXE:3100, to customers around the world and covering all main lithographic segments (DRAM, FLASH, LOGIC, MPU) [1,2,10] Both the ADT and the NXE:3100 system utilize optics with an NA of 0.25. Now more than 30000 wafers have been exposed [see Figure 1] on the NXE:3100 and at multiple public occurrences customers have presented the results obtained with both systems showing good imaging and overlay performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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ASML's NXE platform performance and volume introduction

Peeters

Lok

Alphen

et al. 2013

Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography IV

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All six NXE:3100, 0.25 NA EUV exposure systems are in use at customer sites enabling device development and cycles of learning for early production work in all lithographic segments; Logic, DRAM, MPU, and FLASH memory. NXE EUV lithography has demonstrated imaging and overlay performance both at ASML and end-users that supports sub27nm device work. Dedicated chuck overlay performance of <2nm has been shown on all six NXE:3100 systems.The key remaining challenge is productivity, which translates to a cost-effective introduction of EUVL in high-volume manufacturing (HVM). High volume manufacturing of the devices and processes in development is expected to be done with the third generation EUV scanners -the NXE:3300B. The NXE:3300B utilizes an NA of 0.33 and is positioned at a resolution of 22nm which can be extended to 18nm with off-axis illumination. The subsystem performance is improved to support these imaging resolutions and overall productivity enhancements are integrated into the NXE platform consistent with 125 wph. Since EUV reticles currently do not use a pellicle, special attention is given to reticle-addeddefects performance in terms of system design and machine build including maintenance procedures.In this paper we will summarize key lithographic performance of the NXE:3100 and the NXE:3300B, the NXE platform improvements made from learning on NXE:3100 and the Alpha Demo Tool, current status of EUV sources and development for the high-power sources needed for HVM.Finally, the possibilities for EUV roadmap extension will be reviewed.

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Section: Nxe Performance Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ASML's NXE platform performance and volume introduction

Peeters

Lok

Alphen

et al. 2013

Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography IV

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“…1 Recently, ASML Netherlands B. V. (ASML) demonstrated the development and application of EUVL technology from performance validation to volume introduction. 2,3 Aside from the issues associated with the availability of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) power sources and masks, the next most prominent challenge for promoting EUVL is the requirement for improvements in resist performance. Acid diffusion in chemically amplified resists (CAR) can limit the ultimate minimum half-pitch resolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outgassing and photochemical studies of photosensitive films upon irradiation at 13.5 nm

Shao

Sung

et al. 2012

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B, Nanotechnology and Microelectronics: Materials, Processing, Measurement, and Phen

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Neutral outgassed species from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), a model resist (denoted RRR), and three underlayer thin films have been characterized and their absolute outgassing rates determined using a quadrupole mass spectrometer following irradiation at 13.5 nm. The radiation, which was in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) energy range at 13.5 nm, was delivered from the 08A1-beamline at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan. The side chains of acryl-type polymers that are vulnerable to fragmentation and outgassing upon EUV irradiation were characterized and the important outgassed species (H 2 O and H 3 O þ ) were identified from the Si-containing photosensitive materials. The authors propose that the Si-OH formed on the Si-containing surfaces upon EUV irradiation likely undergoes subsequent incremental H 2 O and H 3 O þ outgassing upon cumulative EUV irradiation. A benchmark comparison revealed that the absolute outgassing rates of PMMA, RRR, and a Si-containing underlayer sample determined in this work were consistent with values previously reported in the literature. Thus, we have effectively demonstrated that the Taiwanese facility is capable of evaluating absolute resist outgassing rates, making it one of a limited number of EUV resist evaluation sites worldwide. The authors have provided direct evidence that the extent of ionic and neutral outgassing from 80, 100, and 125 nm PMMA and RRR films is not thickness-dependent. The authors have further demonstrated that the absolute outgassing rates of PMMA and RRR films of various thickness and two oxy-hydrocarbon underlayer samples correlated strongly with the 13.5 nm photoabsorption (r abs ) and the structural toughness [double-bond-equivalence-per-backbone (DBEPB)] of the polymers. The authors revealed that the formula r abs /DBEPB could be used as a generic metric to predict the resistance of photosensitive films to EUV irradiation for the oxy-hydrocarbons in this work and four previously studied photoresists.

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“…Despite significant progress in the commercialization of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography [1], important challenges remain. Although availability of a reliable high power source [2][3][4] is arguably the most daunting of these challenges, several mask issues are also of major concern.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mask roughness challenges in extreme ultraviolet mask development

Naulleau¹,

McClinton²,

Goldberg³

et al. 2011

Journal of Vacuum Science &Amp; Technology B, Nanotechnology and Microelectronics: Materials, Processing, Measurement, and Phen

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Despite significant progress in the commercialization of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, many challenges remain. Although availability of a reliable high power source is arguably the most daunting of these challenges, important mask issues are also of major concern. The issues of EUV phase roughness that can arise from either multilayer or capping layer roughness has recently become of increasing concern. The problem with mask phase roughness is that it couples to image plane speckle and thus line-edge roughness (LER). The coupling, however, depends on many factors including roughness magnitude, roughness correlation length, illumination partial coherence, aberrations and defocus, and numerical aperture. Analysis shows that only on the order of 50 pm multilayer roughness may be tolerable at the 22-nm half-pitch node. The analysis, however, also shows that the difficulty does not scale with future node reductions.Moreover, it is found that ruthenium is a particularly bad choice for capping layer from the perspective of phase roughness and that cleaning damage in such a multilayer could lead to unacceptable image-plane LER.

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EUV lithography at chipmakers has started: performance validation of ASML's NXE:3100

Cited by 27 publications

References 0 publications

ASML's NXE platform performance and volume introduction

ASML's NXE platform performance and volume introduction

Outgassing and photochemical studies of photosensitive films upon irradiation at 13.5 nm

Mask roughness challenges in extreme ultraviolet mask development

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