Spectral emission properties of a LPP light source in the sub-200nm range for wafer inspection applications

摘要

In this work, the spectral emission proprieties of a droplet-based laser-produced plasma are investigated in the VUV range. These studies are performed with a spectrograph operating from 30 nm to 180 nm at a spectral resolution of 0.1 nm. The emission spectra are recorded for different droplet-based metal fuels such as tin, indium and gallium in the presence of different background gas pressure levels. The experimental results are relevant for alternative light sources that would be needed for future wafer inspection tools. In addition, the experimental results help to determine the Out-Of-Band (OOB) radiation emission of the EUV source. By tuning the type of fuel, the laser energies and the background gas, the LPP light source shows good capabilities to be operated as a tunable light source that covers a spectral emission range from the EUV to the sub-200 nm range.