EUV generation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10779388-B2
Application number	US-201816227080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generation device includes a housing module including a housing body whose inside is maintained in a vacuum state and an exit window formed on one side of the housing body, a laser source which emits lasers toward the inside of the housing body through the exit window, a plasma generation module which is located inside the housing body and generates plasma by allowing the lasers to be emitted toward a plasma gas, which flows into a laser focal area, and a radio frequency (RF) power supply module which preionizes the plasma gas before the plasma gas flows into the laser focal area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generation device comprising:
a housing including a housing body and a window formed on one side of the housing body, the housing body configured to connect to a vacuum pump such that an inside of the housing body is maintainable in a vacuum state;
a laser source configured to emit lasers toward the inside of the housing body through the window;
a plasma generation device inside the housing body, the plasma generation device configured to generate plasma in response to the lasers being emitted toward a plasma gas flowing into a laser focal area, the plasma generation device including a laser path pipe, a gas supply pipe connected to the laser path pipe, and a gas focusing pipe, the laser path pipe having a first end, a second end and a central axis that coincides with an emission path of the lasers emitted into the laser path pipe from the first end thereof such that the laser focal area is closer to the second end of the laser path pipe, the gas supply pipe configured to supply the plasma gas to an inside of the laser path pipe, and the gas focusing pipe having a first end connected to the second end of the laser path pipe, the gas focusing pipe being shaped such that an inner diameter of the gas focusing pipe decreases from the first end toward a second end thereof, the laser focal area being closer to the second end of the gas focusing pipe than the first end of the gas focusing pipe, wherein an inner diameter of the laser path pipe is smaller than the inner diameter of the first end of the gas supply pipe and larger than an inner diameter of the second end of the gas focusing pipe; and
a radio frequency (RF) power supply device configured to preionize the plasma gas before the plasma gas flows into the laser focal area, the RF power supply device including an RF coil and an RF power source configured to supply power to the RF coil, the RF coil wound on one or more of (i) an outer circumferential surface of the gas supply pipe or (ii) an outer circumferential surface of the laser path pipe downstream of a junction between the gas supply pipe and the laser path pipe.

2. The EUV generation device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electromagnet including an annularly wound coil having a central axis thereof that coincides with the central axis of the laser path pipe, wherein
the laser focal area is on the central axis of the electromagnet.

3. The EUV generation device of claim 2 , wherein the plasma generation device further comprises:
a gas focusing pipe having a first end connected to the second end of the laser path pipe, the gas focusing pipe being shaped such that an inner diameter of the gas focusing pipe decreases from the first end toward a second end thereof; and
a gas induction pipe connected to the second end of the gas focusing pipe and extending toward an inside of the electromagnet.

4. The EUV generation device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a condenser downstream of the laser path pipe, the condenser having a shape of semi-elliptical sphere with a laser incident hole included therein such that the EUV generation device is configured to transfer the plasma gas from the laser path pipe to the condenser via the laser incident hole, wherein
the laser focal area is in an area in the condenser that includes a first focal point of the semi-elliptical sphere.

5. The EUV generation device of claim 4 , further comprising:
an electromagnet including an annularly wound coil having a central axis thereof that coincides with the central axis of the laser path pipe, the electromagnet being outside the condenser such that the electromagnet surrounds the first focal point and the laser focal area is on the central axis of the electromagnet.

6. The EUV generation device of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnet has an annular shape such that both ends thereof have a same inner diameter.

7. The EUV generation device of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnet has an inner circumferential surface having a shape corresponding to that of an outer circumferential surface of the condenser.

8. The EUV generation device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a condenser downstream of the laser path pipe, the condenser having a shape of a semi-elliptical sphere with a laser incident hole included therein such that the EUV generation device is configured to transfer the plasma gas from the laser path pipe to the condenser via the laser incident hole, the laser incident hole being at a point of the semi-elliptical sphere at which a line, which is parallel to a cross section of the semi-elliptical sphere and passes through a first focal point of the semi-elliptical sphere, meets an inner circumferential surface of the semi-elliptical sphere, wherein
the laser focal area is in an area in the condenser that includes the first focal point.

9. The EUV generation device of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation device is configured to generate EUV rays via a laser generation plasma method such that the EUV rays generated thereby have a wavelength between 10 nm to 20 nm.

10. An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generation device configured to generate EUV rays by using a laser generation plasma method, the EUV generation device comprising:
a plasma generation device configured to preionize a plasma gas to generate preionized plasma gas, and to generate plasma by emitting lasers toward the preionized plasma gas, the plasma generation device including a laser path pipe, a gas supply pipe connected to the laser path pipe, and a gas focusing pipe, the laser path pipe having a first end, a second end and a central axis that coincides with an emission path of the lasers emitted into the laser path pipe from the first end thereof such that the laser focal area is closer to the second end of the laser path pipe, the gas supply pipe configured to supply the plasma gas to an inside of the laser path pipe, and the gas focusing pipe having a first end connected to the second end of the laser path pipe, the gas focusing pipe being shaped such that an inner diameter of the gas focusing pipe decreases from the first end toward a second end thereof, the laser focal area being closer to the second end of the gas focusing pipe than the first end of the gas focusing pipe, wherein an inner diameter of the laser path pipe is smaller than the inner diameter of the first end of the gas supply pipe and larger than an inner diameter of the second end of the gas focusing pipe; and
a radio frequency (RF) power supply device configured to preionize the plasma gas before the plasma gas flows into the laser focal area, the RF power supply device including an RF coil and an RF power source configured to supply power to the RF coil, the RF coil wound on one or more of (i) an outer circumferential surface of the gas supply pipe or (ii) an outer circumferential surface of the laser path pipe downstream of a junction between the gas supply pipe and the laser path pipe.

11. The EUV generation device of claim 10 , further comprising:
an electromagnet including an annularly wound coil having a central axis thereof coincides with a central axis of the laser path pipe, wherein
the laser focal area is on the central axis of the electromagnet.

12. The EUV generation device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a condenser downstream of the laser path pipe, the condenser having a shape of a semi-elliptical sphere with a laser incident hole included therein such that the EUV generation device is configured to transfer the plasma gas from the laser path pipe to the condenser via the laser incident hole, the laser incident hole being at a point of the semi-elliptical sphere at which a line, which i

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeon Byeong Hwan

Classifications

• H05G2/0088

  for preconditioning the plasma generating material · CPC title

• H05G2/002

  Supply of the plasma generating material · CPC title

• H05G2/007 Primary

  involving electric or magnetic fields in the process of plasma generation · CPC title

• G03F7/70033

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title

• H05G2/003 Primary

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