Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for In-Vacuum Extreme-Ultraviolet (EUV) Camera

STATEMENT OF WORK Title: In-vacuum EUV Camera Lab: PML, 685   BACKGROUND INFORMATION  The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Sensor Science Division (SSD) within the Physical Measurement Laboratory is developing a novel facility for Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Scatterometry located at the Synchrotron Ultraviolet Research facility (SURF III) as part of the CHIPS mission of developing new metrology techniques for enabling the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices. Realization of the technique will provide semiconductor manufacturers access to new techniques for evaluating printed patterns on device wafers as well as evaluating the performance of materials in the EUV and Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength ranges. The problem being solved by these EUV techniques is the non-destructive measurement of nanoscale patterned features in support of the American semiconductor industry. To meet mission requirements, the SSD needs to procure a camera for vacuum- and extreme-ultraviolet (VUV and EUV) light as a component for a new experimental apparatus. This acquisition will allow the SSD to expand its measurement capabilities using VUV and EUV diffractometry in support of the CHIPS R&D Metrology Program's Grand Challenge 2 to advance metrology for future microelectronics manufacturing and project 2.07, “EUV Scatterometry.” The application of the required camera is in the accurate reconstruction of dimensional information from the nondestructive reflection and diffraction off a sample under test. Specifically, for VUV and EUV diffractometry, the apparatus will require a four-megapixel charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that can be placed within an ultra-high vacuum chamber. In our diffractometry, the distribution of intensities among diffraction orders can be utilized to determine the dimensions of periodic structures such as semiconductor transistors. To meet this objective there are several functional requirements upon the camera. As the EUV requires a vacuum for meaningful transmission, this necessitates in-vacuum operation of the camera sensor. Also, diffraction angles will be varied thus the camera must be able to be positioned within the vacuum chamber; a flange-founded camera will not suffice. The camera must be sensitive to VUV and EUV light in the 10 nm to 150 nm wavelength range, and quantum efficiency (QE) specifications are provided below. Other considerations include noise reduction (using cooling), the shot noise of the camera sensor, and the size of the camera sensor and its number of pixels to adequately capture these higher order diffraction patterns. PURPOSE The SSD is developing a new, NIST patented capability to perform non-destructive optical measurements of the sizes of smallest features in computer chips (its transistors) for industrial process control. The SSD is using extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths, 10x shorter than those used by the industry today, as current optical approaches using visible and UV wavelengths cannot adequately measure future semiconductor transistors. The SSD’s CHIPS project is building this EUV instrumentation, requiring the acquisition of an in-vacuum EUV camera that will capture diffracted intensity patterns with low noise, thus reducing sources of uncertainties in these dimensional measurements.   MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall provide a system that meets all technical specifications identified below. All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered. The use of “gray market” components are not acceptable. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Vacuum requirements: Components exposed to vacuum (The in-vacuum EUV camera, its cabling, its water hoses, its vacuum feedthrough) shall be compatible with an ultra-high vacuum system, defined here as having a base pressure below 10^(-9) Torr. No greases of any kind are allowed. The camera shall be able to connect electrically to external electronics and power supplies through its vacuum feedthrough. The vacuum feedthrough is addressed as Line Item 0003. Electronics requirements: The camera shall have vacuum-compatible cabling and hoses at least 60 cm (24 inches) long (extensions OK) with connectors compatible with the vacuum feedthrough. Cabling shall be provided between external electronics and the feedthrough. The power supply shall accept 120 VAC, 60 Hz. Cabling shall be provided between the external electronics and a NIST-provided computer (e.g., USB, ethernet, etc.) for the electronic capture of images and computerized control of the camera. Software requirements: LabView VI’s SDK and generic GUI (Windows) required. Python SDK requested as an option, Line Item 0005. Condition and packaging: Camera and in-vacuum accessories must be cleaned and bagged for ultra-high-vacuum service. Line Item 0001: Description: In-vacuum EUV Camera Quantity: 1 Technical Specifications The sensor of the camera will be a charged-coupled device (CCD). The CCD sensor of the camera will have a minimum of 2048 pixels x 2048 pixels. Captured images will show no more than 1000 pixels in the 2048 pixel by 2048 pixel array that deviate more than 6 standard deviations from the mean intensity (e.g., “white pixels,” “black pixels”, etc.) The typical dark current of the camera must be no greater than 0.015 electrons per pixel per second. Dark current is rate of generation of thermal electrons at a given CCD temperature. The quantum efficiency of the CCD Sensor of the Camera is known to be dependent upon the energy of the photon and minimum values per wavelength (energy) are tabulated below denoted as specifications A.e.1, A.e.2, etc. Quantum efficiency (QE) is the measure of the effectiveness o…