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AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorsTheodorus Hubertus Josephus Bisschops, Joseph Johannes Antonius Maria Vrakking, Mark Theo Meuwese
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A method is described for generating EUV radiation, comprising the steps of: generating a flow (35) of liquid droplets (39); injecting the flow into a source space (33) connected to a vacuum pump (34), and successively irradiating individual droplets (39) with an intense, pulsed, laser beam (41) focused on a droplet, thus creating a plasma (47) which emits EUV radiation. In order to prevent that liquid vapor destroys the vacuum in the source space (33) and to guarantee a continuous flux of EUV radiation, the flow (35) is guided through additional vacuum spaces (53, 56, 63) in series with the source space. Also described are an EUV radiation source unit for realizing the method and the application of the method in the manufacture of devices, like IC devices, and in a lithographic projection apparatus.
A method of generating EUV radiation, in which a mobile medium is injected into a vacuum source space and each time a subsequent part of said medium in the source space is irradiated with a pulsed and focused energy-rich laser beam, and in which said medium part is converted into a plasma emitting EUV radiation, whereafter the medium is passed through a first further vacuum space in series with the source space, said further vacuum space being maintained at a lower vacuum degree than the source space, characterized in that the medium is passed through at least a second further vacuum space in series with the source space, which second vacuum space is maintained at a lower vacuum degree than the source space.
An EUV radiation source unit comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.