Canon is currently conducting research on exposure equipment that exploits 13.5 nm-wavelength EUV (Extreme Ultra Violet) light to achieve higher-integration semiconductor devices.

Because this EUV exposure technology cannot use a lens-based refractive optical system, it employs a reflective system made up of ultrahigh-precision multilayer-coated mirrors. To create such a system, however, requires the development of various new elemental technologies, including equipment technology to put the entire apparatus in a vacuum because EUV light does not travel through air, nanometer-level positioning technology using a projection optical system consisting of six multilayer-coated mirrors, environmental control technology to prevent the contamination of the multilayer-coated mirrors, and ultrahigh precision processing technology for multilayer-coated mirrors. Canon is currently developing an EUV Small Field Exposure Tool (SFET) that incorporates a projection system with two mirrors, which will be made available to clients for use in resist-process development.

EUV exposure technology will make its introduction for 32 nm line widths, and is expected to propel miniaturization through to the 22 nm generation.

Structural Overview of EUV Stepper