High-temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus and extreme ultra violet light source apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609802-B2
Application number	US-201716304066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein a high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus capable of appropriately supplying high temperature plasma raw materials in which impurities are suppressed to a reservoir reserving high temperature plasma raw material in a liquid state. A tin filling mechanism includes a raw material reservoir unit rotatably arranged and configured to reserve a plurality of high temperature plasma raw materials in a solid state; a supply nozzle configured to supply the high temperature plasma raw materials to an outside of the raw material reservoir unit; a load lock unit provided between a housing and a chamber; and a supply path unit configured to guide the high temperature plasma raw materials supplied from the supply nozzle to the load lock unit. At least a part of the supply path unit is provided with a hole formed smaller than the high temperature plasma raw material in the solid state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus for supplying a high temperature plasma raw material to a container containing the high temperature plasma raw material in a liquid state for generating a high temperature plasma, comprising:
a raw material reservoir unit configured to reserve a plurality of high temperature plasma raw materials in a solid state, the plurality of high temperature plasma raw materials each having a spherical shape;
a supply nozzle penetrating into the raw material reservoir unit and configured to supply the high temperature plasma raw materials reserved in the raw material reservoir unit to an outside of the raw material reservoir unit;
a load lock unit provided between a space to which the high temperature plasma raw materials are supplied from the supply nozzle and a space in which the container is arranged; and
a supply path unit configured to guide the high temperature plasma raw materials supplied from the supply nozzle to the load lock unit,
the supply path unit being configured to allow the high temperature plasma raw materials falling down from the supply nozzle to roll on the supply path unit to pass therethrough, the supply path unit being provided with a plurality of holes, at least on a face of the supply path unit on which the high temperature plasma raw materials roll on, each of the plurality of holes formed to be smaller than each of the high temperature plasma raw materials, wherein
the raw material reservoir unit is rotatable about an axis in a vertical direction with respect to the supply nozzle, and
the supply nozzle has a tip opening directed in a horizontal direction in the raw material reservoir unit positioned above a bottom of the raw material reservoir unit.

2. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control at least one of a supply number and a supply interval of the high temperature plasma raw materials supplied from the supply nozzle.

3. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply nozzle is shaped in an L-shape in which the tip opening of the supply nozzle outside the raw material reservoir unit is directed downwardly in a vertical direction.

4. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a raw material counter unit configured to count the high temperature plasma raw materials supplied from the supply nozzle.

5. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply path unit has a bottom composed of a mesh.

6. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply path unit is configured to be capable of changing a guiding direction of the high temperature plasma raw materials.

7. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply path unit is configured to be capable of oscillating about an axis in a horizontal direction.

8. The high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply path unit is made of a material harder than the high temperature plasma raw material in the solid state.

9. An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus for radiating extreme ultra violet light, comprising:
the high temperature plasma raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1 ;
the container;
a chamber constituting a space in which the container is arranged;
a raw material supply mechanism configured to supply the high temperature plasma raw material in a liquid state contained in the container to a high temperature plasma generating unit configured to generate the high temperature plasma; and
the high temperature plasma generating unit configured to heat and excite the high temperature plasma raw material in the liquid state supplied from the raw material supply mechanism and generate the high temperature plasma.

10. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a connection path unit arranged in the chamber and configured to connect the load lock unit to the container, and
at least a part of the connection path unit including a curvature portion.

Assignees

• Ushio Electric Inc

Inventors

• Nagano Akihisa
• Yamatani Daiki

Classifications

• G03F7/70033

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title

• H05G2/00 Primary

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays, not involving X-ray tubes, e.g. involving generation of a plasma (X-ray lasers H01S4/00) · CPC title

• H05G2/003

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

• H05G2/006

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05G2/001

  Production of X-ray radiation generated from plasma · CPC title