Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-stiftung

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Gmbh

Eric Louis

Frederik Bijkerk

Andrey E Yakshin

Jan Willem Verhoeven

Gisela Von Blanckenhagen

Tim Tsarfati

Erwin Zoethout

Sebastian Oestreich

Marco Wedowski

Roman Klein

Ileana Nedelcu

Frank Stietz

Robbert W E Van De Kruijs

Fred Bijkerk

Peter Cornelis G&ouml;rts

Robbert Wilhelmus Elisabeth Van De Kruijs

Lambertus Gerhardus Albertus Michael Alink

Peter Cornelis Görts

A reflective optical element e.g. for use in EUV lithography, configured for an operating wavelength in the range from 5 nm to 12 nm, includes a multilayer system with respective layers of at least two alternating materials having differing real parts of the refractive index at the operating wavelength. The material having the lower real part of the refractive index is a nitride or a carbide. 'Alternatively, the material having the lower real part of the refractive index is thorium, uranium or barium and the material having the higher real part of the refractive index is boron or boron carbide.

Reflective optical element and method of manufacturing the same

A reflective optical element e.g. for use in EUV lithography, configured for an operating wavelength in the soft X-ray or extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, includes a multilayer system () with respective layers of at least two alternating materials () having differing real parts of the refractive index at the operating wavelength. Preferably, at least at an interface from the material () having the higher real part of the refractive index to the material () having the lower real part of the refractive index, a further layer () of a nitride or a carbide of the material () having the lower real part is arranged. Particularly preferably the material () having the lower real part of the refractive index is lanthanum or thorium. Preferably, the layers () of at least one material are applied in a plasma-based process for manufacturing a reflective optical element as described.

A reflective optical element exhibits an increase in the maximum reflectivity at operating wavelengths in the extreme ultraviolet or soft x-ray wavelength range. A first additional intermediate layer () and a second additional intermediate layer () are provided between the absorber layer () and the spacer layer (), wherein the first additional intermediate layer increases the reflectivity and the second additional intermediate layer () prevents chemical interaction between the first additional intermediate layer () and the adjoining spacer layer () and/or the absorber layer ().

Reflective optical element for EUV lithography device

A multilayer system and its production. Multilayer systems, such as those used as mirrors in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, suffer contamination or oxidation during storage in air and in long-time operation, i.e. when exposed to EUV radiation in a vacuum environment with certain partial pressures of water or oxygen, which causes a serious reduction in reflectivity. The multilayer system according to the invention will have a long life with constantly high reflectivity. Their reflectivity can be enhanced by barrier layers. The multilayer systems according to the invention have protective layers comprising iridium. The multilayer systems according to the invention are produced by direct, ion-beam-supported growth of the respective layer. The multilayer systems according to the invention are not only resistant to contamination and oxidation, but can also be cleaned if necessary, without losing reflectivity. Because of their long life with constantly high reflectivity, they are particularly suitable for use in semiconductor lithography in the soft X-ray range or extreme ultraviolet wavelength range.

Multilayer system with protecting layer system and production method

In order to reduce contamination of optical elements which comprise a multilayer system on a substrate, it is proposed that the layer material and/or the layer thickness of at least one layer of the multilayer system are/is selected such that the standing wave which forms during reflection of the irradiated operating wavelength, forms a node of the electrical field intensity (node condition) in the area of the free interface of the multilayer system. Furthermore, a method for determining a design of a multilayer system, as well as a manufacturing process and a lithography apparatus are described.

Optical element and method for its manufacture as well as lithography apparatus and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device

Multilayer systems, such as those used as mirrors in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, suffer contamination or oxidation during storage in air and in long-time operation, i.e. when exposed to EUV radiation in a vacuum environment with certain partial pressures of water or oxygen, which causes a serious reduction in reflectivity. The multilayer system according to the invention will have a long life with constantly high reflectivity. The multilayer systems according to the invention have protective layers made from ruthenium, aluminium oxide, silicon carbide, molybdenum carbide, carbon, titanium nitride or titanium dioxide. The multilayer systems according to the invention are produced by direct, ion-beam-supported growth of the protective layer or, except in the case of ruthenium, by mixing aluminium or titanium with oxygen or nitrogen at atomic level, with ion-beam support, to product an outermost protective layer with ion-beam support. The multilayer systems according to the invention are not only resistant to contamination and oxidation, but can also be cleaned if necessary, without losing reflectivity. Because of their long life with constantly high reflectivity, they are particularly suitable for use in semiconductor lithography in the soft X-ray range or extreme ultraviolet wavelength range.

Method for the production of multi-layer systems

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Ijsselstein, Netherlands

Eric Louis