A laser-produced plasma source based on thin-film Gd targets for next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography

We have studied laser-produced plasma based on mass-limited thin-film Gd targets for beyond the current extreme ultraviolet(EUV)light source of 13.5 nm wavelength based on tin.The influences of the laser intensity on the emission spectra centered around 6.7 nm from thin-film Gd targets were first investigated.It is found that the conversion efficiency of the produced plasma is saturated when the laser intensity goes beyond 2×10^(11)W cm^(-2).We have systematically compared the emission spectra of the laser-produced plasma with the changes in the thicknesses of the thin-film Gd targets.It is proved that a minimum-mass target with a thickness of 400 nm is sufficient to provide the maximum conversion efficiency,which also implies that this thickness is the ablation depth for the targets.These findings should be helpful in the exploration of next-generation EUV sources,as the thin-film Gd targets will reduce the debris during the plasma generation process compared with the bulk targets.

Study of the 6.x nm short wavelength radiation spectra of laser-produced erbium plasmas for BEUV lithography

Beyond extreme ultraviolet(BEUV)radiation with a wavelength of 6.x nm for lithography is responsible for reducing the source wavelength to enable continued miniaturization of semiconductor devices.In this work,the Required BEUV light at 6.x nm wavelength was generated in dense and hot Nd:YAG laser-produced Er plasmas.The spectral contributions from the 4p–4d and 4d–4f transitions of singly,doubly and triply excited states of Er XXIV–Er XXXII in the BEUV band were calculated using Cowan and the Flexible Atomic Code.It was also found that the radiative transitions between multiply excited states dominate the narrow wavelength window around 6.x nm.Under the assumption of collisional radiative equilibrium of the laser-produced Er plasmas,the relative ion abundance in the experiment was inferred.Using the Boltzmann quantum state energy level distribution and Gram–Charlier fitting function of unresolved transition arrays(UTAs),the synthetic spectrum around 6.x nm was finally obtained and compared with the experimental spectrum.The spatio-temporal distributions of electron density and electron temperature were calculated based on radiation hydrodynamic simulation in order to identify the contributions of various ionic states to the UTAs arising from the Er plasmas near 6.x nm.

Analysis of extreme ultraviolet spectral profiles of laser-produced Cr plasmas

Radiation from laser-produced plasmas was examined as a potential wavelength calibration source for spectrographs in the extreme ultraviolet(EUV) region.Specifically, the EUV emission of chromium(Cr) plasmas was acquired via spatiotemporally resolved emission spectroscopy.With the aid of Cowan and flexible atomic code(FAC) structure calculations,and a comparative analysis with the simulated spectra, emission peaks in the 6.5–15.0 nm range were identified as 3 p–4 d, 5 d and 3 p–4 s transition lines from Cr5+–Cr10+ions.A normalized Boltzmann distribution among the excited states and a steady-state collisional-radiative model were assumed for the spectral simulations, and used to estimate the electron temperature and density in the plasma.The results indicate that several relatively isolated emission lines of highly charged ions would be useful for EUV wavelength calibration.

Spectral and ion emission features of laser-produced Sn and SnO2 plasmas

We have made a detailed comparison of the atomic and ionic debris, as well as the emission features of Sn and SnO2 plasmas under identical experimental conditions. Planar slabs of pure metal Sn and ceramic SnO2 are irradiated with 1.06 μm, 8 ns Nd：YAG laser pulses. Fast photography employing an intensified charge coupled device （ICCD）, optical emission spectroscopy （OES）, and optical time of flight emission spectroscopy are used as diagnostic tools. Our results show that the Sn plasma provides a higher extreme ultraviolet （EUV） conversion efficiency （CE） than the SnO2 plasma. However, the kinetic energies of Sn ions are relatively low compared with those of SnO2. OES studies show that the Sn plasma parameters （electron temperature and density） are lower compared to those of the SnO2 plasma. Furthermore, we also give the effects of the vacuum degree and the laser pulse energy on the plasma parameters.

A Fokker-Planck Code for Laser-Produced Plasmas

A Fokker-Planck code is developed based upon Epperlein＇s scheme to investigate laser-produced plasmas in relevance to inertial confinement fusion. The equations are integrated implicitly by time-splitting method. Three test problems are simulated to show the versatility of the code. The results are in good agreement with the existing simulations.

Fabrication of YAG:Ce^(3+) and YAG:Ce^(3+),Sc^(3+) Phosphors by Spark Plasma Sintering Technique

In this study,a single-doped phosphors yttrium aluminum garnet(Y_(3)Al_(5)O_(12),YAG):Ce^(3+),single-doped YAG:Sc^(3+),and double-doped phosphors YAG:Ce^(3+),Sc^(3+) were prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS)(lower than 1 200℃).The characteristics of synthesized phosphors were determined using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and fluorescence spectroscopy.During SPS,the lattice structure of YAG was maintained by the added Ce^(3+) and Sc^(3+).The emission wavelength of YAG:Ce^(3+) prepared from SPS(425-700 nm) was wider compared to that of YAG:Ce^(3+) prepared from high-temperature solid-state reaction(HSSR)(500-700 nm).The incorporation of low-dose Sc^(3+) in YAG:Ce^(3+) moved the emission peak towards the short wavelength.

Measurement and analysis of the extreme ultraviolet emission band of laser-produced antimony plasmas

The temporal evolution of extreme ultraviolet(EUV)emission spectra of laser-produced antimony(Sb)plasmas has been measured in the 7-16 nm wavelength region using spatio?temporally resolved lase-produced plasma spectroscopy technique.The spectral profiles involve an intense quasi-continuous band with superimposed intense characteristic radiation and are different with the increase of delay time.The spectral structures were also analyzed according to Hartree-Fock calculations with configuration interaction effects and contributed from 4d^4/;4d-4p,and 4d-5f unresolved transition arrays of Sb7*-Sb131.A steady-state collisionalradiative model was used to estimate the electron temperature and density range of Sb plasmas.This work would enrich the spectral data of highly-charged ions and provided a possible selection for developing EUV light sources.

Influence of heating effect in Thomson scattering diagnosis of laser-produced plasmas in air

A state diagnosis of laser-produced plasma in air generated by a 1064 nm pulse laser was investigated by the Thomson scattering(TS)method.The evolutions of the electron temperature and electron density were obtained as a function of the time delay which ranged from 300-3200 ns.The heating effect produced by the 532 nm probe beam with different energies on the air plasma at different interaction times was further studied using a time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy technique.The influence of the probe beam on the electron density was found to be negligible,whereas its influence on electron temperature is evident.In addition,the heating effect of the probe beam on the plasma strongly depends on the energy of the probe beam,and gradually weakens with increasing time delay.Our results are helpful for further understanding the TS method and its application in plasma diagnostics.

Analysis of extreme ultraviolet spectra of laser-produced Cd plasmas

In order to provide detailed information about Cd structure and gain more insight regarding ionization degrees and types of transition,as well as the understanding of the temporal evolution behavior of laser produced Cd plasmas,extreme ultraviolet spectra of laser-produced cadmium(Cd)plasmas have been measured in the 8.4-12 nm region using spatiotemporally resolved laser-produced plasma spectroscopy technique.Spectral features were analyzed by the Hartree-Fock(HF)method with relativistic correlations(HFR)using the Cowan code.The results showed that the 4p-5s resonance transition arrays from Cd^9+to Cd^13+merged to form intense lines in this spectral region.A number of new spectral features from Cd^9+and Cd^10+ions are reported in this study.Based on the assumption of a normalized Boltzmann distribution among the excited states associated with a steady-state collisional-radiative model,the plasma parameters were obtained by comparing the experimental and simulated spectra.As a result,we succeeded in reproducing the synthetic spectra for different time delays,which yielded good agreement with the experiments.The temporal evolution behaviors of electron temperature and electron density of plasma were also analyzed.

Time-resolved spectroscopy for 5s^('4)D_(7/2) state transitions undergoing electron–ion recombination in femtosecond laser-produced copper plasma

In the femtosecond laser-produced Cu-plasma, the transient transition dynamics that the excited state 5s4D7/2 via electron-ion recombination transfers to 4p4F9/20 （465.11 nm, Λ1 line） and 4p4D7/20 （529.25 nm, Λ2 line） states are investigated by using the time-resolved spectroscopy. The occupation number and relevant lifetime of the excited state 5s4D7/2, the temporal evolutions of spectral intensities for Λ1 line and Λ2 line emissions are demonstrated to be in direct proportion to the employed laser intensity, which reveals the transient features of transition dynamics clearly differing from that resulted in the traditional collision excitation. Furthermore, some unique characteristics for Λ1 and Λ2 transitions stemming from electron-ion recombination are examined in detail.

Effect of dielectronic recombination on charge-state distribution in laser-produced plasma based on steady-state collisional-radiative models

Armed with four different steady-state collisional-radiative(CR) models,we investigated the effect of dielectronic recombination(DR) on the charge-state distribution in laser-produced silicon plasma. To assess this effect,we performed a series of temporally resolved spectra of highly charged Si ions in the extreme ultraviolet region.Ab initio calculations of the DR rate coefficients were done for Si^(6+)–Si^(4+) ions. We also analyzed the evolution of the collisional ionization, radiative recombination, three-body recombination, photo-ionization, and DR rate coefficients as a function of electron temperature. The electron temperature and electron density for different delay times were obtained by comparing the normalized experimental and simulated spectra. The ion fraction and average charge state from the four different CR models were also obtained. The results indicate that the DR process has a greater influence in the stage of plasma evolution that cannot be neglected in plasma diagnoses.

Spectral Efficiency of Extreme Ultraviolet Emission from CO_2 Laser-Produced Tin Plasma Using a Grazing Incidence Flat-Field Spectrograph

A grazing incidence flat-field spectrograph using a concave grating was constructed to measure extreme ultraviolet （EUV） emission from a CO 2 laser-produced tin plasma throughout the wavelength region of 5 nm to 20 nm for lithography. Spectral efficiency of the EUV emission around 13.5 nm from plate, cavity, and thin foil tin targets was studied. By translating the focusing lens along the laser axis, the dependence of EUV spectra on the amount of defocus was investigated. The results showed that the spectral efficiency was higher for the cavity target in comparison to the plate or foil target, while it decreased with an increase in the defocus distance. The source＇s spectra and the EUV emission intensity normalized to the incident pulse energy at 45 from the target normal were characterized for the in-band （2% of bandwidth） region as a function of laser energy spanning from 46 mJ to 600 mJ for the pure tin plate target. The energy normalized EUV emission was found to increase with the increasing incident pulse energy. It reached the optimum value for the laser energy of around 343 mJ, after which it dropped rapidly.

Effects of current density on microstructure and properties of plasma electrolytic oxidation ceramic coatings formed on 6063 aluminum alloy

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) ceramic coatings were fabricated in a silicate-based electrolyte with the addition of potassium fluorozirconate (K2ZrF6) on 6063 aluminum alloy, and the effects of current density on microstructure and properties of the PEO coatings were studied. It was found that pore density of the coatings decreased with increasing the current density. The tribological and hardness tests suggested that the ceramic coating produced under the current density of 15 A/dm2showed the best mechanical property, which matched well with the phase analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization curves proved that the coating obtained under 15 A/dm2 displayed the best anti-corrosion property, which was directly connected with morphologies of coatings.

Effects of electrical parameters and their interactions on plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings on aluminum substrates

Based on orthogonal experiments,the effects of voltage,frequency,duty ratio and their interactions on the thickness and corrosion resistance of coatings prepared by plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)on aluminum in an alkaline silicate-containing electrolyte were investigated.The thicknesses of these coatings were obtained by measuring their cross-section using Image J software.Their corrosion resistances were evaluated in HCl and NaCl media through spot test and electrochemical test.The results show that the experimental design of this study is the key to investigate the interactions among these electrical parameters.Additionally,not only each independent factor,but also their interactions exhibit a remarkable influence on the coatings.The combination of high voltage,low frequency and large duty ratio significantly increases the coating thickness and content of the corrosion resistance phase,and thus improves the corrosion resistance of the coating in HNO3 medium.Conversely,the coating possessing the densest microstructure and best corrosion resistance in NaCl medium is obtained when low voltage and high frequency match with a small duty ratio.

Characteristics of arc in variable polarity plasma arc welding of aluminum alloy

A double invert variable polarity plasma arc （VPPA） power source based on 16-bit MCU applied for aluminum alloys was developed. Mechanics, electrical and the produced heat mechanism of VPPAW arc were tested and analyzed. Results indicate that during the VPPA welding procedure of aluminum alloy, the arc of electrode negative （EN） has more effect on force, whereas the arc of electrode positive （ EP ） has more effect on heat. It should be noted that keeping the balance of the force and heat is the critical element of VPPAW. This power source had been successfully used to weld aluminum alloy with a 15 mm thickness in vertical welding. The conclusions are applicable to the variable polarity plasma arc welding technique used in the aerospace industry.

Graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Graphene-reinforced 7055 aluminum alloy composites with different contents of graphene were prepared by spark plasma sintering（SPS）. The structure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Testing results show that the hardness, compressive strength, and yield strength of the composites are improved with the addition of 1wt% graphene. A clean, strong interface is formed between the metal matrix and graphene via metallurgical bonding on atomic scale. Harmful aluminum carbide（Al_4C_3） is not formed during SPS processing. Further addition of graphene（above 1wt%） results in the deterioration in mechanical properties of the composites. The agglomeration of graphene plates is exacerbated with increasing graphene content, which is the main reason for this deterioration.

Mechanical properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced 7075 aluminum alloy composite fabricated by spark plasma sintering

A 0.3wt%graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)reinforced 7075 aluminum alloy matrix(7075 Al)composite was fabricated by spark plasma sintering and its strength and wear resistance were investigated.The microstructures of the internal structure,the friction surface,and the wear debris were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and Raman spectroscopy.Compared with the original 7075 aluminum alloy,the hardness and elastic modulus of the 7075 Al/GNPs composite were found to have increased by 29%and 36%,respectively.The results of tribological experiments indicated that the composite also exhibited a lower wear rate than the original 7075 aluminum alloy.

A Steam-Plasma Igniter for Aluminum Powder Combustion

High-temperature ignition is essential for the ignition and combustion of energetic metal fuels, including aluminum and magnesium particles which are protected by their high- melting-temperature oxides. A plasma torch characterized by an ultrahigh-temperature plasma plume fulfills such high-temperature ignition conditions. A new steam plasma igniter is designed and successfully validated by aluminum power ignition and combustion tests. The steam plasma rapidly stabilizes in both plasma and steam jet modes. Parametric investigation of the steam plasma jet is conducted in terms of arc strength. A high-speed camera and an oscilloscope method visualize the discharge characteristics, and optical emission spectroscopy measures the thermochemical properties of the plasma jet. The diatomic molecule OH fitting method, the Boltzmann plot method, and short exposure capturing with an intensified charge coupled device record the axial distributions of the rotational gas temperature, excitation temperature, and OH radical distribution, respectively. The excitation temperature at the nozzle tip is near 5500 K, and the gas temperature is 5400 K.

Plasma Treatment of Aluminum Using a Surface Barrier Discharge Operated in Air and Nitrogen: Parameter Optimization and Related Effects

This paper presents the results of aluminum surface treatment by diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge. The goals are to study the effectiveness of the plasma treatment and the dependence of its efficiency on operation parameters, such as sample-to-electrode distance, treatment time or gas atmosphere. Three types of aluminum materials （bricks, sheets and thin films） were tested to ensure the reliability of the treatment. The changes in the surface properties were characterized by the surface free energy, atomic force microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （ATR FTIR） and X-ray photoelectron spec- troscopy （XPS）. The influence of aging effect on the treatment was also measured and discussed.

Effect of Current Density on Microstructure and Corrosion Behavior of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coated 6063 Aluminum Alloy

Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO) coatings were fabricated on 6063 aluminum alloy in a cheap and convenient electrolyte. The effect of different current densities, i e, 5, 10, 15, and 20 A/dm2on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of coatings was comprehensively studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), stereoscopic microscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS), respectively. It is found that the pore density decreases and the pore size increases with increasing current density. The XRD results show that the coatings are only composed of α-Al2O3and γ-Al2O3. Potentiodynamic polarization test proves that the coating formed under 10 A/dm2possesses the best anticorrosion property. The long time EIS test shows that the coating under 10 A/dm2is able to protect the aluminum alloy substrate after long time of immersion in 0.59 M NaCl solution, which confirms the salt solution immersion test results in 2 M NaCl solution.