Advancing semiconductor patterning with EUV hyper NA: opportunities and challenges

Enhanced chip performance and miniaturization in the semiconductor industry are driven by improved lithographic capabilities, such as those of lithography systems with larger Numerical Aperture (NA). The emerging high NA Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) lithography scanners increase the NA from 0.33 to 0.55, enabling continued shrink down to 8 nm half-pitch for lines/spaces. EUV systems with NA ≥ 0.75 (hyper NA) are being explored to support further cost-effective increases in device density. Our study demonstrates that hyper NA enables pattern shrink in advanced logic node designs projected in semiconductor roadmaps beyond 2030. However, the larger NA presents unique challenges, including enhanced mask-3D effects and reduced Depth of Focus at the wafer level. We address these challenges by focusing on imaging performance and the concerted efforts required by the lithography ecosystem.