Apparatus and system for generating extreme ultraviolet light and method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9544985-B2
Application number	US-201514803920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light. The apparatus includes a collector mirror unit, a gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas to the collector mirror unit, a gas supply nozzle arranged in at least one area of the collector mirror unit and configured to supply the processing gas to a surface of the collector mirror unit, and a controller configured to adjust a shape of a spray hole of the gas supply nozzle. The shape of the spray hole may be changed according to a control operation of the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light, the apparatus comprising:
a collector mirror unit;
a gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas to the collector mirror unit;
a gas supply nozzle arranged in at least one area of the collector mirror unit and configured to supply the processing gas to a surface of the collector mirror unit to remove contamination from the surface of the collector mirror unit;
a sensing unit configured to measure a contamination level of the surface of the collector mirror unit; and
a controller configured to adjust a shape of a spray hole of the gas supply nozzle based on a result of measuring the contamination level by the sensing unit,
wherein the shape of the spray hole is changed according to a control operation of the controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas supply nozzle includes a first gas supply nozzle arranged in a first area of the collector mirror unit and a second gas supply nozzle arranged in a second area of the collector mirror unit that is different than the first area of the collector mirror unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first area is a peripheral area of the collector mirror unit, and the second area is a center area of the collector mirror unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas supply nozzle includes a plurality of spray holes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the shape of the plurality of spray holes may be independently adjusted.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing gas includes H 2 gas.

7. An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light, the apparatus comprising:
a collector mirror unit;
a gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas to the collector mirror unit;
a peripheral gas supply nozzle arranged at a peripheral area of the collector mirror unit and configured to supply the processing gas inwardly along a surface of the collector mirror unit to remove contamination from the surface of the collector mirror unit;
a sensing unit configured to measure a contamination level of the surface of the collector mirror unit; and
a controller configured to adjust a shape of a spray hole of the peripheral gas supply nozzle in response to the measured contamination level.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the peripheral gas supply nozzle comprises a fixed first unit and a second unit that each extend around the peripheral area of the collector mirror unit, and wherein the controller is configured to move at least a portion of the second unit away from and toward the first unit to thereby adjust the shape of the spray hole therebetween.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second unit comprises a plurality of pillar members, and wherein the controller is configured to independently move the pillar members away from and toward the first unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a central gas supply nozzle arranged at a central area of the collector mirror unit and configured to supply the processing gas therethrough, the central gas supply nozzle defining a spray hole, the central gas supply nozzle comprising a plurality of pillar members, wherein the controller is configured to extend and retract the pillar members to thereby adjust a shape of the spray hole of the central gas supply nozzle in response to the measured contamination level.

11. An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light, the apparatus comprising:
a vessel;
a light source configured to supply a source light to an inside of the vessel;
a droplet generation unit configured to supply a droplet to the source light which is provided to the inside of the vessel;
a collector mirror unit arranged within the vessel and configured to collect and reflect extreme ultraviolet light which is generated by reaction between the source light and the droplet;
a gas supply unit configured to supply processing gas to the collector mirror unit;
a first gas supply nozzle arranged in a peripheral area of the collector mirror unit and supply the processing gas toward a center area of the collector mirror unit to remove contamination from a surface of the collector mirror unit;
a second gas supply nozzle arranged in the center area of the collector mirror unit and configured to supply the processing gas therethrough;
a sensing unit configured to measure a contamination level of the surface of the collector mirror unit; and
a controller configured to adjust a shape of at least one of a first spray hole of the first gas supply nozzle and a second spray hole of the second gas supply nozzle, wherein the controller adjusts the shape of at least one of the first and second spray holes responsive to a result of measuring the contamination level by the sensing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first gas supply nozzle includes first to nth pillar units arranged along the peripheral area of the collector mirror unit, with n being a natural number of 2 or more, and the controller is configured to adjust the shape of the first spray hole by adjusting first to nth heights of the first to nth pillar units, respectively.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein k is a natural number of 1 or more, and wherein an upper surface of the first to kth pillar units is curved and an upper surface of the (k+1)th to nth pillar units is straight.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first to nth pillar units are spaced apart from each other.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first to nth heights may be independently adjusted.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second gas supply nozzle includes first to nth pillar units, with n being a natural number of 2 or more, and the controller is configured to adjust the shape of the second spray hole by adjusting the first to nth widths of the first to nth pillar units, respectively.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first to nth widths may be independently adjusted.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of pillar members are arranged around the peripheral area of the collector minor unit, and wherein the spray hole is at least partially defined between the first unit and a surface of each pillar member that faces the first unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of pillar members comprise a first set of pillar members on a first side of the spray hole of the central gas supply nozzle and a second set of pillar members on a second, opposite side of the spray hole of the central gas supply nozzle, and wherein the controller is configured to independently extend and retract the pillar members of the first set of pillar members and the pillar members of the second set of pillar members.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first gas supply nozzle comprises a fixed member arranged along the peripheral area of the collector mirror unit and positioned above the first to nth pillar units, and wherein the first spray hole is at least partially defined between the fixed member and upper surfaces of the first to nth pillar units.

Assignees

• Heo Jin-Seok
• Park Jin-Hong
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Heo Jin-Seok
• Park Jin-Hong

Classifications

• H05G2/002

  Supply of the plasma generating material · CPC title

• H05G2/0094 Primary

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

• H05G2/008 Primary

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

• G03F7/70033

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title

• B05B12/12

  responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature {position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus (B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence)} · CPC title