Lithography

Which correctly describes the factor k1 in the resolution formula R = k1 × λ / NA?

  1. AIt reflects the difficulty of the process, with a theoretical minimum of 0.25 for a single exposure
  2. BThe larger it is, the higher the resolution
  3. CIt is always 1 or more
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Answer: A. It reflects the difficulty of the process, with a theoretical minimum of 0.25 for a single exposure

k1 reflects how much ingenuity in resist, mask and illumination is applied; the smaller it is, the finer the patterns resolved, but the harder the process. The theoretical minimum for resolving periodic patterns in a single exposure is 0.25. Resolution enhancement techniques have brought k1 down to about 0.3 even in production.

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