Investigations on plasma physics for an extreme ultraviolet lithography based on laser-produced high-Z plasmas

We will present experimental and numerical investigations on the plasma physics dominating generation and transport of in-band (2% bandwidth) 13.5 nm EUV emission in laser-produced Sn-based plasmas. Atomic data for Sn at the temperature (30–60 eV) of interest to 13.5 nm EUV emission generation, have rarely been benchmarked by experiment. Plasma physics of the EUV Sn plasmas, including radiation transport and hydrodynamic expansion etc, have never been understood completely and are still critical barriers to design a practical EUVL source.