Energetiq’s light products are used in various semiconductor and flat panel display manufacturing processes to enable the production of next generation devices.

EUV (Extreme Ultra Violet) Lithography
As semiconductor device dimensions continue to shrink, the wavelength of light used in the photo lithography process to print smaller patterns of 32 nm and below becomes critical. EUV lithography is a leading candidate for next generation lithography (NGL) because of its capability of printing these small features, covering the needs of the semiconductor industry well into the next decade.

Companies that are developing the EUVL (Extreme Ultra Violet Lithography) infrastructure need a reliable source of EUV light to test their products, such as mirrors, collection optics, and photoresist. In addition, there is a need for a light source for inspection at this nano-scale level. The Energetiq EQ-10 Series Electrodeless EUV Source provides a highly reliable, cost-effective source of EUV light for the following applications:

EUV Resist Development – Resist was voted as the single most critical technical issue on the path to making EUV lithography a viable alternative for NGL. Resist manufacturers need to study both the resist sensitivity and outgassing of the photoresist.

EUV Optics Metrology – Optics for EUV are reflective and are manufactured by multilayer coatings. The reflectivity of the coating is critical to the wafer throughput of the stepper. The EUV source will allow the optics company to test their optics prior to shipping to stepper manufacturers.

EUV Mask Defect Inspection – Inspection of EUV masks must be done at 13.5nm. The light source must be a high brightness source to allow for imaging of the defects.

The Energetiq Model EQ-10M system is designed into a single 19” rack to minimize the system footprint, and the EQ-10RH system is used to integrate the light source into a complete EUV metrology tool.

DUV (Deep Ultra Violet) in Wafer and
Flat Panel Display Processing, Data Storage
Short-wavelength DUV light provides energy for thin-film and surface processes without electrical charge or heating damage.

The LDLS Laser-Driven Light Source technology, embodied in the Energetiq EQ-1000, creates small, high brightness plasma that allows for efficient UV light collection for either broad spectral output or for specific narrow band spectral output, for use in:

193nm and 248nm Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) Photoresist Testing – A single EQ-1000 LDLS Laser-Driven Light Source provides great flexibility and cost-effectiveness to the user. It covers multiple wavelengths and can be configured for narrow band spectral output for 193nm or 248nm photoresist testing, without the high costs associated with purchasing and operating excimer lasers.

The fully integrated Energetiq Saturn™ DUV Lamp Subsystem provides maximum short-wavelength DUV light for uniform illumination across a 300mm wafer or substrate in cleaning and photoprocessing applications, such as:

Pattern Freezing in Double Exposure Lithography - Double exposure lithography is considered an important roadmap enabler for 32nm and smaller nodes because it is a potential way of extending the resolution capability of currently available DUV lithography tools. Due to this ability to use coarse patterns to define finer patterns, it offers an immediate opportunity to achieve resolution below 30 nm without the need to address the technical challenges of more expensive current or next-generation lithography technologies.

Surface Cleaning – DUV light can be used to remove contaminants formed on a wafer or substrate during processing steps. The challenge is achieving uniform DUV radiation across the surface with no electrical or heating damage, while maintaining high throughput to lower CoO.