Dear Craig: I am copying herein your referenced article. I think it is very important, in fact that was the kind of info. I was expecting a press release on.
Extending Optical Lithography
A high-power, vacuum-ultraviolet light source is necessary for
semiconductor manufacturers to reach beyond the limits of the 193-nm
argon fluoride laser. The only real contender to date is the F2 laser,
with output at 157 nm. In a paper presented at the Semiconductor
Workshop in Nagano, Japan, in November, by Uwe Stamm of Lambda Physik, a
new record of output for the F2 laser was announced -15 W of average
power in single-line operation (22 W in broadband operation) at
repetition rates of 500 Hz. The narrow linewidth is of critical
importance, since chromatic aberration cannot be sufficiently corrected
with the optical systems that must be used in the VUV. Taken at its most
optimistic, this development may allow the lifetime of existing
lithography technology to be extended as far as 2010.
Lambda's breakthrough was achieved by combining the company's NovaTuber
all metal/ceramic tube construction together with a new, extremely
efficient discharge design. "We have a tremendous amount of experience
in engineering reliable, high-power laser sources for the deep
ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet. For example, we already have more
than 40 F2 lasers in the field," notes Dr. Dirk Basting, Lambda Physik's
founder and president.
Lambda Physik, Inc., 3201 West Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL
33309; tel: 954-486-1500; fax: 954-486-1501.
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I presume everyone knows that Lambda Physik is subsidiary of COHR. JDN |
