EUV lithography with the Alpha Demo Tools: status and challenges

ASML has built and shipped to The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany (CNSE) and IMEC two full field step-and-scan exposure tools for extreme ultraviolet lithography. These tools, known as Alpha Demo Tools (ADT), will be used for process development and to set the foundation for the commercialization of this technology. In this paper we will present results from the set-up and integration of both ADT systems, status of resist and reticles for EUV, and the plans for using these tools at the two research centers. We will also present the first resist images from one of the tools at the customer site, and demonstrate 32nm half-pitch dense lines/spaces printing as well as 32nm dense contact hole printing.