开发了由高重复频率（3 kHz）高能量（3 mJ）钛蓝宝石激光器驱动的极紫外和软X射线高次谐波激光光源。该光源系统在30 nm（光子能量为~45 eV）波长附近实现了大于120 μW的平均功率，在13.46 nm波长（光子能量为~92 eV）处实现了1.9 μW的平均功率，其中在13.46 nm波长处带宽为0.124 nm的单个谐波实现了0.32 μW的平均功率。此外，在该系统中，激光功率连续12 h的不稳定性均方根小于5%，连续8 h光束指向均方根小于10 µrad。该系统在生物成像、干涉光刻和芯片检测等领域中具有重要应用。

超短强激光脉冲与物质相互作用产生的高次谐波辐射是一种相干的极紫外或软X射线光源，并且在时间上还是阿秒脉冲串。在不同介质中探寻更有效的高次谐波产生方案一直是研究热点。利用飞秒激光烧蚀低密度等离子体羽可将高次谐波扩展到几乎任何固体材料，极大地丰富了媒介的选择性。由于某些材料的等离子体内低电离态离子共振跃迁频率与谐波波长存在匹配，使得在极紫外波段特定阶次谐波表现出明显的共振增强效应，从而能够获得强单色的高次谐波辐射。结合纳米颗粒的近场增强效应和较大的电子回撞截面，极紫外波段的高次谐波转换效率可以进一步得到提高。激光等离子体高次谐波有望产生高脉冲能量、增强阶次可调和高重复频率的相干极紫外辐射。综述单阶谐波共振增强效应的产生原理和研究进展，分析各种优化方法和光场调控手段，并对未来的发展趋势进行展望。

高次谐波自身特性的表征是其在超快时间测量中应用的前提，但是由于其所处波段和宽带光源的特性，使得其三维时空相位的完整测量一直是高次谐波表征的难题。多波长高次谐波的相干合成可以获得阿秒脉冲，但是目前阿秒脉冲的相位测量也只能获得一维时域信息。针对以上问题，提出了一种改进的混态叠层衍射成像方案来解决高次谐波的空域测量，成功实现由多个极紫外（EUV）波长构成的高次谐波梳的空域复振幅重建，并研究了样品吸收对空域复振幅重建过程的影响。研究发现，对于多波长高次谐波重建速度和质量，存在最优的样品衍射图案对比度。

在高次谐波产生过程中,相位匹配是提高其产生效率的必备技术。传统相位匹配技术在各向同性的气体介质中无法实现,而准相位匹配技术作为一种可行的替代方案,可以突破高次谐波产生过程中相干长度的限制,实现谐波强度随传播距离持续增加。采用准连续的逆向传播太赫兹光场调制高次谐波的产生过程,以实现准相位匹配;通过模拟计算探讨了谐波光谱与调制场参数之间的关系,结果发现获得准相位匹配的光子能量与太赫兹调制场波长成反比,与调制场场强、泵浦激光场强的比值成正比。

In this review, we describe our research on the development of the 13.5 nm coherent microscope using high-order harmonics for the mask inspection of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. EUV lithography is a game-changing piece of technology for high-volume manufacturing of commercial semiconductors. Many top manufacturers apply EUV technology for fabricating the most critical layers of 7 nm chips. Fabrication and inspection of defect-free masks, however, still remain critical issues in EUV technology. Thus, in our pursuit for a resolution, we have developed the coherent EUV scatterometry microscope (CSM) system with a synchrotron radiation (SR) source to establish the actinic metrology, along with inspection algorithms. The intensity and phase images of patterned EUV masks were reconstructed from diffraction patterns using ptychography algorithms. To expedite the practical application of the CSM, we have also developed a standalone CSM, based on high-order harmonic generation, as an alternative to the SR-CSM. Since the application of a coherent 13.5 nm harmonic enabled the production of a high contrast diffraction pattern, diffraction patterns of sub-100 ns size defects in a 2D periodic pattern mask could be observed. Reconstruction of intensity and phase images from diffraction patterns were also performed for a periodic line-and-space structure, an aperiodic angle edge structure, as well as a cross pattern in an EUV mask.