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

小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二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。能够有效发射波长在13.5 nm附近的光的辐射源的发展对于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。激光产生的等离子体实验将用于验证和改进我们之前工作中开发的新型高效，低碎片的EUV光源设计。将实验数据与使用最先进的模拟工具进行的模拟进行比较，将有助于开发具有13.5 nm高转换效率的光源。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、更坚固的EUV光刻光源。短波长的辐射源适用于各种各样的研究领域，在商业应用、基础研究和国防研究与技术方面具有重要的价值。这些光源不仅在极紫外光刻中有价值，而且在医学研究、仪器和技术中也有价值。虽然该项目将专注于开发基于等离子体的技术，为极紫外光刻技术创造高效的光源，但该项目下开发的技术和能力很可能会进一步发展适用于其他主要研究和技术领域的等离子体光源。

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II 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 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. Laser-produced plasma experiments will be conducted to validate and refine the novel high-efficiency, low-debris EUV light source designs developed in our previous work. Comparisons between experimental data and simulations performed using state-of-the-art simulation tools will facilitate the development of light sources with high 13.5 nm conversion efficiencies. 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. Short-wavelength radiation sources are applicable to a wide variety of research areas, and have significant value in commercial applications, basic research, and defense research and technology. Such sources are valued not only for use in EUV lithography, but also in medical research, instrumentation, and technology. While this project will focus on the development of plasma-based technologies for creating highly efficient light sources for EUV lithography, it is likely that techniques and capabilities developed under this project will further the development of plasma light sources applicable to other major areas of research and technology.