Applied Optics and JOSA A Joint Feature Issue on Lithography

2014 ADVANCES IN LITHOGRAPHY

Submission Opens: 1 June 2014

Submission Deadline: 1 August 2014

Optical projection lithography has been the key technology for the ongoing miniaturization in semiconductor devices over the past 40 years. Shorter wavelengths, larger numerical apertures and various resolution enhancement techniques, including phase shift masks, application specific illumination techniques, rule and model-based mask layout corrections, and computational lithography have enabled the reduction of minimum feature sizes from micrometers for early generations to less than 30 nm nowadays. Although many non-optical lithography approaches have been introduced, none of them have been proven ready to replace projection optical lithography. Further advancements of optical lithography have become increasingly difficult, especially considering the stringent economic requirements of semiconductor fabrication. The reduction of the exposure wavelength from DUV (193) nm to EUV (13.5) nm introduces potential improvement in imaging performance, but still faces several large technical challenges including the availability of sufficiently bright and stable light sources, a defect-free mask infrastructure, and solutions to high-NA issues. Advances in semiconductor fabrication and other areas of nanotechnology require novel patterning approaches as well, introducing 3D patterning to the current challenges of optical lithography. Innovation is necessary as existing methods may prove insufficient to meet the needs of these new technologies.

OSA is soliciting papers on advances in optical lithography to be published in coordinated issues of Applied Optics and JOSA A. All approaches to advanced optical lithography are of interest including, but not limited to, projection by refractive, reflective, and diffractive optics; EUV lithography; interference lithography; laser direct-write; near-field methods; and nonlinear optical techniques such as STED lithography, two-photon lithography, and quantum lithography. Papers on all applications of lithography are welcome including fabrication of integrated circuits, MEMS, flat panel displays; and photonic, diffractive, nanoptical, plasmonic, microfluidic, and biomedical devices. Research topics of interest include:

• Novel resolution enhancement techniques for next generation applications including far-field (projection) and near-field approaches as well as nonlinear optical techniques.
• Optical design, manufacturing, alignment, characterization and test of lithographic imaging systems and sub-components, including light sources, masks, illumination and projection optics for DUV and EUV.
• Computational lithography including efficient modeling of light scattering from sub-wavelength patterns on masks and wafers, partial coherent image computation for high NA systems, and photochemical models.
• Application of advanced optimization techniques in lithography including optimization of source, mask, and pupil; inverse lithography optimization of 3D geometries and material combinations for lithographic masks and wafers.

Papers should be submitted to either Applied Optics or JOSA A. Papers appropriate for the JOSA A section of the special issue should report important new findings related to the science of lithography. Papers appropriate for the Applied Optics section of the special issue are related to applications-centered research in lithography. Articles should concentrate on moving the potential of science and technology to the practical. All articles should be original and significant contributions to the field, and placed in the proper context.

Manuscripts must be prepared according to the usual standards for submission to Applied Optics and JOSA A; see the Information for Contributors in any printed issue or the OSA Style Guide. Manuscripts must also be uploaded through OSA's electronic submission system. Please specify that the manuscript is for the Advances In Lithography feature (choose from the feature issue drop-down menu). Upon acceptance, papers will appear in their respective print journals and will also be published online. A combined table of contents of papers in JOSA A and Applied Optics will also appear in OSA Publishing in late November/early December 2014.

Feature Editors

Applied Optics Bruce Smith, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA (Lead Editor) Rongguang Liang, University of Arizona, USA

JOSA A Andreas Erdmann, Fraunhofer IISB, Germany (Lead Editor) Apo Sezginer, KLA-Tencor, USA