PFI:AIR - TT: Pulse Shaping for Increased Conversion Efficiency in Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Sources for the Fabrication of Next Generation Integrated Circuits

PFI:AIR - TT：脉冲整形可提高极紫外光刻源的转换效率，用于制造下一代集成电路

• 批准号: 1701238
• 负责人: Jorge Rocca
• 金额: $ 19.99万
• 依托单位: Colorado State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2019-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701238&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; AIR; TT; Pulse; Shaping

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating the concept of laser pulse shaping into an increase in the efficiency with which laser-created plasmas generate extreme ultraviolet light. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light is necessary to print the next generations of integrated circuits. The printing of the circuit pattern onto the wafer, known as lithography, is the single most critical and capital intensive part in the manufacturing of advanced integrated circuits. Advances in lithography have made possible the printing of progressively smaller features that have enabled the revolution in the information technology industry for the past 50 years. The printing of smaller features has strongly depended on the use of progressively shorter wavelengths of light. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a new projection lithography technique that uses a wavelength dramatically shorter than that of visible light, will make it possible to continue the progress in the fabrication of more powerful integrated circuits, sustaining the semiconductor industry's underlying business model, and the great societal impact that results from continued advances in information technology. While the amount of average power generated with the current technology of EUV light is sufficient to initiate the high volume manufacturing of the next generation of integrated circuits, significantly higher average powers are still required for high wafer throughput and cost effective manufacturing. This project will result in the proof of concept of a technological innovation, the application of a novel laser pulse sequencer that makes it possible synthetize laser pulses of arbitrary temporal shape to increase the efficiency of EUV light generation by plasmas. Such increase in efficiency is of significant commercial value, because it decreases the cost of ownership as it enables the use of proportionally smaller lasers necessary in the production of integrated circuits.The project addresses the need for higher average power and higher efficiency in the generation of EUV light for the printing of the next generations of integrated circuits. A prototype of a pulse sequencer will be engineered and will be used to optimize plasma conditions of electron temperature, density, plasma lifetime, and opacity for increased EUV light generation. The additional degrees of freedom in the plasma heating process is expected to lead to an increase in the efficiency of EUV light generation.In addition, the personnel involved in the project will include graduate and undergraduate students who will be trained in innovation through immersion in the development of novel technology and its translation to industry. The project will in this way contribute to the training of a proficient workforce in EUV technology, an area of high economic impact in which there is a high demand for engineers and scientists. The project engages ASML/Cymer. This partnership between an university and an industry leader enables this technology translation effort from research discovery towards commercialization reality.This project is jointly funded by the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships and the Division of Engineering Education; reflecting the alignment of this project with the respective goals of the two divisions and their programs.

该PFI：空气技术翻译项目的重点是将激光脉冲成型的概念转化为激光创建的等离子体产生极端紫外线的效率的提高。极端紫外线（EUV）光对于打印下一代集成电路是必需的。将电路模式的印刷在摇摆剂上，称为岩石学，是制造岩石学的先进综合进步的最关键和资本密集型部分，这使得逐渐较小的功能可以打印出过去50年来信息技术行业的革命。较小特征的打印很大程度上取决于逐渐较短的光波长。极端紫外线（EUV）岩石学是一种新的投影岩石学技术，它使用波长远短于可见光的波长，将使在更强大的集成电路的结构上继续取得进步，从而维持半导体行业的潜在商业模型，并在信息技术中持续进步所产生的巨大社会影响。虽然当前的EUV光技术产生的平均功率足以启动下一代集成电路的大量制造，但对于高摇动吞吐量和成本效益仍然需要明显更高的平均功率。制造业。该项目将导致技术创新的概念证明，这是一种新型激光脉冲序列器的应用，使得可以合成任意临时形状的激光脉冲，以提高等离子体的EUV光生成效率。效率的这种提高具有显着的商业价值，因为它可以降低所有权成本，因为它可以使用成比例的较小的激光器在生产综合电路中所需的较小的激光器。该项目满足了对较高平均功率和更高效率的需求，从而产生了下一代集成电路的EUV发光的产生。脉冲序列的原型将进行设计，并将用于优化电子温度，密度，等离子体寿命和不透明度的等离子体条件，以增加EUV光的产生。预计等离子体加热过程中的额外自由度将导致EUV光生发电的效率提高。此外，该项目涉及的人员将包括研究生和本科生，这些学生将通过沉浸在新技术的发展及其转化为行业的新技术中进行创新培训。通过这种方式，该项目将有助于培训EUV技术的熟练劳动力，这是对工程师和科学家的高需求，这是一个高经济影响的领域。该项目与ASML/CYMER参与。大学与行业领导者之间的这种伙伴关系使这项技术翻译工作从研究发现到商业化现实。该项目由工业创新和合作伙伴关系和工程教育部共同资助；反映了该项目与两个部门及其计划的相对目标的一致性。