Intense plasma discharge source at 135 nm for extreme-ultraviolet lithography

Abstract

We measured an emission of 6 mJ/pulse at 13.5 nm produced by the Li(2+) Lyman-? transition excited by a fast capillary discharge, using a lithium hydride capillary. 75% of the energy emanated from a spot size of 0.6 mm. The emission is narrow band and would thus be useful in extreme-ultraviolet lithography imaging systems that use Mo:Si multilayer mirrors. The output within the bandwidth of Mo:Si mirrors was comparable with that of a laser-produced plasma (LPP), and the wallplug efficiency of 0.1% was nearly an order of magnitude better than that of a LPP.