A review of the performance of the vacuum spark (VSX) and the spherical pinch (SPX) X-ray/EUV point sources

Summary form only given. The technology of X-ray/EUV point plasma sources is competing with the multiple beam synchrotrons as radiation sources for submicron lithography. The company ALFT has been doing research and development on two plasma point sources for several years now. They are the vacuum spark (VSX) and spherical pinch (SPX) technologies. Both have a long history of previous research to support the contention that are well qualified to be converted into technological tools for the manufacturing of the next generation of chips. The VSX is essentially a miniature discharge capable of emitting soft X-ray radiation. Because the radiation is emitted in small dose in each spark, it is necessary to repeat the phenomenon at high frequency in order to have a quasi-continuous wave. Over a long time, the soft X-ray power distribution will be nearly uniform, thus meeting the requirement for microlithography. The SPX is mainly a strong source of EUV radiation that operates at a frequency of one hertz or more.