Synthetic quartz crystal resists laser light longer

Asahi Glass and Tokyo Denpa announced they have jointly developed a synthetic quartz crystal material with improved resistance to laser light, according to a JCN Network report. The new material will be used for semiconductor exposure lens systems.

The synthetic quartz crystal's rate of deterioration due to light transmission is reduced to one fifth compared to that of conventional materials. This abates the need for frequent material replacement in semiconductor manufacturing, thereby cutting costs, and improves the quality and reliability of semiconductor exposure lens systems, the report said.

For exposure lens systems using excimer laser in semiconductor manufacturing, synthetic quartz crystals, with their high transmittance, comparatively low price and ease of processing, have been attracting attention. However, synthetic quartz crystals, generally manufactured by the hydrothermal synthesis, lose their optical characteristics when radiated with short wavelength and high-power light for extended periods. This new material, with its high resistance to laser light, is expected to address this shortcoming.