Project description
High-harmonic generation in super-resolution scanning microscopy
Super-resolution microscopy is able to resolve objects below the standard diffraction limit of optical resolution. However, its use in certain disciplines of science and engineering is impractical since it relies on fluorescence, which can chemically modify samples during labelling. Meanwhile, with the production of ever-smaller integrated circuits for computer chips in the semiconductor industry, necessary quality inspection is limited by the current capabilities of optical microscopy-based metrology methods. The ERC-funded MICROSEM project intends to improve on the method of high-harmonic generation that bypasses the need for labelling. It will demonstrate innovative in-device metrology that reaches resolution below 100 nm and can be safely used in applications for semiconductor wafer inspection.
Objective
Super-resolution microscopy has revolutionized imaging by breaking what was believed to be unbreakable: the diffraction limit which determines what a microscope can resolve. However, many disciplines in science and engineering cannot benefit from super-resolution microscopy, because practically all current super-resolution microscopes require fluorescence, often introduced by labelling that is chemically modifying the samples of interest.
The semiconductor industry is the driver of digitization by producing ever smaller integrated circuits for faster computer chips, and has worldwide importance. The critical dimensions of the latest generation of chips are in the nanometer range, enabled by the breakthrough technology of extreme-ultraviolet nanolithography. An efficient production process requires constant quality inspection of the printed features, either directly on the integrated circuits or on dedicated metrology targets. However, the resolution of current all-optical microscopy-based metrology methods cannot keep pace with the fast development of smaller structures by nanolithography.
Within my ERC Starting Grant, I demonstrated that high-harmonic generation that is the frequency upconversion of laser pulses can be optically suppressed and spatially confined in semiconductors without the need for labelling. This can be utilized as sub-diffraction emission for super-resolution scanning microscopy. I will further develop this technique in MICROSEM in order to reach resolution below 100 nm in a conventional optical microscope operating in the visible and ultraviolet region, without the need of complicated vacuum equipment. This will enable crucial applications for semiconductor wafer metrology. I will demonstrate new in-device metrology, and pave the way for additional advanced at-resolution metrology schemes. To ensure knowledge transfer I enlisted one of the key players in the semiconductor industry as collaborator for MICROSEM.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopysuper resolution microscopy
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
3526 KV Utrecht
Netherlands