Recently, IOE’s Mechanical and Vacuum System for Ultra-violet Lithography Principle Experimental Device, which is the Subject 7 for national Project of Key technology Research on Extreme Ultra-violet Lithography, has been accepted. Review experts considered that related research achievements has enhanced the core technology foundation of extreme ultraviolet lithography for further development, and related research work provided strong support for the implementation of the whole project.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a projection lithography technology with 13.5nm light source, and it is recognized as the most promising next generation lithography technology. During the development of Mechanical and Vacuum System for Ultra-violet Lithography Principle Experimental Device, IOE’s research team have made breakthroughs for some key technologies related to vacuum, transmission, worktables, vibration reduction and focus inspection.

The vacuum system has a 5.8 x 10^-7 torr stable vacuum environment for EUV light propagation. The frame and vibration damping system meets the VC-F standard and has good vibration isolation in the frequency range of 2.2Hz-500Hz in horizontal and 2Hz-500Hz in vertical. The stability of frame, stage and mask platform meets the requirements of 32nm lithography and sub-nanoscale wave aberration detection. The leveling and focusing detection system achieves nanoscale detection accuracy. Newly developed multi-stage collaborative control technology achieves simultaneous control and position switching of wafer stage and image stage, mask stage and object stage. The automatic transmission system realizes automatic loading and unloading wafer in the vacuum environment. Software controls several modules and subsystem to complete the exposure process.

With this project, the research team has made a series of original achievements in the field of stage control and precise measurement technology, and has submitted 31 patent applications, including 28 Chinese patents and 3 international patents.

The Total System and Critical Sub-systems

Picture of the Mechanical and Vacuum System for Ultra-violet Lithography