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US 9,049,774 B2Granted
EUVL light source system and method
AssigneeSemiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
InventorEmily Yixie Shu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
EUVL light source systems and methods are provided. A laser or a high-voltage-discharge device is used to excite EUV light source material to generate EUV light along with droplets flying out of the EUV light source material. A collector is positioned to guide the EUV light into a desired direction. A cooling assembly is configured to wrap around the collector along the EUV light in the desired direction. At least a first portion of the plurality of molten droplets reaches and condenses on a surface of the cooling assembly.
Claims17
An EUVL light source system, comprising:
- a laser configured to provide laser pulses and to excite an EUV light source material to emit EUV light, wherein a plurality of molten droplets is generated to fly out of the EUV light source material;
- a collector comprising a plurality of reflective mirrors each movable, configured to at least partially surround the EUV light source material and positioned to guide the EUV light into a desired direction;
- a cooling assembly configured to wrap around the collector along the EUV light in the desired direction, wherein at least a first portion of the plurality of molten droplets reaches and condenses on a surface of the cooling assembly;
- and
- a mirror control system synchronized to operate with the laser and configured to control the plurality of reflective mirrors in a reflective state for reflecting the EUV light and in a non-reflective state for allowing at least a second portion of the plurality of molten droplets to pass through adjacent reflective mirrors for preventing contamination from the molten droplets.
2 more elements
An EUVL light source system, comprising:
- a high-voltage-discharge device configured to provide a high-voltage discharge pulse to excite an EUV light source material to emit EUV light, wherein a plurality of molten droplets is generated to fly out of the EUV light source material;
- a collector comprising a plurality of reflective mirrors each movable, configured to at least partially surround the EUV light source material and positioned to guide the EUV light into a desired direction;
- a cooling assembly configured to wrap around the collector along the EUV light in the desired direction, wherein at least a first portion of the plurality of molten droplets reaches and condenses on a surface of the cooling assembly;
- and
- a mirror control system synchronized to operate with the high-voltage-discharge device and configured to control the plurality of reflective mirrors in a reflective state for reflecting the EUV light and in a non-reflective state for allowing at least a second portion of the plurality of molten droplets to pass through adjacent reflective mirrors for preventing contamination from the molten droplets,
- wherein the plurality of reflective mirrors in the non-reflective state is configured substantially parallel to a flying direction of the second portion of the molten droplets.
3 more elements
A method for configuring an EUVL light source system, comprising:
- providing a laser or a high-voltage-discharge device to excite an EUV light source material to emit EUV light, wherein a plurality of molten droplets is also generated to fly out of the EUV light source material;
- positioning a collector to guide the EUV light generated from the EUV light source material into a desired direction, the collector comprising a plurality of reflective mirrors each movable, configured to at least partially surround the EUV light source material;
- configuring a cooling assembly to wrap around the collector along the EUV light in the desired direction, wherein at least a first portion of the plurality of molten droplets reaches and condenses on a surface of the cooling assembly;
- and
- configuring a mirror control system synchronized to operate with the laser or the high-voltage-discharge device to control the plurality of reflective mirrors in a reflective state for reflecting the EUV light and in a non-reflective state for allowing at least a second portion of the plurality of molten droplets to pass through adjacent reflective mirrors for preventing contamination from the molten droplets, wherein the plurality of reflective mirrors in the non-reflective state is controlled substantially parallel to a flying direction of the second portion of the molten droplets.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.