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US 6,647,088 B1Granted
Production of a dense mist of micrometric droplets in particular for extreme UV lithography
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsMartin Schmidt, Olivier Sublemontier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Process and device for the generation of a fog of micrometric and submicrometric droplets, which may find application to the generation of light in the extreme ultraviolet range, particularly for lithography. According to the process and device, a pressurized liquid is injected into a very small diameter nozzle opening up into a vacuum. Light is generated by focusing laser radiation onto the fog.
Claims12
Process for generation of a fog composed of droplets of a liquid, comprising:
- pressurizing the liquid at a pressure of an order of 5×105 Pa to 107 Pa;
- and
- injecting the liquid thus pressurized into a nozzle with a diameter of between 20 μm and 1 mm,
- the nozzle opening up into an area in which the pressure is equal to or less than 10−2 Pa and thus generates a fog of liquid droplets with sizes of an order of 10 μm to 30 μm at an area at an exit from the nozzle, an average fog density being greater than or equal to 1020 molecules/cm3, the fog being strongly confined on a center line of the nozzle.
1 more element
Device for generating a fog composed of droplets of a liquid, the device comprising:
- a reservoir configured to contain the liquid;
- means for pressurizing the liquid contained in the reservoir, by subjecting the liquid to a pressure of an order of 5×105 Pa to 107 Pa;
- a nozzle having a diameter between 20 μm and 1 mm and connected to the reservoir;
- a vacuum chamber containing the nozzle;
- and
- pumping means for setting up a pressure less than or equal to about 10−2 Pa in the vacuum chamber,
- to thus generate a fog of liquid droplets in the vacuum chamber at an exit from the nozzle, with sizes of an order of 10 μm to 30 μm, an average fog density being greater than or equal to 1020 molecules/cm3, the fog being strongly confined on a center line of the nozzle.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.