Method and apparatus for generating high output power gas discharge based source of extreme ultraviolet radiation and/or soft x-rays

An EUV photon source, comprising:

• a plasma chamber filled with a gas mixture;
• multiple electrodes within the plasma chamber defining a pinch region and a central axis;
• a power supply circuit connected to the electrodes for delivering a main pulse to the electrodes for energizing the plasma around the central axis to produce an EUV beam output;
• a preionizer for ionizing the gas mixture in preparing to form a dense plasma around the central axis upon application of the main pulse from the power supply circuit to the electrodes;
• and
• one or more baffles along a beam path outside of the pinch region.

An EUV photon source, comprising:

• a plasma chamber filled with a gas mixture;
• multiple electrodes within the plasma chamber defining a pinch region and a central axis;
• a power supply circuit connected to the electrodes for delivering a main pulse to the electrodes for energizing the plasma around the central axis to produce an EUV beam output;
• a preionizer for ionizing the gas mixture in preparing to form a dense plasma around the central axis upon application of the main pulse from the power supply circuit to the electrodes;
• and
• a clipping aperture along a beam path outside of the pinch region for at least partially defining an acceptance angle of the EUV beam.

An EUV photon source, comprising:

• a plasma chamber filled with a gas mixture;
• multiple electrodes within the plasma chamber defining a pinch region and a central axis;
• a power supply circuit connected to the electrodes for delivering a main pulse to the electrodes for energizing the plasma around the central axis to produce an EUV beam output;
• a preionizer for ionizing the gas mixture in preparing to form a dense plasma around the central axis upon application of the main pulse from the power supply circuit to the electrodes, and
• wherein said power supply circuit generates the main pulse and a relatively low energy prepulse before said main pulse for homogenizing the preionized plasma prior to the main pulse.