# US 11,310,899 B2 · Target supply device, target supply method, and electronic device manufacturing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,899 B2 - Document ID: US11310899B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/308,182 - Filed: 2021-05-05 - Published: 2021-12-30 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-24 - Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc. - Applicants: Gigaphoton Inc. - Inventors: Yutaka Shiraishi; Tsukasa Hori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310899B2 ## CPC - H05G 2/0027: {Arrangements for controlling the supply; Arrangements for measurements} - G03F 7/70033: {by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources} - H05G: X-RAY TECHNIQUE (investigating or analysing materials by the use of X-rays G01N23/00; apparatus for X-ray photography G03B42/02; X-ray tubes H01J35/00; TV systems having X-ray input H04N5/321) - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract A target supply device may include a first container configured to contain a solid target substance; a second container including a first connection port connected to the first container, a second connection port connected to a first pressurized gas supply line, and a third connection port connected to a target substance lead-out path; a moving body including a first recessed portion configured to contain the solid target substance supplied from the first container and move the first recessed portion inside the second container to cause an opening of the first recessed portion to be overlapped sequentially with the first to third connection ports; a third container connected to both a second pressurized gas supply line and the target substance lead-out path and configured to melt the solid target substance supplied from the third connection port; and a nozzle configured to output the melted target substance supplied from the third container. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A target supply device, comprising: a first container configured to contain a solid target substance; a second container including a first connection port connected to the first container, a second connection port connected to a first pressurized gas supply line, and a third connection port connected to a target substance lead-out path; a moving body including a first recessed portion configured to contain the solid target substance supplied from the first container and move the first recessed portion inside the second container to cause an opening of the first recessed portion to be overlapped sequentially with the first connection port, the second connection port, and the third connection port; a third container connected to both a second pressurized gas supply line and the target substance lead-out path and configured to melt the solid target substance supplied from the third connection port; and a nozzle configured to output the melted target substance supplied from the third container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second connection port is connected to both a forcible exhaust line and the first pressurized gas supply line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the second connection port is smaller than a diameter of the solid target substance supplied from the first container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second connection port has smaller area than any of the first connection port, the third connection port, and the opening. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second pressurized gas supply line is connected to the third container by being connected to the target substance lead-out path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a common pressurized gas supply line configured to supply pressurized gas to the first pressurized gas supply line and the second pressurized gas supply line, a first valve disposed in the first pressurized gas supply line, a second valve disposed in the second pressurized gas supply line, and a processor, wherein the processor controls the first valve, the second valve, and the moving body such that, with the opening of the first recessed portion overlapped with the second connection port and the second valve closed, the first valve is opened to supply pressurized gas to the first recessed portion, and then, the opening of the first recessed portion is overlapped with the third connection port to supply the solid target substance from the first recessed portion to the third container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second container further includes a fourth connection port connected to an exhaust line, and the moving member causes the opening to be overlapped sequentially with the first connection port, the second connection port, the third connection port, and the fourth connection port. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein an inner wall of the second container has a circular cross section, and the moving body rotates the first recessed portion about a rotation axis perpendicular to the cross section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The target supply device according to claim 8, wherein the first connection port, the second connection port, and the third connection port are arranged in the order thereof along a circumference of the cross section, and the moving body rotates the first recessed portion in a certain rotational direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The target supply device according to claim 8, wherein the first recessed portion is capable of containing N solid target substances, N being an integer equal to or greater than 1, and the moving body supplies the N solid target substances to the third connection port every time the first recessed portion makes one rotation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The target supply device according to claim 8, wherein the moving body further includes a second recessed portion configured to contain the solid target substance supplied from the first container and rotate along with the first recessed portion about the rotation axis, each of the first and second recessed portions is capable of containing N solid target substances, N being an integer equal to or greater than 1, and the moving body supplies N×2 solid target substances to the third connection port every time the first and second recessed portions make one rotation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The target supply device according to claim 8, wherein the moving body further includes second to M-th recessed portions each configured to contain the solid target substance supplied from the first container and rotate along with the first recessed portion about the rotation axis, M being an integer equal to or greater than 3, each of the first to M-th recessed portions is capable of containing N solid target substances, N is an integer equal to or greater than 1, and the moving body supplies N×M solid target substances to the third connection port every time the first to M-th recessed portions make one rotation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second container further includes a fifth connection port connected to a forcible exhaust line, and the moving body causes the opening to be overlapped sequentially with the first connection port, the fifth connection port, the second connection port, and the third connection port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The target supply device according to claim 13, wherein the fifth connection port has smaller area than any of the first connection port, the third connection port, and the opening. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a sensor configured to detect an amount of the target substance in the third container, and a processor, wherein the processor suppresses moving the first recessed portion when an output of the sensor indicates that an amount of the target substance in the third container is equal to or greater than a first value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The target supply device according to claim 15, wherein the processor starts moving the first recessed portion when a certain time period elapses after the amount of the target substance in the third container becomes smaller than the first value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The target supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a target sensor configured to measure an amount of the target substance output from the nozzle, and a processor, wherein the processor suppresses moving the first recessed portion when an amount of the solid target substances supplied from the third connection port is equal to or greater than the amount of the target substance output from the nozzle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The target supply device according to claim 17, wherein the processor starts moving the first recessed portion when a certain time period elapses after the amount of the solid target substances supplied from the third connection port becomes equal to or greater than the amount of the target substance output from the nozzle. ### Claim 19 A target supply method with an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus using a target supply device, the method comprising causing, by a moving body, an opening of a first recessed portion to be overlapped with a first connection port, then to be overlapped with a second connection port, and then to be overlapped with a third connection port, the target supply device including: a first container configured to contain a solid target substance; a second container including the first connection port connected to the first container, the second connection port connected to a first pressurized gas supply line, and the third connection port connected to a target substance lead-out path; the moving body including the first recessed portion configured to contain the solid target substance supplied from the first container and move the first recessed portion inside the second container; a third container connected to both a second pressurized gas supply line and the target substance lead-out path and configured to melt the solid target substance supplied from the third connection port; and a nozzle configured to output the melted target substance supplied from the third container. ### Claim 20 An electronic device manufacturing method, comprising: generating extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target substance with pulsed laser light in an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus; emitting the extreme ultraviolet light to an exposure apparatus; and exposing a photosensitive substrate to the extreme ultraviolet light in the exposure apparatus to manufacture an electronic device, the extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus including: a target supply device; and a laser light concentrating mirror configured to concentrate pulsed laser light on the target substance output to a predetermined region from the target supply device, the target supply device including: a first container configured to contain a solid target substance; a second container including a first connection port connected to the first container, a second connection port connected to a first pressurized gas supply line, and a third connection port connected to a target substance lead-out path; a moving body including a first recessed portion configured to contain the solid target substance supplied from the first container and move the first recessed portion inside the second container; a third container connected to both a second pressurized gas supply line and the target substance lead-out path and configured to melt the solid target substance supplied from the third connection port; and a nozzle configured to output the melted target substance supplied from the third container.