Options
Cummins, T. (Thomas)
Preferred name
Cummins, T. (Thomas)
Official Name
Cummins, T. (Thomas)
Research Output
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- PublicationStudies of extreme ultraviolet emission from laser produced plasmas, as sources for next generation lithographyThe work presented in this thesis is primarily concerned with the optimisation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoemission around 13.5 nm, from laser produced tin (Sn) plasmas. EUV lithography has been identified as the leading next generation technology to take over from the current optical lithography systems, due to its potential of printing smaller feature sizes on integrated circuits. Many of the problems hindering the implementation of EUV lithography for high volume manufacturing have been overcome during the past 20 years of development. However, the lack of source power is a major concern for realising EUV lithography and remains a major roadblock that must be overcome. Therefore in order to optimise and improve the EUV emission from Sn laser plasma sources, many parameters contributing to the make-up of an EUV source are investigated.Chapter 3 presents the results of varying several different experimental parameters on the EUV emission from Sn laser plasmas. Several of the laser parameters including the energy, gas mixture, focusing lens position and angle of incidence are changed, while their effect on the EUV emission is studied. Double laser pulse experiments are also carried out by creating plasma targets for the main laser pulse to interact with. The resulting emission is compared to that of a single laser pulse on solid Sn.Chapter 4 investigates tailoring the CO2 laser pulse duration to improve the efficiency of an EUV source set-up. In doing so a new technique for shortening the time duration of the pulse is described. The direct effects of shortening the CO2 laser pulse duration on the EUV emission from Sn are then studied and shown to improve the efficiency of the source.In Chapter 5 a new plasma target type is studied and compared to the previous dual laser experiments. Laser produced colliding plasma jet targets form a new plasma layer, with densities that can be optimised for re-heating with the main CO2 laser pulse.Chapter 6 will present some experiments carried out on laser produced gadolinium plasmas, with its photoemission around 6.7 nm seen as a potential beyond EUV source. Three different laser pulse durations and a range of laser intensities are utilised in experiments to try to optimise the in-band emission, while also observing the effect on ion emission from the plasma. Finally, the experiments presented in thesis and their results are summarised in Chapter 7, along with presenting possible future work.
1231 - PublicationScaling of laser produced plasma UTA emission down to 3 nm for next generation lithography and short wavelength imaging(Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, 2011-08-22)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; An engineering prototype high average power 13.5-nm source has been shipped to semiconductor facilities to permit the commencement of high volume production at a 100 W power level in 2011. In this source, UTA (unresolved transition array) emission of highly ionized Sn is optimized for high conversion efficiency and full recovery of the injected fuel is realized through ion deflection in a magnetic field. By use of a low-density target, satellite emission is suppressed and full ionization attained with short pulse CO2 laser irradiation. The UTA is scalable to shorter wavelengths, and Gd is shown to have similar conversion efficiency to Sn (13.5 nm) at a higher plasma temperature, with a narrow spectrum centered at 6.7 nm, where a 70% reflectivity mirror is anticipated. Optimization of short pulse CO2 laser irradiation is studied, and further extension of the same method is discussed, to realize 100 W average power down to a wavelength of 3 nm758Scopus© Citations 9 - PublicationThe effect of viewing angle on the spectral behavior of a Gd plasma source near 6.7 nm(American Institute of Physics, 2012)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; We have demonstrated the effect of viewing angle on the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission spectra of gadolinium (Gd) near 6.7 nm. The spectra are shown to have a strong dependence on viewing angle when produced with a laser pulse duration of 10 ns, which may be attributed to absorption by low ion stages of Gd and an angular variation in the ion distribution. Absorption effects are less pronounced at a 150-ps pulse duration due to reduced opacity resulting from plasma expansion. Thus for evaluating source intensity it is necessary to allow for variation with both viewing angle and target orientation.611Scopus© Citations 18 - PublicationOptimizing conversion efficiency and reducing ion energy in a laser-produced Gd plasma(American Institute of Physics, 2012)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; We have demonstrated an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source at 6.7 nm by irradiating Gd targets with 0.8 and 1.06 μm laser pulses of 140 fs to 10 ns duration. Maximum conversion efficiency of 0.4% was observed within a 0.6% bandwidth. A Faraday cup observed ion yield and time of flight signals for ions from plasmas generated by each laser. Ion kinetic energy was lower for shorter pulse durations, which yielded higher electron temperatures required for efficient EUV emission, due to higher laser intensity. Picosecond laser pulses were found to be the best suited to 6.7 nm EUV source generation.781Scopus© Citations 51