2008 Volume 77 Issue 4 Pages 375-382
High-energy-density plasmas produced by pulsed power discharges are expected to be one of the most powerful extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light sources for next-generation nanolithography. In this paper we discuss plasma confinement for resulting in efficient EUV emission on the basis of theoretical and experimental studies. The localized formation of tin gas by laser ablation seems to be the most promising method of creating quasi-steady state plasmas that emit EUV light efficiently. The present status of EUV source developments and the critical issues involved in realizing high-power EUV sources for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing are discussed.
