A review of excimer laser projection lithography

Excimer‐laser projection lithography now appears to be in a position to extend production optical techniques to dimensions approaching 0.25 μm. Such methods could well be the basis for the bulk of the advanced manufacturing capability in microelectronics over the next decade. This technology is reviewed with an eye to the state of the art and to the optical‐, resist‐, and materials‐engineering issues that it presents.