Demonstration of a ring-FEL as an EUV lithography tool

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) requires high-power, specific wavelength radiation sources.
• Current EUVL sources face limitations in power and beam quality.
• Fourth-generation storage rings offer extremely low emittance electron beams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the structure and function of a ring-free electron laser (FEL) as an EUVL radiation source.
• To evaluate the performance of a ring-FEL for EUVL applications.
• To simulate and analyze the feasibility of using a ring-FEL for high-power EUVL.

Main Methods:

• Designing a ring-FEL configuration with a 100m straight section.
• Utilizing an extremely low emittance beam from a fourth-generation storage ring.
• Performing simulations to assess average power and beam quality at 13.5 nm.

Main Results:

• The proposed ring-FEL design can achieve an average power of up to 1kW at 13.5 nm wavelength.
• The 100m straight section enables high power generation without degrading the electron beam in the storage ring.
• Simulation results confirm the viability of the ring-FEL as a powerful EUVL source.

Conclusions:

• A ring-FEL is a promising radiation source for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL).
• The integration of a 100m straight section with a fourth-generation storage ring beam is effective for high-power EUVL.
• Further development and experimental validation of this ring-FEL design are warranted.