Gas-phase study of the reactivity of optical coating materials with hydrocarbons by use of a desktop-size extreme-ultraviolet laser

The reactivity of prospective capping-layer extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) mirror materials with hydrocarbons is studied in the gas phase by use of mass spectroscopy of metal-oxide clusters. We report the results of chemistry studies for Si-m, Ti-m, Hf-m, and ZrmOn metal-oxide clusters in which the reaction products were ionized with little or no fragmentation by 26.5 eV photons from a desktop-size 46.9 nm Ne-like Ar laser. Hf and Zr oxides are found to be much less reactive than Si or Ti oxides in the presence of EUV light. The results are relevant to the design of EUV mirror capping layers that are resistant to carbon contamination. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.