Metrology
Short-Wavelength Light Sources for EUV Metrology
About
The Short-Wavelength Light Sources for EUV Metrology group uses novel materials to develop light sources in the extreme-ultraviolet to soft-X-ray range. These light sources can then be used for non-invasive precision measurements during the computer chip manufacturing process.
Research focus
We develop new types of compact light sources that emit extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) to soft-X-ray radiation, using advanced materials and tailored laser-matter interactions. Our goal is to create bright, stable and precisely tunable beams that can support the metrology needs of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. By improving how these short wavelengths are generated and controlled, we enable non-invasive, high-resolution measurements of ever-smaller features in computer chips and related nanostructures.
The wavelength of light determines the color of the light, but it also determines the lower limit of what can be seen using the light. As computer chip features continue to shrink according to Moore’s law, the resolution for measuring surface features and alignment during the manufacturing process needs to increase as well. Using light sources with very short wavelengths can contribute to higher resolution imaging. Our group focuses on generating light with wavelengths ranging from a few nanometers up to 100-200 nanometers, in the soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) ranges.
Our light sources will use laser interactions with novel materials such as liquids, layered solids, and two-dimensional heterostructures. The structure of material interfaces and electrical properties will allow tuning of the light that is emitted. For example, alternating layers of two different materials will interact differently with laser light than just one of those materials, due to both different internal structures and the interfaces between layers. This way, we gain access to a wider range of light emission sources.
Group members
Angana Mondal leads the group as a McGillavry fellow and Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam. She has made pioneering contributions to research on high-harmonic generation in liquids, and her current research interests expand on this to include diverse novel materials as potential short-wavelength light sources.
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