Wafer Cost Analysis for a Soft X-Ray Projection Lithography System

We present a baseline analysis of issues affecting the economic viability of Soft X-Ray Projection Lithography (SXPL). This analysis is intended to serve as a starting point, and to provide an initial assessment of the relative importance of cost factors in a SXPL system. We presume a “conventional” SXPL system design and focus on wafer exposure costs. A baseline model for system component costs and performance specifications is presented, and the dependence of wafer exposure cost on elements of the model is analyzed. Within the guidelines of our model, we find that direct cost items (e.g., cost of the laser driver) are not nearly as critical as technical performance parameters (e.g., mirror reflectivity) in determining wafer exposure costs.