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US 11,349,273 B2Granted
Apparatus for tuning discharge performance in a laser chamber
AssigneeCymer, Inc.
InventorsEdward Siqi Luo, Richard Carl Ujazdowski, Shuang Xu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a laser discharge chamber in which useful lifetime is extended by local electrical tuning using one or a combination of design of the chamber internal geometry, placement and distribution of components within the chamber such as electrodes, current returns, and capacitors, and selective electrical isolation of portions of the components.
Claims29
An apparatus comprising:
- a discharge chamber;
- a first electrode positioned in the discharge chamber;
- a second electrode positioned in the discharge chamber to create an electrode gap having a height extending between the first and second electrode in a first direction and a length extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- a plurality of conductive elements electrically connected to the second electrode, each of the plurality of conductive elements extending substantially in the first direction laterally of the electrode gap, the plurality of conductive elements being arranged in a row extending in the second direction, the plurality of conductive elements comprising a first pair of adjacent conductive elements spaced apart in the second direction at a first spacing and a second pair of adjacent conductive elements being spaced apart in the second direction at a second spacing, the second spacing being larger than the first spacing.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a discharge chamber;
- a first electrode positioned in the discharge chamber, the first electrode having a first electrode length extending in a first direction;
- a second electrode positioned in the discharge chamber, the second electrode having a second electrode length extending in the first direction, the second electrode being arranged in a spaced-apart relation to the first electrode to define an electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- a first plurality of capacitors electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a first row extending in the first direction;
- and
- a second plurality of capacitors electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a second row extending in the first direction parallel to the first row,
- wherein capacitors at either end of the second plurality of capacitors have a capacitance that is different from that of the other capacitors in the second row.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a discharge chamber;
- a first electrode positioned in the discharge chamber, the first electrode having a first electrode length extending in a first direction;
- a second electrode positioned in the discharge chamber, the second electrode having a second electrode length extending in the first direction, the second electrode being arranged in a spaced-apart relation to the first electrode to define an electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- a plurality of capacitive elements electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a first row extending in the first direction, at least one of the capacitive elements in the plurality of capacitive elements having a capacitance value different from at least one other capacitive elements in the plurality of capacitive elements.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a discharge chamber;
- a first electrode positioned in the discharge chamber, the first electrode having a first electrode length extending in a first direction;
- a second electrode positioned in the discharge chamber, the second electrode having a second electrode length extending in the first direction and being arranged in a spaced-apart relation to the first electrode to define an electrode gap between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- a first row of a first number X of capacitors electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a first row in a first row direction substantially parallel to the first electrode length;
- a second row of a second number Y of capacitors electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a second row in a second row direction substantially parallel to the first electrode length;
- wherein X and Y are at least 4 and X is less than Y and wherein a capacitance value of a first capacitor in the second row and a last capacitor in the second row are equal to each other and less than the capacitance value of capacitors in a remainder of the second row.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a discharge chamber;
- a first electrode positioned in the discharge chamber;
- a second electrode positioned in the discharge chamber to create an electrode gap having a height extending between the first and second electrode in a first direction and a length extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- a first plurality of conductive elements electrically connected to the second electrode, each of the plurality of conductive elements extending substantially in the first direction laterally of the electrode gap, the plurality of conductive elements being arranged in a row extending in the second direction, the plurality of conductive elements comprising a first pair of adjacent conductive elements spaced apart in the second direction at a first spacing and a second pair of adjacent conductive elements being spaced apart in the second direction at a second spacing, the second spacing being larger than the first spacing,
- second plurality of conductive elements electrically connected to the second electrode, each of the second plurality of conductive elements extending substantially in the first direction laterally of the electrode gap on a side of the electrode gap opposite to the first plurality of conductive elements, the second plurality of conductive elements being arranged in a second row extending in the second direction, the second plurality of conductive elements comprising a third pair of adjacent conductive elements spaced apart in the second direction at the first spacing and a fourth pair of adjacent conductive elements spaced apart in the second direction at the second spacing;
- a first plurality of capacitors electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a first row extending in the first direction;
- and
- a second plurality of capacitors electrically connected to the first electrode and arranged in a second row extending in the first direction parallel to the first row, at least one of the capacitors in the second plurality of capacitors having a capacitance value different from at least one other capacitor in the second plurality of capacitors.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.