Extreme ultraviolet lithography’s path to manufacturing

The origins of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and its progress toward readiness for manufacturing are recounted. Source power and reliability and mask defects are known items requiring additional improvement before EUV lithography will be suitable for use in the volume manufacturing of integrated circuits. Additional cycles of learning, as obtained from pilot line operation, will greatly accelerate the maturation of EUV lithography and enable its use in manufacturing as early as 2013.