# US 12,216,413 B2 · Device and method to remove debris from an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,413 B2 - Document ID: US12216413B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/231,170 - Filed: 2023-08-07 - Published: 2023-11-23 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-23 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Chun-Han Lin; Chieh Hsieh; Sheng-Kang Yu; Shang-Chieh Chien; Heng-Hsin Liu; Li-Jui Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216413B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/70916: {Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps} - G03F 7/70033: {by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources} - G03F 7/70925: {Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning} - G03F 7/70975: {Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus} - H05G 2/008: {involving an energy-carrying beam in the process of plasma generation} - H05G 2/0094: {Reduction, prevention or protection from contamination; Cleaning} - 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) - 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) ## Abstract A method includes irradiating debris deposited in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system with laser, controlling one or more of a wavelength of the laser or power of the laser to selectively vaporize the debris and limit damage to the EUV) lithography system, and removing the vaporized debris. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: irradiating metal debris deposited in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system with a laser having a wavelength greater than absorption wavelengths of the metal debris and a material of the EUV lithography system; controlling a frequency of the laser to ionize the metal debris; and removing the metal debris. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the laser is a fiber laser. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal debris is deposited on a surface of an intermediate focus (IF)-cap module of the EUV lithography system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal debris includes tin and the method further comprises: controlling a power of the laser so that the metal debris is heated to a temperature of at least 230° C. to less than 1080° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the laser is greater than around 600 nm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the laser vaporizes the metal debris and the metal debris is removed by vacuuming. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein irradiating the metal debris includes scanning a surface of the EUV lithography system including the metal debris with the laser. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein prior to irradiating the metal debris, the method comprises: determining an amount of accumulation of the metal debris; halting operation of the EUV lithography system when the amount of accumulation is at or exceeds a desired level; and accessing a location in the EUV lithography system that includes the metal debris. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the frequency of the laser includes controlling the frequency such that the metal debris is heated to form a plasma. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein irradiating the metal debris using the laser includes focusing the laser on the EUV lithography system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a power of the laser is around 50 W to around 100 W. ### Claim 12 A method comprising: irradiating one or more tin droplet in a zone of excitation of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source apparatus of an EUV lithography system with a first laser to generate EUV radiation, wherein the first laser is an excitation laser; detecting for a presence of tin debris deposited on a surface of an intermediate focus (IF)-cap module of the EUV light source apparatus; determining that accumulation of the tin debris is at or above a desired level; irradiating the tin debris with a second laser having a wavelength greater than an absorption wavelength of the tin debris; controlling a power of the second laser such that the tin debris is vaporized; cleaning the surface of the IF-cap module by removing the vaporized debris; and exposing a reticle to the EUV radiation for patterning a semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the laser is greater than an absorption wavelength of a material of the EUV lithography system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a pulse rate of the laser is around 1 kHz to around 1000 kHz. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: controlling the power of the second laser to heat the tin debris to a temperature of between 230° C. and 1080° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the second laser is a fiber laser. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the power of the second laser is around 50 W to around 100 W. ### Claim 18 A debris cleaning apparatus, comprising: a laser source configured to generate a pulsed laser for irradiating tin debris deposited on a surface of an intermediate focus (IF)-cap module of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system, wherein the laser source is configured to control a frequency of the pulsed laser such that tin debris when irradiated is vaporized; and a vacuuming tool positioned over the surface of the IF-cap module, the laser source and the vacuuming tool being operated simultaneously to remove the vaporized tin debris and reduce migration of the vaporized tin debris in the EUV lithography system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The debris cleaning apparatus of claim 18, wherein the laser source is configured to heat the tin debris to a temperature of at least 230° C. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The debris cleaning apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pulsed laser has a wavelength greater than 600 nm.