Laser heated discharge plasma euv source
AssigneePlex LLC
InventorMalcolm W. McGeoch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-magnetically confined lithium plasma which also may have an applied axial magnetic field is irradiated at sub-critical density by a carbon dioxide laser to generate extreme ultraviolet photons at the wavelength of 13.5 nm with high efficiency, high power and small source size.
Claims17
An extreme ultraviolet light source in which a magnetically self-confined plasma is produced via a pulsed discharge and the plasma energy in a small region of the plasma is increased by absorption of laser light resulting in locally increased excitation of ionic species that radiate extreme ultraviolet light.
An extreme ultraviolet light source at 13.5 nm based on the emission of lithium ions in which a magnetically self-confined lithium plasma of electron density less than 1019 cm−3 is produced via a pulsed discharge and the plasma energy in a small region of the plasma is increased by absorption of laser light at the wavelength of 10.6 microns, resulting in locally increased excitation of hydrogen-like lithium to its resonance level and increased radiation at 13.5 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.