EUV component and system characterization at NIST for the support of extreme-ultraviolet lithography

There are many obstacles in the path to the commercialization of EUV lithography including optics lifetime and source power. The Photon Physics Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has programs to support the extreme-ultraviolet source and optics development community in their efforts to meet the needs of lithography tool makers. Extreme-ultraviolet detector and optics metrology have been key elements of the Photon Physics Group program for over a decade, and this program has expanded recently to allow the calibration of assembled instruments for source development metrology. This program also includes a dedicated beamline for the exposure of multilayer optics in a low-pressure water atmosphere to test the performance of optics under irradiation conditions similar to those expected in a stepper's projection optics box. In this paper we will outline our programs in multilayer optics testing and at-wavelength detector and optics metrology including descriptions of facilities, capabilities and future plans to further support the efforts to commercialize this important technology.