Contamination shield for mechanically insulating device

An apparatus comprising:

• a mechanically insulating device comprising a flexible bellows extending between first and second flanges, the flexible bellows defining a bellows passageway that extends along an axial direction between openings of the first and second flanges;
• a rigid inner sleeve affixed to or supported by the first flange and extending along the bellows passageway in the axial direction, the rigid inner sleeve having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows;
• and
• a shield device at least partly fixed to or supported by the second flange and defining an axial device opening having a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the flexible bellows and is greater than the outer diameter of the rigid inner sleeve, the shield device comprising one or more disks that extend along a direction that is not parallel to the axial direction, wherein at least one disk of the one or more disks has an outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the disk housing.

An apparatus comprising:

• a mechanically insulating device comprising a flexible bellows extending between first and second flanges, the flexible bellows defining a bellows passageway that extends along an axial direction between openings of the first and second flanges;
• a rigid inner sleeve affixed to or supported by the first flange and extending along the bellows passageway in the axial direction, the rigid inner sleeve having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows;
• and
• a shield device at least partly fixed to or supported by the second flange and defining an axial device opening having a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the flexible bellows and is greater than the outer diameter of the rigid inner sleeve, the shield device comprising one or more disks that extend along a direction that is not parallel to the axial direction,
• wherein the one or more disks comprise a plurality of disks including a small disk that has an outer diameter that is less than a sum of an inner diameter of the disk housing plus an annular radius of the disk housing, the small disk sandwiched between two disks each having outer diameters that are greater than the sum of the inner diameter of the disk housing plus the annular radius of the disk housing.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source comprising:

• a chamber comprising a chamber wall defining a fluid portal;
• and
• an apparatus retained at the chamber wall, the apparatus comprising:
• a mechanically insulating device comprising a flexible bellows extending between first and second flanges, the flexible bellows defining a bellows passageway that extends along an axial direction between openings of the first and second flanges that are in fluid communication with the fluid portal;
• a rigid inner sleeve being affixed to or supported by the first flange and extending along the bellows passageway in the axial direction, the rigid inner sleeve having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows;
• and
• a shield device at least partly fixed to or supported by the second flange and defining an axial device opening having a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the flexible bellows and is greater than the outer diameter of the rigid inner sleeve;
• wherein the shield device comprises one or more disks and a disk housing defining an interior cavity configured to retain the one or more disks and constrain the one or more disks along the axial direction.

An apparatus comprising:

• a structure comprising a structure interior configured to receive target material that travels along a path;
• a receptacle including a volume;
• and
• a connection device between the structure and the receptacle, and configured to provide fluid communication between the structure interior and the receptacle volume, the connection device comprising:
• a mechanically insulating device comprising a flexible bellows extending between first and second flanges, the flexible bellows defining a bellows passageway that extends along an axial direction between openings of the first and second flanges, the first flange fixed to a wall of the structure and the second flange fixed to the receptacle;
• an inner sleeve affixed to or supported by the first flange and extending within the bellows passageway in the axial direction, the inner sleeve having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows and defining a sleeve passageway within the bellows passageway, such that the sleeve passageway provides the fluid communication between the structure interior and the receptacle volume;
• and
• a shield device at least partly fixed to or supported by the second flange and defining an axial device opening having a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the flexible bellows and is greater than the outer diameter of the inner sleeve, wherein:
• the shield device comprises one or more disks that extend along a direction that is not parallel to the axial direction;
• the shield device further comprises a disk housing configured to retain one or more disks;
• and
• an outer diameter of the one or more disks is greater than an inner diameter of the disk housing.

An apparatus comprising:

• a mechanically insulating device comprising a flexible bellows extending between first and second flanges, the flexible bellows defining a bellows passageway that extends along an axial direction between openings of the first and second flanges;
• a rigid inner sleeve affixed to or supported by the first flange and extending along the bellows passageway in the axial direction, the rigid inner sleeve having an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows;
• and
• a shield device at least partly fixed to or supported by the second flange and defining an axial device opening having a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the flexible bellows and is greater than the outer diameter of the rigid inner sleeve, the shield device comprising one or more disks that extend along a direction that is not parallel with the axial direction, an outer diameter of the one or more disks being greater than an inner diameter of the flexible bellows.