Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
13:44
Simulation, Fabrication and Characterization of THz Metamaterial Absorbers
Published on: December 27, 2012
Infrared suppression by hybrid EUV multilayer--IR etalon structures
V V Medvedev1, A E Yakshin, R W E van de Kruijs
1FOM Institute for Plasma Physics, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. medvedev@rijnhuizen.nl
Optics Letters
|September 3, 2011
Summary
A new multilayer mirror effectively reflects extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation while nearly eliminating infrared (IR) light. This innovation enhances monochromatic imaging, including EUV photolithography, by suppressing unwanted spectral components.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Conventional multilayer mirrors struggle to suppress unwanted spectral components in monochromatic imaging applications.
- Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (13.5 nm) requires specialized optics for applications like EUV photolithography.
- Infrared (IR) radiation (10.6 μm) can interfere with sensitive EUV imaging systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel multilayer mirror with high reflectance for EUV radiation.
- To achieve near-zero reflectance for IR radiation using the same mirror.
- To integrate this dual-functionality mirror into resonant quarter-wave structures for enhanced spectral filtering.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a multilayer mirror using alternating Boron Carbide (B4C) and Silicon (Si) layers via magnetron sputtering deposition.
- Characterization of mirror performance for both EUV (13.5 nm) and IR (10.6 μm) wavelengths.
- Integration of the multilayer coating into a resonant quarter-wave structure for IR suppression.
Main Results:
- The developed multilayer mirror exhibits a peak reflectance of 45% for EUV radiation at 13.5 nm with a Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) bandwidth of 0.284 nm.
- Demonstrated suppression of IR radiation by up to 3 orders of magnitude due to material transparency and resonant structure.
- Successful integration of the EUV multilayer within a resonant quarter-wave structure for IR filtering.
Conclusions:
- The developed B4C/Si multilayer mirror offers a viable solution for suppressing unwanted IR radiation in EUV applications.
- This technology can replace conventional multilayer mirrors, improving spectral purity in monochromatic imaging systems.
- The mirror's dual functionality makes it suitable for advanced applications such as EUV photolithography.
Related Concept Videos
01:21IR Absorption Frequency: Hybridization
Hydrocarbons such as alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes show characteristic C–H stretching absorption bands. These IR stretching frequencies depend on the hybridization of the involved carbon atom and can be explained in terms of the s character of each hybridized atomic orbital.
Among the sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridized orbitals, sp orbitals have the maximum s character (50%). Consequently, the electrons are held more closely to the nucleus, resulting in stronger and shorter C–H bonds that stretch at a...
Among the sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridized orbitals, sp orbitals have the maximum s character (50%). Consequently, the electrons are held more closely to the nucleus, resulting in stronger and shorter C–H bonds that stretch at a...
01:25IR Spectrometers
There are two main infrared (IR) spectrophotometers: dispersive IR spectrometers and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. In a dispersive IR spectrometer, a beam of infrared radiation produced by a hot wire is divided into two parallel equal-intensity beams using mirrors. One beam passes through the sample, while another is a reference beam. The beams then move through the monochromator, which separates the radiations into a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. The...
01:09Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy: Overview
When electromagnetic radiation passes through a material, atoms or molecules transition from a lower to a higher energy state by absorbing radiation corresponding to the energy difference between the two states. The absorption of infrared (IR) radiation causes transitions between vibrational energy levels in a molecule. Therefore, IR spectroscopy is a useful analytical tool for determining the molecular structure of molecules.
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...
01:14UV–Vis Spectrometers
The absorbance of UV and visible (UV–visible) radiations is measured using a UV–visible spectrophotometer. Deuterium lamps, which emit UV radiation, and tungsten lamps, which produce radiation in the visible region, are used as light sources in UV–visible spectrophotometers. A monochromator or prism is used for diffraction grating, i.e., to split the incoming radiation into different wavelengths. A system of slits is used to focus the desired wavelength on the sample cell. Samples for...