Target steering system for EUV droplet generators
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorsMichael B. Petach, Steven W. Fornaca, Rocco A. Orsini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An EUV radiation source (50) that employs a steering device (74) for steering a stream (66) of droplets (68) generated by a droplet generator (52) so that the droplet (68) are directed towards a target location (76) to be vaporized by a laser beam (78). The direction of the stream (66) of droplets (68) is sensed by a sensing device (84). The sensing device (84) sends a signal to an actuator (88) that controls the orientation of the steering device (74) so that the droplets (68) are directed to the target location (76).
Claims20
An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source comprising:
- a droplet generator, said droplet generator generating a stream of droplets along an initial path;
- a steering device, said steering device deflecting the droplets from the initial path to a target path;
- a sensor sensing the position of the stream of droplets;
- and
- an actuator responsive to a signal from the sensor, said actuator causing the orientation of the steering plate to change so that the droplets are deflected to a target location on the target path.
An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source comprising:
- a droplet generator, said droplet generator generating a stream of frozen droplets along an initial path;
- a solid surface steering plate, said steering plate being positioned in the initial path and deflecting the droplets from the initial path to a target path;
- a sensor positioned along the target path, said sensor sensing the position of the stream of droplets;
- and
- an actuator responsive to a signal from the sensor, said actuator causing the orientation of the steering plate to change so that the droplets are deflected from the steering plate to a target location on the target path.
A method of generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation comprising:
- generating a stream of droplets directed along an initial path;
- deflecting the droplets off of a steering device from the initial path to a target path;
- sensing the position of the stream of droplets;
- and
- adjusting the direction the droplets are deflected from the steering device based on the sensed position of the stream of droplets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.