Extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301379-B2
Application number	US-201213809582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2012
Priority date	Mar 30, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light may include: a chamber having an opening through which a laser beam is introduced into the chamber; a reference member on which the chamber is mounted; a target supply unit for supplying a target material to be irradiated by the laser beam to a predetermined region inside the chamber; a laser beam focusing optical system for focusing the laser beam in the predetermined region inside the chamber to turn the target material into plasma; and a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the plasma.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light, comprising:
a chamber having an opening through which a laser beam is introduced into the chamber;
a target supply unit for supplying a target material to be irradiated by the laser beam to a predetermined region inside the chamber;
a laser beam focusing optical system for focusing the laser beam in the predetermined region inside the chamber to turn the target material into plasma;
a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the plasma; and
a reference member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the chamber and the collector mirror being disposed on the first surface, the laser beam focusing optical system being disposed on the second surface, the reference member positioning the chamber, the collector mirror, and the laser beam focusing optical system.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the reference member includes a first storing chamber in communication with the chamber through the opening in the chamber, the second surface being a part of the first storing chamber, and
the laser beam focusing optical system is provided inside the first storing chamber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a laser beam introduction optical system mounted on the reference member, the laser beam introduction optical system being configured to introduce the laser beam into the first storing chamber.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the reference member further includes a second storing chamber adjacent to the first storing chamber with a window provided therebetween, and
the laser beam introduction optical system is provided inside the second storing chamber.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a measuring device mounted on the reference member, the measuring device being configured to measure the laser beam introduced into the laser beam introduction optical system.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reference member includes at least three housing members of kinematic mounts for disposing the reference member.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the laser beam focusing optical system is directly mounted on the reference member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the collector mirror is directly mounted on the reference member, but is located inside the chamber.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first holder fixed to the first surface of the reference member for holding the collector mirror; and
a second holder fixed to the second surface of the reference member for holding the laser beam focusing optical system.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first positioning member being disposed on the reference member;
a positioning stage configured to position the reference member, the positioning stage having a second positioning member to engage with the first positioning member; and
an internal member provided between the first positioning member and the second positioning member while engaging each other.

11. An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light, comprising:
a chamber having an opening through which a laser beam is introduced into the chamber;
a target supply unit for supplying a target material to be irradiated by the laser beam to a predetermined region inside the chamber;
a laser beam focusing optical system for focusing the laser beam in the predetermined region inside the chamber to turn the target material into plasma;
a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the plasma;
a reference member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the chamber and the collector mirror being disposed on the side of the first surface, the laser beam focusing optical system being disposed on the side of the second surface, the reference member positioning the chamber, the collector mirror, and the laser beam focusing optical system, the reference member further having a first positioning member;
a positioning stage configured to position the reference member, the positioning stage having a second positioning member to engage with the first positioning member; and
an internal member provided between the first positioning member and the second positioning member while engaging each other.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the internal member is a spherical body.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein surfaces, contacting with the internal member, of the first and second positioning members each have a concave shape.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein surfaces, contacting with the internal member, of the first and second positioning members each have a spherical shape.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein surfaces, contacting with the internal member, of the first and second positioning members each have a v-shaped groove.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the first positioning member and the second positioning member are provided at three locations.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first positioning member and the second positioning member are provided at three locations.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first positioning member and the second positioning member are provided at three locations.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a lift configured to lift the reference member and the first positioning member.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising a lift configured to lift the reference member and the first positioning member.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising a lift configured to lift the reference member and the first positioning member.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the collector mirror further comprising a collector mirror mount.

23. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the collector mirror further comprising a collector mirror mount.

Assignees

• Watanabe Yukio
• Igarashi Miwa
• Moriya Masato
• Nakarai Hiroaki
• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Watanabe Yukio
• Igarashi Miwa
• Moriya Masato
• Nakarai Hiroaki

Classifications

• H05G2/0086 Primary

  Optical arrangements for conveying the laser beam to the plasma generation location · CPC title

• H05G2/008

  involving an energy-carrying beam 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

• 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