The Alpha-Machine is a project aimed at demonstration of a lithography machine based on xenon EUV light source and optics at shorter than 13.5-nm wavelength, being currently developed at Institute for Physics of Microstructures and Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
This prototype machine is based on a discharge in xenon that, after optimization, has a potential to provide the conversion efficiency from laser to EUV light exceeding the record value reached in the available equipment for high-volume chip manufacturing.
A good performance of the xenon EUV source may be obtained in a rather broad pressure range. This range is limited by poor absorption of laser radiation at low gas densities and its refraction at high densities. EUV light will be collected and transported to an intermediate focus by a single Ru/Be mirror system with 72% reflectivity in 11.2±1% nm band. With the planned pulse repetition rate of 1.5 kHz, the average EUV power would be 5 W, which is still below the required level for a mass-production lithographer but suitable for a demo machine. This technical limitation may be overcome by increasing the pulse repetition rate up to 30 kHz, which seems feasible.
Feb. 2025 Physical Review Applied: https://www.researchgate.net/public...efficient_source_of_EUV_light_for_lithography
This prototype machine is based on a discharge in xenon that, after optimization, has a potential to provide the conversion efficiency from laser to EUV light exceeding the record value reached in the available equipment for high-volume chip manufacturing.
A good performance of the xenon EUV source may be obtained in a rather broad pressure range. This range is limited by poor absorption of laser radiation at low gas densities and its refraction at high densities. EUV light will be collected and transported to an intermediate focus by a single Ru/Be mirror system with 72% reflectivity in 11.2±1% nm band. With the planned pulse repetition rate of 1.5 kHz, the average EUV power would be 5 W, which is still below the required level for a mass-production lithographer but suitable for a demo machine. This technical limitation may be overcome by increasing the pulse repetition rate up to 30 kHz, which seems feasible.
Feb. 2025 Physical Review Applied: https://www.researchgate.net/public...efficient_source_of_EUV_light_for_lithography