Three-dimensional simulation of laser-produced plasma for extreme ultraviolet lithography applications

Laser-produced plasma LPP from a tin target is being considered as the light source for the next generation of extreme ultraviolet EUV lithography. An integrated model was developed to simulate the plasma behavior and the EUV radiation output in LPP devices. The model includes plasma heat conduction and hydrodynamic processes in a two-temperature approximation, as well as detailed photon radiation transport using Monte Carlo methods. Multiple laser beams incident on a single target have been simulated in full three-dimensional geometry, using the total variation-diminishing scheme for the plasma hydrodynamics and an implicit scheme for heat conduction processes. Numerical simulations showed that EUV conversion efficiency increases for multiple-beam devices with specific optimum laser locations and direction compared to a single-beam device. © 2006 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2365717