EXtreme ultraviolet lithography

Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography

Extreme ultraviolet lithography also known as EUV or EUVL is a newly discovered technology utilizing the 13.5 nm wavelength. This technology is seen greatly in the integrated circuit manufacturing. This technology is placed in the NGL group or the Next Generation Lithography field. This type of technology requires many advanced tools. Since all matter can absorb EUV radiation, special enclosure has to be produced to simulate a vacuum atmosphere. This allows them to only apply the technique to a specific area. All the components of the system have to be coated with a defect free Mo/Si layer which helps to reflect light by means of interlayer interference. EUV radiation is considered a device damager. Because of the use of radiation, damage is occurred in some cases. The process produces a trapped charge that may cause the material to oxidize and cause it to ionize. The greatest achievement for this process would be in the manufacturing of microprocessors. This new technology will allow manufactures to produce processors that are a hundred times more powerful than ones of today. There is a partnership between Intel, AMD, and Motorola in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, to develop a microchip with circuit lines less than 0.1 micron in width. Chips of today have line of at least .18 microns or greater. This type of advancement would also make its way into the memory part of manufacturing as well. This new lithography would allow memory chip to hold more that 1,000 times more information than they currently do today. This is a major advancement since the previously used optical lithography methods. This technology is able to produce a replica image of a circuit design on a silicon wafer. With the use of the ultraviolet light more accuracy is achieved and a much more detailed image can be produced. This technology still has a long time before it will be readily used in the production of materials. Many studies are still being done on the process to come up with better materials to make the mirrors used out of. The materials are extremely expensive. The optics used are created at an atomic layer and coated with 50 bilayers of molybdenum-silicon these mirrors are nearly one millions dollars each. To utilize a complete lithography system six mirrors are needed in most cases. This technology is still developing in the world. As the fight for the fastest computer or the most information you can store continues new advances in technology and the ways we use materials will ensure that technology will continue to change how we interact with everyone.