Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• First demonstration of 193 nm DUV laser via direct frequency doubling using a GaN-based UVA laser diode and ABF crystal. • ABF crystal enables phase-matching SHG down to 158 nm, making 193 nm achievable. • GaN-based UVA laser diode with 4.6 W continuous-wave output power serves as the fundamental source. • Direct frequency doubling offers a more efficient and compact alternative to ArF excimer lasers for DUV lithography.
Abstract
The 193 nm deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser plays a critical role in advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing, micro-nano material characterization and biomedical analysis, due to its high spatial resolution and short wavelength. Efficient and compact 193 nm DUV laser source thus becomes a hot research area. Currently, 193 nm ArF excimer gas laser is widely employed in DUV lithography systems and serves as the enabling technology for 7 and 5 nm semiconductor fabrication. Alternative approaches based on fourth harmonic generation and sum frequency generation from infrared solid-state lasers have also been reported, but they suffer from system complexity and low optical conversion efficiency. Actually, direct frequency doubling to achieve 193 nm DUV laser based on long wavelength ultraviolet (UVA) semiconductor lasers and DUV nonlinear optical crystals, should be another promising and efficient method. Nevertheless, practical implementation remains challenging. On one side, the key technology for manufacturing semiconductor UV lasers is currently hold by only a limited number of leading research groups, including Nobel laureates H. Amano and S. Nakamura, as well as some companies such as Nichia Corporation and Hamamatsu Photonics. On the other side, DUV nonlinear optical crystals face persistent obstacles in balancing conflicting key properties which are essential for DUV applications, as well as growth technology of large-sized high-quality single crystals. The 193 nm DUV lasers realized by direct frequency doubling using semiconductor UVA laser has not yet been reported. In this study, the 193 nm DUV laser is designed and realized successfully by direct frequency doubling with a high quality DUV nonlinear optical crystal, leveraging recent breakthrough in GaN-based UVA laser diode with continuous-wave output power of 4.6 W. Specifically, the progress in DUV nonlinear optical crystals stems from the development of fluorooxoborate crystal NH4B4O6F (ABF), which was reported to be able to achieve a shortest phase-matching second-harmonic generation (SHG) wavelength of 158 nm. The experimental setup configuration for frequency doubling is illustrated in Fig. 1(a), consists of a fundamental UVA semiconductor li
1. Introduction
The 193 nm deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser plays a critical role in advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing, micro-nano material characterization and biomedical analysis, due to its high spatial resolution and short wavelength. Efficient and compact 193 nm DUV laser source thus becomes a hot research area. Currently, 193 nm ArF excimer gas laser is widely employed in DUV lithography systems and serves as the enabling technology for 7 and 5 nm semiconductor fabrication. Alternative approaches based on fourth harmonic generation and sum frequency generation from infrared solid-state lasers have also been reported, but they suffer from system complexity and low optical conversion efficiency.
Actually, direct frequency doubling to achieve 193 nm DUV laser based on long wavelength ultraviolet (UVA) semiconductor lasers and DUV nonlinear optical crystals, should be another promising and efficient method. Nevertheless, practical implementation remains challenging. On one side, the key technology for manufacturing semiconductor UV lasers is currently hold by only a limited number of leading research groups, including Nobel laureates H. Amano and S. Nakamura, as well as some companies such as Nichia Corporation and Hamamatsu Photonics. On the other side, DUV nonlinear optical crystals face persistent obstacles in balancing conflicting key properties which are essential for DUV applications, as well as growth technology of large-sized high-quality single crystals. The 193 nm DUV lasers realized by direct frequency doubling using semiconductor UVA laser has not yet been reported.
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Feng Liang, Fangfang Zhang, Jing Yang, Degang Zhao, Shilie Pan (2025). Realization of 193 nm DUV laser through direct frequency doubling with GaN-based UVA laser diode and ABF crystal. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-4926/25110004
Research & Educational Purpose Only:The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoTechIntel are intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of achieving 193 nm DUV laser via direct frequency doubling?
Direct frequency doubling offers a more efficient and compact alternative to ArF excimer lasers for DUV lithography, potentially enabling lower cost and higher performance in semiconductor manufacturing.
What are the key components used in this study?
The study uses a GaN-based UVA laser diode with 4.6 W continuous-wave output power as the fundamental source and an ABF (NH4B4O6F) crystal for second-harmonic generation.
What is the role of the ABF crystal?
The ABF crystal is a fluorooxoborate nonlinear optical crystal that can achieve phase-matching second-harmonic generation down to 158 nm, enabling the generation of 193 nm light from a UVA laser.
What are the potential applications of this 193 nm DUV laser?
Potential applications include advanced semiconductor lithography, micro-nano material characterization, and biomedical analysis, where high spatial resolution and short wavelength are required.
What challenges were overcome in this research?
The research overcame challenges in both semiconductor UV laser technology and DUV nonlinear optical crystal development, including the growth of high-quality ABF crystals and the availability of high-power GaN-based UVA laser diodes.
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