A Powerful Soft X-ray Source for X-ray Lithography Based on Plasma Focusing

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• Bochkov, V. D.
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• Veretennikov, V. A.
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• Vekhoreva, L. T.
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• Gribkov, V. A.
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• Dubrovskii, A. V.
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• Ivanov, Yu P.
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• Isakov, A. I.
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• Krokhin, O. N.
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• Lee, P.
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• Lee, S.
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• Nikulin, V. Ya
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• Serban, A.
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• Silin, P. V.
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• Feng, X.
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• Zhang, G. X.

Abstract

A source of soft X-ray emission (9-14Å) based on the miniature 15kJ plasma focus was developed and tested. The X-ray emission was channelled along the chamber axis through an opening in the inner electrode (anode). A regime with a mean output of more than 100 J per discharge was found. At a discharge current of 280kA and repetition rate of 3.5Hz achieved by the device, its lifetime was estimated to be 10⁷ commutations (about a year of continuous operation). A demonstration experiment on irradiation of an X-ray resist is discussed.