Radiation source for lithography process
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShang-Ying WU, Shang-Chieh CHIEN, Bo-Tsun LIU, Li-Jui CHEN, Po-Chung CHENG
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Abstract
A method for a lithography exposure process is provided. The method includes irradiating a target droplet with a laser beam to create an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. The method further includes reflecting the EUV light with a collector. The method also includes discharging a cleaning gas over the collector through a gas distributor positioned next to the collector. A portion of the cleaning gas is converted to free radicals before the cleaning gas leaves the gas distributor, and the free radicals are discharged over the collector along with the cleaning gas.
Claims20
A method for a lithography exposure process, comprising:
- irradiating a target droplet with a laser beam to create an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light;
- reflecting the EUV light with a collector;
- and
- discharging a cleaning gas over the collector through a gas distributor positioned next to the collector, wherein a portion of the cleaning gas is converted to free radicals before the cleaning gas leaves the gas distributor, and the free radicals are discharged over the collector along with the cleaning gas.
A method for lithography exposure process, comprising:
- irradiating a target droplet with a laser beam to create an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light;
- reflecting the EUV light with a collector;
- performing a lithography exposure process on a wafer with the EUV light which is reflected by the collector;
- and
- discharging a cleaning gas over the collector multiple times during the lithography exposure process, wherein a predetermined period is set between two of the supplies of the cleaning gas, and during the predetermined period the supply of the cleaning gas is paused.
A radiation source for generating light for a lithography exposure process, comprising:
- a target droplet generator configured to generate a target droplet;
- a preheated laser source configured to hit the target droplet and then generate a precursor target;
- a main laser source configured to generate a laser beam to convert the precursor target to an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light;
- and
- a collector configured to collect and reflect the EUV light;
- a gas flowing path configured to discharge a cleaning gas to the collector;
- an energy converter connected to the gas flowing path;
- and
- a controller configured to control an energy applied into the cleaning gas in the gas flowing path from the energy converter to convert a portion of the cleaning gas in the gas flowing path into free radicals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.