US 6,972,421 B2Granted

Extreme ultraviolet light source

AssigneeCymer, Inc.

InventorsStephan T. Melnychuk, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, I. Roger Oliver, Richard M. Ness, Norbert Bowering, Oleh Khodykin, Curtis L. Rettig, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Timothy S. Dyer, Rodney D. Simmons, Jerzy R. Hoffman, R. Mark Johnson

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Abstract

The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A pulse power source comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer, provides electrical pulses having sufficient energy and electrical potential sufficient to produce the EUV light at an intermediate focus at rates in excess of 5 Watts. In preferred embodiments designed by Applicants in-band, EUV light energy at the intermediate focus is 45 Watts extendable to 105.8 Watts.

Claims78

Dependent claims

A production line compatible, high repetition rate, high average power pulsed high energy photon source comprising:

A. a pulse power system comprising a pulse transformer for producing electrical pulses with duration in the range of 10 ns to 200 ns,
B. a vacuum chamber,
C. an active material contained in said vacuum chamber said active material comprising an atomic species characterized by an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet wavelength range,
D. a hot plasma production means for producing a hot plasma at a hot plasma spot in said vacuum chamber so as to produce at least 5 Watts, averaged over at least extreme ultraviolet radiation at wavelengths within said desired extreme ultraviolet wavelength range,
E. a radiation collection and focusing means for collecting a portion of said ultraviolet radiation and focusing said radiation at a location distant from said hot plasma spot.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/409,254Filed 8 Apr 2003 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 Jun 2000
Published: US 2004/0108473 A110 Jun 2004
Granted: 6 Dec 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H05G 2/009
Production of X-ray radiation generated from plasma: auxiliary arrangements not involved in the plasma generation
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission
G03F 7/70033
Production of exposure light, i.e. light sources: by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources
G03F 7/70166
Details of optical elements: capillary or channel elements, e.g. nested extreme ultraviolet [EUV] mirrors or shells, optical fibers or light guides

Family

Application09/590,962Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Jun 2000
Application09/696,084Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Oct 2000
Application09/875,719Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Jun 2001
Application09/875,721Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Jun 2001
Application10/120,655Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Apr 2002
Application10/189,824Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Jul 2002
Application60/419,805Us provisional application · filed 18 Oct 2002
Application60/422,808Us provisional application · filed 31 Oct 2002
Application10/384,967Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 Mar 2003
US 2004/0108473 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Jun 2004
US 6,815,700 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,744,060 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,586,757 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,566,668 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,566,667 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2002/0014598 A1Published application
US 2002/0014599 A1Published application
US 2002/0163313 A1Published application
US 2003/0006383 A1Published application
US 2003/0219056 A1Published application
US 6,435,508 B1Related patent
US 6,904,073 B2Related patent
US 6,972,421 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.