Recent development of ArF excimer laser technology for lithography

Abstract

Abstract:

193 nm ArF excimer lasers are widely used from below 90 nm node in semiconductor mass production. ArF immersion lithography technology has been used to volume production at the 45 nm node. Double patterning lithography (DPL) is considered to be the most promising technology to meet the requirement associated with the next-generation half pitches of 32 nm node. Double patterning has now become a fixture on the development roadmaps of many device manufacturers for 32 nm and beyond. Cymer and Gigaphoton have developed higher power, higher energy stability and stable narrower spectral bandwidth ArF excimer laser for double patterning lithography. The key technologies recently employed to improve performance of ArF excimer lasers are analyzed.：Master Oscillator Power Regenerative Amplifier (MOPRA) and Master Oscillator Power Oscillator (MOPO) configurations, active bandwidth stabilization technology, advanced gas management technology. At last, development trend of excimer laser technology for lithography is briefly discussed.

Key words: laser technology, ArF excimer laser, lithography, double patterning

YOU Li-bing, ZHOU Yi,　LIANG Xu, YU Yin-shan, FANG Xiao-dong, WANG Yu. Recent development of ArF excimer laser technology for lithography[J]. J4, 2010, 27(5): 522-527.

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