Relationship between information and energy carried by photons in extreme ultraviolet lithography: Consideration from the viewpoint of sensitivity enhancement

摘要

The role of photons in lithography is to transfer information and energy for imaging. The resist patterns are fabricated in accordance with the information carried by the photons. The energy is used to induce the chemical reactions required for changing the solubility of the resist. In this study, the relationship between the information and the energy carried by photons in extreme ultraviolet lithography was investigated from the viewpoint of sensitivity enhancement. The factor limiting the resist performance ( information or energy) depended on the relationship between the resist requirement and the potential performance. The determination of the limiting factor is essential in designing highly sensitive resist materials. (C) 2015 The Japan Society of Applied Physics