Abstract
We have implemented a reflected-light microscope operating in the deep ultraviolet at 193 nm. Many materials absorb strongly at this wavelength, providing greatly enhanced contrast compared with visible and near-ultraviolet microscopes. Polymer films as thin as 1 nm and films as thin as 3 nm have been imaged with this nonoptimized instrument. We have also calculated image contrast for several thin-film materials that are important in semiconductor processing, and we show that 193-nm light provides better contrast than visible light (500 nm) and better contrast than near-ultraviolet light (315 nm) for these materials.
© 2001 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Shi-Wei Chu, I-Hsiu Chen, Tzu-Ming Liu, Ping Chin Chen, Chi-Kuang Sun, and Bai-Ling Lin
Opt. Lett. 26(23) 1909-1911 (2001)
Gilles Tessier, Stéphane Holé, and Danièle Fournier
Opt. Lett. 28(11) 875-877 (2003)
De-Kui Qing, Ichirou Yamaguchi, Takayuki Okamoto, and Mari Yamamoto
Opt. Lett. 25(12) 914-916 (2000)