EUV and X-ray-sources

When extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray radiation is generated in the spectral range between 1 nm and 50 nm from dense, hot plasmas, powerful radiation sources can be designed in a compact size. In this context, Fraunhofer ILT is investigating both laser-produced (LPP) and discharge-produced plasmas (DPP).

For applications that require a particularly high brilliancy of the source, laser-produced plasmas are preferred. Discharge-produced plasmas, on the other hand, are characterized by their high efficiency in converting electrical energy into EUV light, their simple construction and, therefore, their cost-effectiveness.

ILT develops radiation sources that are nowadays used in EUV lithography to produce chips, to characterize optical systems and diagnostics, to test the service life of multilayer mirrors or to conduct defect inspection.