Xtreme Technologies Gmbh

Xtreme Techonolgies Gmbh

Xtreme Technologies Gbmh

Imtiaz Ahmad

Juergen Kleinschmidt

Guido Schriever

Sven Goetze

Uwe Stamm

Max Christian Schuermann

Denis Bolshukhin

Alexander Christian Keller

Harald Ebel

The invention is related to the adjustment of characteristics of a beam bundle of high-energy radiation emitted from a plasma, particularly for applications in semiconductor lithography. For acquiring and adjusting characteristics of a beam bundle of high-energy radiation emitted from a plasma and focused by means of collector optics, an intensity distribution of the radiation is acquired over the cross section of a convergent beam bundle in a measuring plane perpendicular to the optical axis in front of an intermediate focus of the collector optics, and intensity values are recorded in defined sectors for a quantity of reception regions of a measuring device which are aligned with different radii concentric to the optical axis, and measured quantities and control variables are determined from a comparison of the intensity values of different sectors for aligning the collector optics.

Method and arrangement for the adjustment of characteristics of a beam bundle of high-energy radiation emitted from a plasma

The invention is directed to an arrangement for the generation of short-wavelength radiation based on a hot plasma generated by gas discharge and to a method for the production of coolant-carrying electrode housings. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for gas discharge based short-wavelength radiation sources with high average radiation output in quasi-continuous discharge operation by which efficient cooling principles can be implemented using inexpensive and simple means in order to prevent a temporary melting of the electrode surfaces and, therefore, to ensure a long lifetime of the electrodes. According to the invention, this object is met in that special cooling channels for circulating coolant are integrated in electrode collars of the electrode housings. The cooling channels are advanced radially up to within a few millimeters of the highly thermally stressed surface regions and are connected by necked-down channel portions which are arranged coaxial to the axis of symmetry and which are provided with channel structures for increasing the inner surface and for increasing the flow rate of the coolant.

Arrangement for the generation of short-wavelength radiation based on a gas discharge plasma and method for the production of coolant-carrying electrode housings

The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, i.e., radiation of high-energy photons in the wavelength range from 11 to 14 nm, based on a gas discharge. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for generating EUV radiation in which an extended life of the system is achieved with stable generation of a dense, hot plasma column, is met according to the invention in that a preionization discharge is ignited between two parallel disk-shaped flat electrodes prior to the main discharge by a surface discharge along the superficies surface of a cylindrical insulator with a plasma column generated through the gas discharge with pulsed direct voltage, which preionization discharge carries out an ionization of the working gas in the discharge chamber by means of fast charged particles. The preionization discharge is triggered within a first electrode housing and the main discharge takes place between a narrowed output of the first electrode housing and a part of the second electrode housing close to the outlet opening of the discharge chamber. The plasma develops in a part of the second electrode housing covered by a tubular insulator and, as a result of the current-induced magnetic field, contracts to form a dense, hot plasma column, one end of which is located in the vicinity of the outlet opening of the second electrode housing.

Arrangement for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation based on a gas discharge

The invention is directed to an arrangement for the suppression of particle emission in the generation of radiation based on hot plasma in x-ray radiation sources, particularly EUV radiation sources. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for debris filtering in plasma-coupled radiation sources which permits a reliable retention of charged and uncharged particles without substantially reducing transmission or limiting the usable solid angle of radiation, is met, according to the invention, by an arrangement for the suppression of particle emission with generation of radiation based on a hot plasma having a vacuum chamber for generating the plasma in that the outlet opening of the vacuum chamber is followed by means for generating an electric field, wherein the electric field is oriented orthogonal to the central propagation direction of a divergent beam bundle exiting in a defined solid angle, and means for generating a gas sink so that a resulting particle flow is oriented parallel to the direction of the electric field. The particle flow is advantageously further reinforced in the direction of the gas sink by an oppositely arranged gas supply device.

Arrangement for the suppression of particle emission in the generation of radiation based on hot plasma

The invention is directed to a radiation source for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation based on a hot, dense plasma generated by gas discharge. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for the realization of an EUV radiation source which achieves a high average radiation output in the EUV region and sufficiently long life and long-term stability, is met according to the invention in that a first electrode housing and a second electrode housing which are electrically separated from one another so as to be resistant to breakdown form parts of a vacuum chamber for a gas discharge for plasma generation, and the second electrode housing has an electrode collar which is enclosed concentrically by the first electrode housing so that the gas discharge is oriented substantially only parallel to the axis of symmetry of the electrode housings, and the electrode collar is stepped radially relative to the concentric insulator layer in such a way that at least one end region of the electrode collar is at a distance from the concentric insulator layer such that a concentric gap is formed. A substantially longer operating duration is achieved by the optimized electrode geometry in conjunction with material selection and effective heat dissipation.

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Goettingen, Germany

Imtiaz Ahmad