The operation of the DC-to-AC radiation converter (DARC) in the sub-THz region is confirmed. A relativistic ionization front which is created by a loosely focused of Ti:sapphire laser pulse propagating through a capacitor array of period d = 0.2 cm with a gas pressure between 1 and 200 Pa. The maximum frequency of the generated emission is determined to be in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 THz by using several diodes.

SUMMARYWe have studied self‐absorption effects of a laser‐produced plasma (LPP) source at 6.x nm as a function of laser pulse duration and viewing angle. The spectral profiles are shown to have a strong dependence on the viewing angle. Absorption effects are less pronounced when a 150‐ps pulse duration is used due to reduced opacity resulting from plasma expansion. Conversion efficiencies and ion energies are also measured as a function of laser pulse duration and laser power density. A maximum conversion efficiency of 0.4% within a 0.6% bandwidth was measured, and lower ion kinetic energy was observed. It is concluded that in order to reduce self‐absorption effects and ion yields, and increase conversion efficiencies, a short pulse duration should be used.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra from gold laser produced plasmas were recorded in the 1-7 nm region using two Nd: YAG lasers with pulse lengths of 150 ps and 10 ns, respectively, operating at a range of power densities. The maximum focused peak power density was 9.5 x 10(13) W cm(-2) for the former and 5.3 x 10(12) W cm(-2) for the latter. Two intense quasicontinuous intensity bands resulting from n = 4-n = 4 and n = 4-n = 5 unresolved transition arrays dominate the 4-5.5 and 1.5-3.6 nm regions of both spectra. Comparison with atomic structure calculations performed with the Cowan suite of atomic structure codes as well as consideration of previous experimental and theoretical results aided identification of the most prominent features in the spectra. For the ns spectrum, the highest ion stage that could be identified from the n = 4-n = 5 arrays was Au28+ while for the ps plasma the presence of significantly higher stages was deduced and lines due to 4d(10)4f-4d(9)4f(2) transitions in Ag-like Au32+ give rise to the strongest observed features within the n = 4-n = 4 array while in the n = 4-n = 5 array it was possible to identify a number of previously unidentified spectral features as resulting from 4f-5g transitions in the spectra of Au XX to Au XXXIII.

In 2009 industry announced that sources would be needed at 6.x nm for future lithography. The brightest sources in this wavelength region are plasmas containing gadolinium and terbium. The strongest lines result from 4d-4f lines in the spectra of Ag-like Gd XVIII and Tb XIX through Rh-like Gd XX and Tb XXI. Assuming collisional radiative equilibrium, the optimum plasma temperature for producing these species is expected to be in the range 100-130 eV. Time integrated experimental spectra have been recorded with a variety of lasers and a maximum measured conversion efficiency (CE) for 150 ps pulses was 0.4%. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission was observed to be anisotropic while the ion energy decreases with decreasing pulse length. The optimum laser intensity for efficient 6.7 nm EUV emission was determined to be close to 7x10(13) W cm(-2), which gives an electron temperature of similar to 130 eV. The use of prepulses increases the CE which is limited by plasma opacity. To improve radiation transport low initial density targets and/or low electron density plasmas such as CO2 LPPs are required.

Recent work on multilayer mirror development for beyond extreme ultraviolet lithography indicates that their optimum reflectivity occurs at either 6.63 nm or 6.66 nm which may be too short a wavelength for Gd-based plasma sources. Calculations performed for Tb12+ to Tb28+ ions show that if the mirror reflectivity is fixed at one of these values, Tb may be a better source, though Gd is capable of providing greater intensity if the full reflection curve of the mirrors is exploited. Theoretical simulation shows that the Tb emission peaks close to 6.51 nm at an optimum electron temperature close to 120 eV.

We have demonstrated the effect of viewing angle on the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission spectra of gadolinium (Gd) near 6.7 nm. The spectra are shown to have a strong dependence on viewing angle when produced with a laser pulse duration of 10 ns, which may be attributed to absorption by low ion stages of Gd and an angular variation in the ion distribution. Absorption effects are less pronounced at a 150-ps pulse duration due to reduced opacity resulting from plasma expansion. Thus for evaluating source intensity, it is necessary to allow for variation with both viewing angle and target orientation.

We have reported the argon (Ar) plasma waveguide produced in an alumina (Al2O3) capillary discharge and used to guide ultrashort laser pulses at intensities of the order of 1016 W/cm2. The electron density in the plasma waveguide was measured to be 1×1018 cm−3, in agreement with one-dimensional magnetrohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The MHD code was also used to evaluate the degree of ionization of argon (Ar) in the preformed plasma waveguide. The maximum ion charge state of Ar3+ in capillary discharge was measured and obtained in the MHD simulations. The spectrum of the propagated laser pulse in the Ar plasma waveguide was not modified and was well reproduced by a particle-in-cell simulations under initial ion charge state of Ar3+ in the preformed plasma waveguide. The optimum timing for the laser pulse injection was around 150 ns after initiation of a discharge with a peak current of 200 A.

Recent increases in reflectance at 6.x nm of La/B4C multilayer mirrors has led to the adoption of this wavelength for the development of future sources for lithography. The emission from laser produced plasmas of Gd and Tb emit strongly in this wavelength region. The transitions responsible and the optimum plasma conditions for optimum emission have been identified both theoretically and experimentally.

We demonstrate a table-top strong band emission water window source based on laser-produced high-Z plasmas. Resonance emission from multiply charged ions merges to produce intense unresolved transition arrays in the 2 to 4 nm region, extending below the carbon K edge (4.37 nm). Arrays resulting from n = 4-n = 4 transitions are overlaid with n = 4-n = 5 emission and shift to shorter wavelength with increasing atomic number. Under spectral analysis a guideline for microscope construction design for single-shot live cell imaging is proposed based on the use of a bismuth plasma source, coupled with multilayer mirror optics.

In this work we present results on the influence of laser pulse duration and irradiating power density on the conversion efficiency (CE) and the ion energy of gadolinium (Gd) laser produced plasmas. Three lasers were used with 10 ns, 150 ps and 140 fs pulse durations. By varying the lasers output energies, experiments could be carried out for a power density range of 1011 - 1015 W/cm2. A maximum CE of 0.4% was achieved within a 0.6% bandwidth in 2π steradians using the picosecond laser. A faraday cup was used to calculate ion yield and time of flight measurements of each laser. The picosecond laser also showed a reduction in the ion time of flight measurements compared with the nanosecond pulse.

We demonstrate an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source for operation at λ = 6.7 nm by optimizing the optical thickness of gadolinium (Gd) plasmas. Using low initial density Gd targets and dual laser pulse irradiation, we observed a maximum EUV conversion efficiency (CE) of 0.54% for 0.6% bandwidth (BW) (1.8% for 2%BW), which is 1.6 times larger than the 0.33% (0.6%BW) CE produced from a solid density target. Enhancement of the EUV CE by use of a low-density plasma is attributed to the reduction of self-absorption effects.

We demonstrate a table-top broadband emission water window source based on laser-produced high-Z plasmas. Resonance emission from multiply charged ions merges to produce intense unresolved transition arrays (UTAs) in the 2–4 nm region, extending below the carbon K edge (4.37 nm). Arrays resulting from n=4-n=4 transitions are overlaid with n=4-n=5 emission and shift to shorter wavelength with increasing atomic number. An outline of a microscope design for single-shot live cell imaging is proposed based on a bismuth plasma UTA source, coupled to multilayer mirror optics.

We have demonstrated an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source at 6.7 nm by irradiating Gd targets with 0.8 and 1.06 μm laser pulses of 140 fs to 10 ns duration. Maximum conversion efficiency of 0.4% was observed within a 0.6% bandwidth. A Faraday cup observed ion yield and time of flight signals for ions from plasmas generated by each laser. Ion kinetic energy was lower for shorter pulse durations, which yielded higher electron temperatures required for efficient EUV emission, due to higher laser intensity. Picosecond laser pulses were found to be the best suited to 6.7 nm EUV source generation.

We have characterized a discharge-produced potassium plasma extreme ultraviolet (XUV) source. Potassium ions produced strong broadband emission around 40 nm with a bandwidth of 8 nm (full width at half-maximum). By comparison with atomic structure calculations, the broadband emission is found to be primarily due to 3d–3p transitions in potassium ions ranging from K2+ to K4+. The current-voltage characteristics of the microdischarge suggest that the source operates in a hollow cathode mode and consequently the emitting ions may be localized on the potassium electrode surface at the hole into the capillary. To understand the spectral behavior from the potassium plasmas we compared the spectra from the discharge-produced plasma with that from a laser-produced plasma. The spectra from the different (electric and laser) plasmas at the same electron temperature (12 eV) were almost the same. This compact capillary XUV source with a photon energy of 30 eV is a useful XUV emission source for surface morphology applications.