The Status of 157nm Lithography Development

This paper outlines the major challenges for the development of 157nm lithography. Most components are covered including lasers, masks, pellicles, and CaF2, with special emphasis on resist and contamination issues. In the area of contamination and cleaning, several different types are discussed: lens contamination by resist outgassing, contamination of CaF2 surfaces, resist contamination, and reticle contamination. The major issues for the implementation of 157nm lithography are pellicles, CaF2 supply and timing of resist.