Xtreme Technologies Gmbh

Duc Chinh Tran

Juergen Kleinschmidt

Jesko Brudermann

Bjoern Mader

René De Bruijn

The invention is directed to a method and arrangements for the suppression of debris in short-wavelength radiation sources based on a plasma, particularly for EUV sources for semiconductor lithography. The object of the invention is to find a novel possibility for suppressing the particle flow (debris) from a plasma which keeps the debris away from primarily optical components located downstream without excessive attenuation of the desired radiation emitted from the plasma. According to the invention, this object is met in that a buffer gas is injected inside the filter structure of the debris filter lateral to openings that are provided for passing the radiation. The filter structure generates a flow resistance in direction of the plasma and in direction of propagation of the radiation so that an increased gas pressure of buffer gas remains limited to a defined volume layer in the debris filter relative to the pressure in the vacuum chamber, and the buffer gas exiting from the filter structure of the debris filter is sucked out of the vacuum chamber by vacuum pumps.

Method and arrangement for the suppression of debris in the generation of short-wavelength radiation based on a plasma

The invention is directed to an arrangement for debris reduction in a radiation source based on a plasma, particularly for generating bundled radiation in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for beam shaping and debris reduction in a radiation source based on a plasma which substantially increases the life of collector optics without having to tolerate a substantial reduction in transparency or a sudden destruction of the protective mechanism, is met according to the invention in that exchangeable additional optics are arranged in the radiation path between a conventional debris filter and the collector optics, wherein a distance-increasing intermediate imaging of the source location relative to the collector optics is provided by the additional optics for further debris reduction.

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Goettingen, Germany

Duc Chinh Tran