High-NA EUV Optics – The key for miniaturization of integrated circuits in the next decade

Currently the industry is introducing EUV systems with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.33 for high volume production of advanced ICs. To prepare the next major milestone in resolution improvement, a new optical system is being developed to increase the NA to 0.55. New concepts are required to design the mirror optics, to measure and manufacture the multilayer mirrors, and to assemble and control the optical system. A highly flexible lossless illuminator allows to tune the imaging conditions for maximum image fidelity specific to the relevant structures.