Rayleigh Criterion

The Paradigm of Photolithography Equipment

Abstract

Photolithography equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductors has been predicted to hit a technological limit based on the Rayleigh criterion in terms of resolution. In actuality, however, the predicted limits of resolution are exceeded and increased microfabrication of photolithography equipment is achieved because of a change in the architecture from {mirror system, equal magnification, batch exposure} to {lens system, reduction, divided exposure}. Instead of using the Rayleigh criterion to make such predictions, experts use it to repeatedly generate “a set of recurrent and quasi-standard illustrations” as methods to improve resolution. The Rayleigh criterion itself is a typical example of what Kuhn (1962) termed a “community paradigm,” by which improvements to resolution were achieved by (a) increasing numerical aperture, (b) shortening wavelength, and (c) reducing the k₁ factor.