Extreme ultraviolet control system
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsJen-Yang CHUNG, Chieh HSIEH, Shang-Chieh CHIEN, Li-Jui CHEN, Po-Chung CHENG
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Abstract
A method of controlling a droplet illumination module/droplet detection module system of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source includes irradiating a target droplet with light from a droplet illumination module and detecting light reflected and/or scattered by the target droplet. The method includes determining whether an intensity of the detected light is within an acceptable range. In response to determining that the intensity of the detected light is not within the acceptable range, a parameter of the droplet illumination module is automatically adjusted to set the intensity of the detected light within the acceptable range.
Claims20
A method of controlling a droplet illumination module/droplet detection module system of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source, the method comprising:
- irradiating a target droplet with light from a droplet illumination module;
- detecting light reflected and/or scattered by the target droplet;
- determining whether an intensity of the detected light is within an acceptable range;
- and
- if it is determined that the intensity of the detected light is not within the acceptable range of intensity, automatically adjusting a parameter of the droplet illumination module to set the intensity of detected light within the acceptable range.
An apparatus for measuring a speed of a target droplet in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source, the apparatus comprising:
- a droplet illumination module comprising a radiation source configured to irradiate the target droplet at a prescribed position;
- a droplet detection module configured to detect radiation reflected and/or scattered by the target droplet;
- a controller coupled to the droplet illumination module and programmed to:
- determine whether the intensity of radiation detected at the droplet detection module is within an acceptable range of intensity, and
- automatically adjust, in response to a determination that the detected intensity is not within an acceptable range, a parameter of the droplet illumination module;
- and
- a processor configured to determine the speed of the target droplet based on a timing of detection of radiation at the droplet detection module.
An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation comprising:
- a droplet generator configured to generate target droplets;
- a droplet illumination module comprising
- a radiation source configured to irradiate the target droplet at a prescribed position,
- an adjustable aperture through which radiation from the radiation source passes, and
- an automatic tilt mechanism coupled to the radiation source;
- a droplet detection module configured to detect radiation reflected and/or scattered by the target droplet;
- and
- a controller coupled to the droplet illumination module and programmed to:
- determine whether the intensity of radiation detected at the droplet detection module is within an acceptable range, and
- automatically adjust, in response to a determination that the detected intensity is not within an acceptable range, a parameter of the droplet illumination module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.