SBIR Phase I: Development of Efficient Short-Wavelength Radiation Sources For Next-Generation Lithography

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将致力于开发新型等离子体技术，以创造用于下一代半导体芯片制造的高效短波长的辐射源。等离子体辐射源的发展可以有效地发射波长接近13.5 nm的光，这对于EUV光刻技术的出现至关重要，EUV光刻技术将在本世纪末成为制造集成电路和DRAM的主要技术。经过良好测试的最先进的等离子体模拟工具和原子物理数据库将用于指导高效激光产生等离子体（LPP）辐射源的开发。模拟将用于确定有前途的激光束参数和目标成分，非常有效地发射13.5 nm的光。与此相一致，将进行实验来诊断潜在的高转换效率等离子体源的特性，并开发在EUV光刻系统中利用这些源的技术。在商业上，该项目将为下一代半导体芯片的制造带来更低成本、更高效、更强大的EUV光刻光源。此外，该项目将导致发展适用于生产用于医疗和国防技术领域的短波辐射源的技术。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will pursue the development of novel plasma technologies for creating highly efficient, short-wavelength radiation sources for use in next generation semiconductor chip manufacturing. The development of plasma radiation sources that efficiently emit light at wavelengths near 13.5 nm is crucial to the expected emergence of EUV lithography as the primary technique used in manufacturing integrated circuits and DRAM near the end of this decade. Well-tested state-of-the-art plasma simulation tools and atomic physics databases will be applied to guide the development of highly efficient laser-produced plasma (LPP) radiation sources. Simulations will be used to identify promising laser beam parameters and target compositions that very efficiently emit light at 13.5 nm. In concert with this, experiments will be conducted to diagnose the characteristics of potential high conversion efficiency plasma sources, and to develop techniques for utilizing these sources in EUV lithography systems. Commercially, this project will lead to lower cost, more efficient, and more robust EUV lithography light sources for use in the manufacturing of next-generation semiconductor chips. Additionally, this project will lead to the development of techniques applicable tothe production of short-wavelength radiation sources for use in the fields of medical and defensetechnology.