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:
Sep. 17, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 18, 1999
William N. Partlo, Poway, CA (US);
Igor V. Fomenkov, San Diego, CA (US);
Daniel L. Birx, Oakely, CA (US);
Cymer, Inc., San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A high energy photon source. A pair of plasma pinch electrodes are located in a vacuum chamber. The chamber contains a working gas which includes a noble buffer gas and an active gas chosen to provide a desired spectral line. A pulse power source provides electrical pulses at voltages high enough to create electrical discharges between the electrodes to produce very high temperature, high density plasma pinches in the working gas providing radiation at the spectral line of the active gas. A blast shield positioned just beyond the location of the high density pinch provides a physical barrier which confines the pinch limiting its axial elongation. A small port is provided in the blast shield that permits the radiation but not the plasma to pass through the shield. In a preferred embodiment a surface of the shield facing the plasma is dome-shaped.