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:
Oct. 18, 2011
Filed:
May. 08, 2007
Jeroen Jonkers, Aachen, DE;
Dominik Marcel Vaudrevange, Neuss, DE;
Jeroen Jonkers, Aachen, DE;
Dominik Marcel Vaudrevange, Neuss, DE;
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of increasing the conversion efficiency of an EUV and/or soft X-ray lamp, in which a discharge plasma () emitting EUV radiation or soft X-rays is generated in a gaseous medium formed by an evaporated liquid material in a discharge space, said liquid material being provided on a surface in the discharge space and being at least partially evaporated by an energy beam (). The invention also refers to a corresponding apparatus for producing EUV radiation and/or soft X-rays. In the method, a gas () composed of chemical elements having a lower mass number than chemical elements of the liquid material is supplied through at least one nozzle () in a directed manner to the discharge space and/or to the liquid material on a supply path to the discharge space in order to reduce the density of the evaporated liquid material in the discharge space. With the present method and corresponding apparatus the conversion efficiency of the lamp is increased.