Researchers from Utsunomiya University, RIKEN, The University of Tokyo, and Tohoku University, et al. have published “40% boost in extreme ultraviolet conversion efficiency via simultaneous dual-beam 2-µm laser irradiation”.
Abstract
“Scaling extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source power for next-generation lithography demands higher conversion efficiency (CE) at reduced per-pulse energies. We demonstrated a 40% CE enhancement by simultaneous dual-beam irradiation of a planar Sn target with a 2090-nm, 20-ns Ho:YAG laser. Single-beam irradiation at 40 mJ yielded an EUV CE of 2.6%; splitting the same total energy equally into two beams of 20 mJ each – at identical peak intensity – raised the EUV CE to 3.6%, which was the highest reported for 2-µm-driven laser-produced plasma sources. The EUV source size (60-70 µm) and energetic-ion spectra were nearly identical across both configurations, confirming comparable plasma conditions. Because the scheme requires only passive beam splitting and scales readily to three or more beams, it offers a practical route toward multi-kW-class, energy-efficient EUV sources for high-NA and hyper-NA lithography.”
Find the technical paper here. June 2026.
Nagahama, Naoki, Kaito Nishimiya, Shunya Yamamoto, Hayato Yazawa, Yuta Takai, Chisato Tanaka, Kazuyuki Sakaue, Atsushi Sunahara, Gerry O’Sullivan, Shinichi Namba, Takeshi Higashiguchi, and Eiji J. Takahashi. “40% boost in extreme ultraviolet conversion efficiency via simultaneous dual-beam 2-µm laser irradiation.” arXiv:2606.08045, June 2026. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2606.08045.
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