11 February 2013 Scanning interference evanescent wave lithography for sub-22-nm generations
Xie Peng, Bruce W. Smith
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Large field, ultra-high numerical aperture (NA) lithography is desired in semiconductor manufacturing. We report progress in developing a scanning evanescent wave lithography (s-EWL) imaging head with a two-stage gap control system including a DC noise canceling air bearing, which houses an AC noise-canceling piezoelectric actuator. Various design aspects of the system, including gap detection, prism design, optical alignment, software integration, feedback actuation, and a scanning scheme have been developed to ensure sub-100-nm gap control. Experimental results have shown successful gap gauging with a gap noise root-mean-square (RMS) of 1.38 nm in static gap control, and 4.64 nm in linear scanning gap control. Integrating the prototype imaging head into a two-beam interferometer platform has demonstrated dynamic stepping imaging using fused silica and sapphire prisms, with potential NA values up to 1.85 (26-nm half-pitch). These results achieved with s-EWL provide a possible route to extend optical lithography to 16-nm generations and beyond when combined with double patterning techniques.
© 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) 0091-3286/2013/$25.00 © 2013 SPIE
Xie Peng and Bruce W. Smith "Scanning interference evanescent wave lithography for sub-22-nm generations," Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS 12(1), 013011 (11 February 2013). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.12.1.013011
Published: 11 February 2013
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CITATIONS
Cited by 3 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
Prisms

Imaging systems

Lithography

Head

Control systems

Semiconducting wafers

Sapphire

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