Lithographic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9307624-B2
Application number	US-48481209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2009
Priority date	Jun 16, 2008
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A discharge produced plasma radiation source includes a laser beam pulse generator configured to provide a laser beam pulse to trigger a pinch in a plasma of the discharge produced plasma radiation source. The laser beam pulse generator is arranged to provide a laser beam pulse having an energy greater than an optimum laser beam pulse energy that corresponds to a maximum output of a given wavelength of radiation for a given discharge energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A discharge produced plasma radiation source, comprising:
a laser beam pulse generator configured to provide a laser beam pulse to trigger a pinch in a plasma of the discharge produced plasma radiation source, the laser beam pulse generator being arranged to provide a laser beam pulse having an energy greater than an optimum laser beam pulse energy that corresponds to a maximum output of a given wavelength of radiation for a given discharge energy.

2. The discharge produced plasma radiation source as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the given wavelength of radiation is in the range of EUV radiation.

3. The discharge produced plasma radiation source as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the given wavelength of radiation has a wavelength that is shorter than that of EUV radiation.

4. The discharge produced plasma radiation source as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the discharge produced plasma radiation source is arranged to increase the discharge energy beyond the given discharge energy if the output of the given wavelength of radiation for the optimum laser beam pulse energy is greater than the output of the given wavelength of radiation for the greater laser beam pulse energy.

5. The discharge produced plasma radiation source as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, for a discharge energy of about 2 J, the laser beam pulse generator is arranged to provide a laser beam pulse having an energy greater than about 20 mJ.

6. The discharge produced plasma radiation source as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, for a discharge energy of about 4 J, the laser beam pulse generator is arranged to provide a laser beam pulse which has an energy greater than about 30 mJ.

7. A lithographic apparatus provided with the discharge produced radiation source of claim 1 .

8. The lithographic apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, radiation forming the radiation beam being provided by the discharge produced plasma radiation source;
a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;
a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and
a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

9. The lithographic apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a collector upon which radiation generated by the discharge produced plasma radiation source is arranged to be incident.

10. The lithographic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the collector is a grazing incidence collector.

11. A method of generating radiation using a discharge produced plasma radiation source, the method comprising:
providing a laser beam pulse to trigger a pinch in a plasma of the discharge produced plasma radiation source, the discharge produced plasma radiation source having an optimum laser beam pulse energy for generating a maximum output of a given wavelength of radiation for a given discharge energy,
wherein the energy of the provided laser beam pulse is greater than the optimum laser beam pulse energy.

12. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a discharge produced plasma radiation source, comprising
a laser beam pulse generator configured to provide a laser beam pulse to trigger a pinch in a plasma of the discharge produced plasma radiation source, the laser beam pulse generator being arranged to provide the laser beam pulse having an energy greater than an optimum laser beam pulse energy that corresponds to a maximum output of a given wavelength of radiation for a given discharge energy;

an illumination system configured to condition radiation from the discharge plasma radiation source into a radiation beam;
a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;
a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and
a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

13. The lithographic apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a collector upon which radiation generated by the discharge produced plasma radiation source is arranged to be incident.

14. The lithographic apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the collector is a grazing incidence collector.

15. A method of generating radiation using a discharge produced plasma radiation source, the method comprising:
triggering a pinch in a plasma of the discharge produced plasma radiation source with a laser beam pulse having an energy greater than an optimum laser beam pulse energy for generating a maximum output of a given wavelength of radiation for a given discharge energy.

Assignees

• Glushkov Denis Alexandrovich
• Banine Vadim Yevgenyevich
• Ivanov Vladimir Vitalevich
• Koshelev Konstantin Nikolaevich
• Zukakishvili Givi Georgievich
• Krivtsun Vladimir Mihailovitch
• Sidelnikov Yurii Victorovitch
• Gielissen Kurt
• Yakushev Oleg
• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Glushkov Denis Alexandrovich
• Banine Vadim Yevgenyevich
• Ivanov Vladimir Vitalevich
• Koshelev Konstantin Nikolaevich
• Zukakishvili Givi Georgievich
• Krivtsun Vladimir Mihailovitch
• Sidelnikov Yurii Victorovitch
• Gielissen Kurt
• Yakushev Oleg

Classifications

• H05G2/0082

  the energy-carrying beam being a laser beam · 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

• H05G2/008

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

• H05G2/003 Primary

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