ADAPT: A Set of Adaptive Algorithms for Optimizing Excimer Laser Availability and Power Consumption

Excimer lasers are a critical component of modern lithography, with fine light beam quality (in terms of wavelength, line width, and energy) of extreme importance for wafer etching accuracy. However existing works in this field concentrate on control strategies for these beam parameters. In this paper, we consider a suite of adaptive algorithms called ADAPT that work over these lower-level control strategies to optimize laser performance as well as ensure higher laser availability and energy savings for the chipmakers. In particular, we consider three diverse algorithms including smart Gas Life Extension (sGLX), smart Gas Temperature Control (sGTC), and smart Absolute Wavelength Reference (sAWR) that dynamically change reference parameters for the lowerlevel controllers without sacrificing productivity. We study the exact concept and design of these adaptive algorithms and the corresponding savings generated.