Extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10172225-B2
Application number	US-201815860137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2018
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include: a chamber including a plasma generation region to which a target is supplied, the target being turned into plasma so that extreme ultraviolet light is generated in the chamber; a target supply part configured to supply the target to the plasma generation region by outputting the target as a droplet into the chamber; a droplet detector configured to detect the droplet traveling from the target supply part to the plasma generation region; an imaging part configured to capture an image of an imaging region containing the plasma generation region in the chamber; and a controller configured to control an imaging timing at which the imaging part captures the image of the imaging region, based on a detection timing at which the droplet detector detects the droplet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus comprising:
a chamber including a plasma generation region to which a target is supplied, the target being turned into plasma so that extreme ultraviolet light is generated in the chamber;
a target supply part configured to supply the target to the plasma generation region by outputting the target as a droplet into the chamber;
a droplet detector configured to detect the droplet traveling from the target supply part to the plasma generation region;
a light source part configured to emit light to the plasma generation region in the chamber;
an imaging part configured to capture an image of an imaging region containing the plasma generation region in the chamber; and
a controller configured to control an imaging timing at which the imaging part captures the image of the imaging region, based on a detection timing at which the droplet detector detects the droplet, wherein:
the droplet is turned into an aggregation of a plurality of fine particles of the target upon being irradiated with a prepulse laser beam in the plasma generation region;
the aggregation of a plurality of fine particles of the target is turned into plasma upon being irradiated with a main pulse laser beam in the plasma generation region, and the plasma emits plasma light containing the extreme ultraviolet light;
the controller controls an irradiation timing at which the droplet is irradiated with the prepulse laser beam in the plasma generation region, based on the detection timing;
the controller sets a first imaging timing to a timing just after the irradiation timing; and
the imaging part captures an image of the aggregation of a plurality of fine particles of the target generated in the imaging region at the first imaging timing.

2. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the controller sets the irradiation timing to a timing which is delayed from the detection timing by a predetermined period of time, and also sets a second imaging timing to a timing just before the irradiation timing; and
the imaging part captures an image of the droplet falling within the imaging region at the second imaging timing.

3. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller controls a position of the droplet and a focused position of the prepulse laser beam, based on the image of the droplet and the image of the aggregation of a plurality of fine particles of the target captured by the imaging part.

4. An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus comprising:
a chamber including a plasma generation region to which a target is supplied, the target being turned into plasma so that extreme ultraviolet light is generated in the chamber;
a target supply part configured to supply the target to the plasma generation region by outputting the target as a droplet into the chamber;
a droplet detector configured to detect the droplet traveling from the target supply part to the plasma generation region;
a light source part configured to emit light to the plasma generation region in the chamber;
an imaging part configured to capture an image of an imaging region containing the plasma generation region in the chamber; and
a controller configured to control an imaging timing at which the imaging part captures the image of the imaging region, based on a detection timing at which the droplet detector detects the droplet, wherein:
a first prepulse laser beam, a second prepulse laser beam and a main pulse laser beam are introduced into the plasma generation region;
the droplet outputted to the plasma generation region is irradiated with the first prepulse laser beam;
a secondary target resulting from irradiating the droplet with the first prepulse laser beam is irradiated with the second prepulse laser beam;
a tertiary target resulting from irradiating the secondary target with the second prepulse laser beam is irradiated with the main pulse laser beam;
the tertiary target is turned into plasma upon being irradiated with the main pulse laser beam, and emits plasma light containing the extreme ultraviolet light;
the controller controls a first irradiation timing at which the droplet is irradiated with the first prepulse laser beam, a second irradiation timing at which the secondary target is irradiated with the second prepulse laser beam, and a third irradiation timing at which the tertiary target is irradiated with the main pulse laser beam, based on the detection timing;
the controller sets the second irradiation timing to a timing which is delayed from the detection timing by a predetermined period of time, and also sets an imaging timing to a timing just before the second irradiation timing; and
the imaging part captures an image of the secondary target falling within the imaging region at the imaging timing.

5. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller controls a focused position of the first prepulse laser beam based on the image of the secondary target captured by the imaging part.

6. An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus comprising:
a chamber including a plasma generation region to which a target is supplied, the target being turned into plasma so that extreme ultraviolet light is generated in the chamber;
a target supply part configured to supply the target to the plasma generation region by outputting the target as a droplet into the chamber;
a droplet detector configured to detect the droplet traveling from the target supply part to the plasma generation region;
a light source part configured to emit light to the plasma generation region in the chamber;
an imaging part configured to capture an image of an imaging region containing the plasma generation region in the chamber; and
a controller configured to control an imaging timing at which the imaging part captures the image of the imaging region, based on a detection timing at which the droplet detector detects the droplet, wherein:
a first prepulse laser beam, a second prepulse laser beam and a main pulse laser beam are introduced into the plasma generation region;
the droplet outputted to the plasma generation region is irradiated with the first prepulse laser beam;
a secondary target resulting from irradiating the droplet with the first prepulse laser beam is irradiated with the second prepulse laser beam;
a tertiary target resulting from irradiating the secondary target with the second prepulse laser beam is irradiated with the main pulse laser beam;
the tertiary target is turned into plasma upon being irradiated with the main pulse laser beam, and emits plasma light containing the extreme ultraviolet light;
the controller controls a first irradiation timing at which the droplet is irradiated with the first prepulse laser beam, a second irradiation timing at which the secondary target is irradiated with the second prepulse laser beam, and a third irradiation timing at which the tertiary target is irradiated with the main pulse laser beam, based on the detection timing;
the controller sets the third irradiation timing to a timing which is delayed from the detection timing by a predetermined period of time, and also sets an imaging timing to a timing just before the third irradiation timing; and
the imaging part captures an image of the tertiary target falling within the imaging region at the imaging timing.

7. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the controller controls a focused position of the second prepulse laser beam based on the image of the tertiary target captured by the imaging part.

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Suzuki Toru
• Abe Tamotsu
• Wakabayashi Osamu
• Yanagida Tatsuya

Classifications

• G03F7/70033

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title

• H05G2/005

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05G2/008 Primary

  involving an energy-carrying beam in the process of plasma generation · CPC title

• H05G2/003

  the plasma being generated from a material in a liquid or gas state · CPC title

• H05G2/0084

  Control of the laser beam · CPC title