EUV light source
AssigneeCymer, Inc.
InventorsNorbert R. Bowering, Bjorn A. M. Hansson, Rodney D. Simmons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An EUV light source and method of operating same is disclosed which may comprise: an EUV plasma production chamber comprising a chamber wall comprising an exit opening for the passage of produced EUV light focused to a focus point; a first EUV exit sleeve comprising a terminal end comprising an opening facing the exit opening; a first exit sleeve chamber housing the first exit sleeve and having an EUV light exit opening; a gas supply mechanism supplying gas under a pressure higher than the pressure within the plasma production chamber to the first exit sleeve chamber. The first exit sleeve may be tapered toward the terminal end opening, and may, e.g., be conical in shape comprising a narrowed end at the terminal end.
Claims26
An EUV light source comprising:
- an EUV plasma production chamber comprising a chamber wall comprising an exit opening for the passage of produced EUV light focused to a focus point;
- a first EUV exit sleeve comprising a terminal end comprising an opening facing the exit opening;
- a first exit sleeve chamber housing the first exit sleeve and having an EUV light exit opening;
- a gas supply mechanism supplying gas under a pressure higher than the pressure within the plasma production chamber to the first exit sleeve chamber.
An EUV light source comprising:
- an EUV plasma production chamber;
- an EUV light collector within the chamber comprising a first focus and a second focus, plasma forming the EUV light being collected by the EUV light collector being formed in the vicinity of the first focus and as beam of exiting EUV light exiting the EUV light source chamber being focused to the second focus in the vicinity of an exit opening;
- a second focus alignment sensing mechanism comprising:
- an image detection mechanism imaging the second focus through the first focus and the collector;
- an alignment indicator indicating the position of the exiting beam in relation to the exit opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.