Xtreme Technologies Gmbh

Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Vladimir Korobochko

Juergen Kleinschmidt

Alexander Christian Keller

Hubertus Von Bergmann

Spencer Merz

Denis Bolshukhin

Lutz Dippmann

The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating EUV radiation particularly for source modules in exposure installations for EUV lithography for semiconductor chip fabrication. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for realizing an EUV source module which appreciably improves the ratio of resources to results in the transfer of radiation from the primary source location (plasma) to the secondary source location (output opening () of the source module ()/intermediate focus plane ()), is met according to the invention in that the plasma () is formed as a volume emitter for direct illumination of the output opening () without collector optics (), and the transverse dimension (d) of the plasma () is greater than the diameter (D) of the output opening (), wherein the extent to which the diameter is exceeded depends on the distance (L) between the plasma () and the output opening () and on the numerical aperture (NA) of the illumination system downstream.

Arrangement for generating EUV radiation

The present invention is directed to an arrangement for switching high electric currents by way of a gas discharge at high voltages or for generating gas discharge plasma emitting EUV radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating a hollow cathode plasma that permits a longer life of the cathodes of short wavelength-emitting gas discharge radiation sources and pseudospark switches, also in high-power operation. This object is met in that the metal wall between the hollow cathode space and the discharge space has a thickness on the order of the centimeter range so that the openings of the metal wall change into relatively long channels and in that substantially radially extending cooling channels are introduced in the metal wall to reduce the ion erosion of the metal wall of the hollow cathode through efficient cooling.

Arrangement for switching high electric currents by a gas discharge

The invention is directed to an arrangement for the generation of intensive short-wavelength radiation based on a gas discharge plasma. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating intensive short-wavelength radiation, particularly EUV radiation, based on a gas discharge plasma which achieves a long life of the electrode system along with a high total efficiency of the radiation source without substantially increasing the dimensions of the discharge unit. This object is met, according to the invention, in that exclusively suitably shaped vacuum insulation areas which have the shape of an annular gap and which are formed depending on the product of gas pressure (p) and interelectrode distance (d) between the cathode and anode are provided for insulating the cathode and anode from one another in a cylindrically symmetric electrode arrangement for reliable suppression of electron arcing.

Arrangement for the generation of intensive short-wavelength radiation based on a gas discharge plasma

The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating pulsed currents for gas discharge pumped radiation sources, particularly with high repetition rates and high current strengths for generating plasma emitting EUV radiation. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for generating pulsed high-energy currents for a gas discharge pumped radiation source which permits a stable generation of high voltage and a reliable resetting of voltage using simple circuitry, is met according to the invention in that the charging circuit is an LC inversion charging circuit which communicates with a DC voltage source that provides only one half of the high voltage required for the gas discharge, wherein the inversion charging circuit has a capacitor bank with a first capacitor arranged directly parallel to the DC voltage source and a second capacitor which contributes after simultaneous charging to the recharging of the first capacitor by a triggered switch by a saturable recharging inductor for recharging the first capacitor, as a result of which the full high voltage required for discharging is provided in the capacitor bank.

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Goettingen, Germany

Vladimir Korobochko