The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 29, 2025
Filed:
Oct. 21, 2022
Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh, Oberkochen, DE;
Moritz Becker, Aalen, DE;
Dirk Heinrich Ehm, Beckingen, DE;
CARL ZEISS SMT GMBH, Oberkochen, DE;
Abstract
A method for operating an EUV lithography apparatus () with at least one vacuum housing () for at least one reflective optical element () includes operating the EUV lithography apparatus in an exposure operating mode (B), in which EUV radiation () is radiated into the vacuum housing, wherein a reducing plasma is generated at a surface (a) of the reflective optical element in response to an interaction of the EUV radiation with a residual gas present in the vacuum housing. After an exposure pause, in which no EUV radiation is radiated into the vacuum housing, and before renewed operation of the EUV lithography apparatus in the exposure operating mode (B), the EUV lithography apparatus is operated in a recovery operating mode, in which oxidized contaminants at the surface of the reflective optical element are reduced in order to recover a transmission of the EUV lithography apparatus before the exposure pause.