Rayleigh Photolithography Resolution Calculator
Semiconductor microelectronics & advanced patterning: Compute critical dimension (CD) resolution, depth of focus (DOF), and process window across DUV, ArFi, and EUV lithography systems.
Lithography Exposure System
Patterning Limit & Focal Margin
Recommended Tools & Equipment
Tested hardware and components for high reliability
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does increasing NA reduce Depth of Focus so dramatically?
Resolution scales inversely with NA (1/NA), but Depth of Focus scales inversely with the square of NA (1/NA²). Doubling NA halves the feature size but cuts usable focal depth by a factor of 4, requiring atomic-level wafer flatting (CMP) and extreme autofocus precision.
What is High-NA EUV?
Standard EUV scanners use 0.33 NA optics, resolving down to ~13 nm half-pitch. High-NA EUV increases the numerical aperture to 0.55 using anamorphic magnification (8× in y, 4× in x) to reduce critical dimensions to 8 nm without requiring multi-patterning.
How does immersion lithography achieve NA > 1.0?
Numerical aperture is defined as NA = n · sin(θ). In dry lithography, the maximum theoretical NA is bounded by the refractive index of air (n = 1.0). Immersion lithography places ultra-pure deionized water (n = 1.44 at 193 nm) between the final lens element and the wafer, enabling hyper-NA systems up to NA = 1.35.