Report from the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography Working Group Meeting :

Abstract

This is the report of a hybrid working group meeting held on April 25, 2023, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO. The working group was focused on extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) research, development, and manufacturing. The meeting allowed for productive discussions on many technical aspects of EUVL. Industry participants gave presentations that helped inform this report's outline of the current state of the science, challenges, needs, and future opportunities for accelerated innovation in EUVL. The report also includes information on some of NIST's efforts that could begin or continue to support the USA semiconductor industry. Cohesively presenting some of NIST's research and capabilities at the working group meeting provided external stakeholders visibility and the opportunity to comment. The meeting was insightful for industry participants learning about NIST's research capabilities .In turn, NIST researchers gained a deeper understanding of the industry's needs to identify where NIST's metrology expertise could assist in EUVL research. The meeting and this report do not, and are not intended to, capture the entire perspective of the EUVL industry but rather serve as a discussion starting point. Future work includes expanding participation, honing NIST research sub-groups to specific needs of EUVL, and executing priority research discussed in the working group meeting or any future meetings. Through engagement with the USA EUVL industry, targeted research collaborations are hoped to be created, accelerating semiconductor manufacturing innovation and generating meaningful value for USA taxpayers.

NIST efforts in extreme-ultraviolet metrology

“…SURF III is an ideal source for the measurements presented here, with a peak output near the 13.5 nm wavelength of EUVL, 1 providing a stable platform for both source-and detector-based radiometry. Furthermore, with a key focus on industry-driven EUVL measurements, NIST has proven to be an agile resource for the community providing new and enhanced services at the request of the community 2 . Services including radiometric and reflectance measurements from mature programs are complemented by optics lifetime testing, and photoresist evaluation programs formed as direct responses to EUVL industry stake holders' requests.…”