The exposure system that combines the 10- to 13-nm EUV light source and a Catadioptic system (reduction projection/reflection optics) has been studied at the proposal of Kinoshita and others from NTT₁₎. In the US, an EUV tool development program was started under the sponsorship of a consortium of semiconductor manufacturers. In 1997, the EUV Limited Liability Company (EUVLLC) was established by AMD, Intel, and Motorola; Micron Technology, Infinion, and IBM joined later. The 6-member EUVLLC currently promotes the development of EUV₂₎. In Europe, EUV lithography has been actively researched under a dedicated program called MEDEA+₃₎.
In Japan, as a 4-year project from 1998, an element technology research program for EUV lithography₄₎ was started at the ASET Atsugi Center, and basic research for EUV light sources was started at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). A recent study suggests that an EUV light source with power at the level of 120 to 180 W is needed to achieve practical throughput in EUV lithography, because the light source requires higher power than was initially expected. In order to develop an EUV lithography system consisting of the light source, equipment, etc. that are applicable for semiconductor manufacturing of the 50-nm technology node or below, a technology consortium, the Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography System Development Association (EUVA), started research activities in May 2002. At the EUVA, 5 equipment companies (Ushio, Canon, Nikon, Komatsu, and Gigaphoton) and 4 semiconductor manufacturers (Toshiba, NEC, Fujitsu, and Renesas Technology) have formed a 9-company alliance to promote the development of EUV lithography light source and lithography tool technologies, aiming at completion of a prototype EUV lithography tool in 2007₅₎. In addition, from 2003, research on EUV light sources was picked up as one of the leading projects of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the EUV plasma is about to be clarified from the viewpoints of theory and basic studies by Osaka University as project leader.

< References >

1. Hiroo Kinoshita: Laser Research, Vol. 27, No. 1, 20 (1999).
2. D. A. Tichenor, W. C. Replogle, S. H. Lee, Intel Corp., W. P. Ballard, G. D. Kubiak, L. E. Klebanoff, J. E. M. Goldsmith, J. B. Wronosky, L. C. Hale, H. N. Chapman, J. S. Taylor, K. A. Goldberg, and P. Naulleau: Emerging Lithographic Technologies VI (5-7 March 2002, Santa Clara, California, USA) [4688-06].
3. MEDEA+ Website: http://www.medeaplus.org/.
4. Shinji Okazaki: Applied Physics, Vol. 69, No. 2, 196 (2000).
5. EUV Website: http://www.euva.or.jp/index.html.