193-nm full-field step-and-scan prototype at MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Optical lithography at a 193-nm exposure wavelength has been under development at MIT Lincoln Laboratory for several years, supported by ARPA's Advanced Lithography Program. As part of this program, a prototype 193-nm full-field step-and-scan lithographic exposure system was built and installed in the clean-room facilities of MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This exposure system has now been in use for one year, supporting a program of photoresist and lithographic process development at 193 nm. This paper describes the characteristics of the exposure system and some of the advances in 193-nm lithography that have been achieved with the system.