Guiding device and associated system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12389519-B2
Application number	US-202318380439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2023
Priority date	Jan 6, 2017
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

An extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) source, including: a vessel having an inner vessel wall and an intermediate focus (IF) region; an EUV collector disposed inside the vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface configured to reflect EUV radiation toward the intermediate focus region, the reflective surface configured to directionally face the IF region of the vessel; a showerhead disposed along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall, the showerhead including a plurality of nozzles configured to introduce gas into the vessel; and one or more exhausts configured to remove gas introduced into the vessel, the one or more exhausts being oriented along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall so that the gas is caused to flow away from the EUV collector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radiation source comprising:
a chamber comprising an inner wall and a material target region;
a radiation collector arranged in the chamber, the radiation collector configured to collect radiation emitted at the material target region and to direct the collected radiation to a focus region; and
a guiding device arranged in the chamber between the material target region and the focus region such that a gas flow is split around the guiding device and directed to flow between the guiding device and the inner wall, the guiding device comprising an opening configured to introduce gas into the chamber and connectable to a gas source.

2. The radiation source of claim 1 , wherein the guiding device is arranged in the chamber to extend at least partially along an optical axis of the radiation collector.

3. The radiation source of claim 1 , wherein the guiding device is arranged to taper from a first end of the guiding device towards a second end of the guiding device, the first end comprising an enlarged portion and the second end comprising a pointed portion or rounded portion.

4. The radiation source of claim 1 , wherein the guiding device is elongate along a direction and the guiding device comprises a plurality of openings distributed around the direction to provide gas into the chamber.

5. The radiation source of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first gas supply system configured to direct a first gas flow from the focus region towards the material target region, and
a second gas supply system comprising one or more openings arranged to direct a second gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular or tilted under an angle to the propagation direction of the first gas flow.

6. A lithographic system comprising a lithographic apparatus arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate, and the radiation source according to claim 1 arranged to provide at least some of the radiation to the lithographic apparatus.

7. An inspection system comprising an inspection apparatus configured to inspect a substrate with radiation, and the radiation source according to claim 1 arranged to provide at least some of the radiation to the inspection apparatus.

8. A radiation source comprising:
a chamber comprising an inner wall and a material target region;
a radiation collector arranged in the chamber, the radiation collector configured to collect radiation emitted at the material target region and to direct the collected radiation to a focus region; and
a structure arranged in the chamber to at least block particles emitted from the material target region towards the focus region, the structure comprising an opening configured to introduce gas into the chamber and connectable to a gas source,
wherein the structure is spaced away from the inner wall.

9. The radiation source of claim 8 , wherein the structure is arranged in the chamber to extend at least partially along an optical axis of the radiation collector.

10. The radiation source of claim 8 , wherein the structure is arranged to taper from a first end of the structure towards a second end of the structure, the first end comprising an enlarged portion and the second end comprising a pointed portion or rounded portion.

11. The radiation source of claim 8 , wherein the structure is elongate along a direction and the structure comprises a plurality of openings distributed around the direction to provide gas into the chamber.

12. The radiation source of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first gas supply system configured to direct a first gas flow from the focus region towards the material target region, and
a second gas supply system comprising one or more openings arranged to direct a second gas flow in a direction substantially perpendicular or tilted under an angle to the propagation direction of the first gas flow.

13. A lithographic system comprising a lithographic apparatus arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate, and the radiation source according to claim 8 arranged to provide at least some of the radiation to the lithographic apparatus.

14. An inspection system comprising an inspection apparatus configured to inspect a substrate with radiation, and the radiation source according to claim 8 arranged to provide at least some of the radiation to the inspection apparatus.

15. A radiation source comprising:
a chamber comprising an inner wall and a material target region;
a radiation collector arranged in the chamber, the radiation collector configured to collect radiation emitted at the material target region and to direct the collected radiation to a focus region; and
a structure arranged in the chamber between the material target region and the focus region and configured to allow radiation from the collector to pass around the structure between the structure and the inner wall, the structure comprising an opening configured to introduce gas into the chamber and connectable to a gas source.

16. The radiation source of claim 15 , wherein the structure is arranged in the chamber to extend at least partially along an optical axis of the radiation collector.

17. The radiation source of claim 15 , wherein the structure is arranged to taper from a first end of the structure towards a second end of the structure, the first end comprising an enlarged portion and the second end comprising a pointed portion or rounded portion.

18. The radiation source of claim 15 , wherein the structure is elongate along a direction and the structure comprises a plurality of openings distributed around the direction to provide gas into the chamber.

19. A lithographic system comprising a lithographic apparatus arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate, and the radiation source according to claim 15 arranged to provide at least some of the radiation to the lithographic apparatus.

20. An inspection system comprising an inspection apparatus configured to inspect a substrate with radiation, and the radiation source according to claim 15 arranged to provide at least some of the radiation to the inspection apparatus.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Labetski Dzmitry
• Berendsen Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes
• Duarte Rodrigues Nunes Rui Miguel
• Ershov Alexander Igorevich
• Feenstra Kornelis Frits
• Fomenkov Igor Vladimirovich
• Hummler Klaus Martin
• Johnkadaksham Arun
• Kraushaar Matthias
• LaForge Andrew David
• Langlois Marc Guy
• Loginov Maksim
• Ma Yue
• Mojab Seyedmohammad
• Nadir Kerim
• Shatalov Alexander
• Stewart John Tom
• Tegenbosch Henricus Gerardus
• Xia Chunguang

Classifications

• H05G2/0094

  Reduction, prevention or protection from contamination; Cleaning · CPC title

• G03F7/70916

  Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps · CPC title

• G03F7/70033 Primary

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title

• H05G2/0092

  Housing of the apparatus for producing X-rays; Environment inside the housing · CPC title

• H05G2/008

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