Gigaphoton EUV Scanner Operates Stably for 24 Hours

Gigaphoton Inc. said it has achieved continuous operation and stable emission with an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source scanner, a laser-produced plasma light source prototype with an output of 108 W and an average energy stability of 0.5 percent.

"Our ability to succeed with continuous operation for 24 hours at an output of 108 W indicates that we are close to completing an EUV light source that can operate stably with low running costs and high output, which is what semiconductor manufacturers are looking for," said Hakaru Mizoguchi, vice president and chief technology officer of Gigaphoton.

The advance builds on key technologies like droplet generators capable of producing droplets 20 μm or smaller in diameter, solid-state prepulse laser and main-pulse CO₂ laser combinations, debris mitigation technology using magnetic fields and energy control technologies.

The company's EUV light sources are also in use at the EUVL Infrastructure Development Center (EIDEC) in Tsukuba, where they are used in development of masks for EUV lithography.

Gigaphoton plans to operate a high-output test unit by the end of 2015 to achieve 250 W levels, a target needed for mass manufacturing of memory devices.

"Not only am I certain that when we bring it to market we will herald the next generation of exposure technology, I am also confident that it will help us to improve semiconductor performance and contribute epochal results to the growth of the industry as a new core technology that will support information technologies such as the Internet of Things," said Mizoguchi.

Gigaphoton develops laser light sources for major lithography tool suppliers in the semiconductor industry.