INTENSE PULSED PLASMA X-RAY SOURCE FOR LITHOGRAPHY

The x-pinch soft x-ray source is described for application in submicron resolution lithography. Experiments have been performed to measure and characterize the radiation emitted from the magnesium wire x-pinch plasma using an 80 ns, less-than-or-equal-to 500 kA pulse. Soft x-ray yields of 14.2 J averaged over three independent calibrated diagnostics at 445 kA have been measured in magnesium K-shell radiation (predominantly 8.4-9.4 angstrom or 1.5-1.3 keV) from a submillimeter source, with as little as 5-10% of the yield below the 6.74 angstrom silicon absorption edge. Samples of high sensitivity x-ray resist have been exposed in as few as two pulses at a 10 cm distance. Observed scaling of the yield indicates the possibility of effectively exposing a resist at a distance of 40 cm using a < 750 kA pulser.