Lasertec Corporation has developed a high-brightness extreme ultraviolet (EUV) plasma light source, URASHIMA. Also, the company announced that it will adopt the new light source for its products.

In 2019, Lasertec released the world’s first actinic EUV patterned mask inspection system, ACTIS A150. Today, A150 has been adopted among mask shops and wafer fabs around the world. Moreover, it is recognized as an indispensable tool in the manufacturing and qualification of EUV masks for the production of leading-edge semiconductors. The company will install URASHIMA on the ACTIS-Series actinic EUV patterned inspection systems for further performance improvement.

URASHIMA is a laser-produced-plasma (LPP) light source that produces EUV light by hitting laser pulses at liquified tin rotating at high speed. It offers an optimized design for the ACTIS optics to minimize heat load and prevent damage on pellicles. Also, it is used to achieve high-brightness through-pellicle mask inspection.

One of the key challenges for a tin-based EUV light source is debris mitigation. URASHIMA is a debris-free light source that uses a Lasertec-proprietary debris mitigation system to prevent mask contamination. Also, it prevents contamination of illumination optics and achieves higher productivity. Lasertec will develop unique solutions and contribute to the quality enhancement and productivity improvement of EUV lithography.