公开(公告)号：US06995382B2

公开(公告)日：2006-02-07

申请号：US10777616

申请日：2004-02-12

申请人： Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel ,  Guido Hergenhan

发明人： Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel ,  Guido Hergenhan

IPC分类号： G01J1/00 ,  G21G4/00

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/006

摘要： The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating intensive radiation based on a plasma, particularly short-wavelength radiation from soft x-ray radiation to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The object of the invention is to find a novel possibility for generating radiation generated from plasma in which the individual pulse energy coupled into the plasma and, therefore, the usable radiation output are appreciably increased while retaining the advantages of mass-limited targets. According to the invention, this object is met in that the target generator has a multiple-channel nozzle with a plurality of separate orifices, wherein the orifices generate a plurality of target jets, the excitation radiation for generating plasma being directed simultaneously portion by portion to the target jets.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及用于基于等离子体产生强烈辐射的装置，特别是从软X射线辐射到极紫外（EUV）辐射的短波长辐射。 本发明的目的是找到用于产生从等离子体产生的辐射的新颖可能性，其中耦合到等离子体中的各个脉冲能量以及因此可用的辐射输出明显地增加，同时保留了大量限制目标的优点。 根据本发明，该目的是满足目标发生器具有多通道喷嘴，其具有多个分开的孔口，其中孔口产生多个目标射流，用于产生等离子体的激发辐射被一部分同时引导到 目标射流。

公开(公告)号：US07274030B2

公开(公告)日：2007-09-25

申请号：US11149916

申请日：2005-06-10

申请人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

发明人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

IPC分类号： H05H1/00

CPC分类号： G03F7/70033 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： The invention is directed to an apparatus for generating soft x-radiation, particularly EUV radiation, by laser-induced plasma. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for generating EUV radiation by means of a laser-induced plasma by which a temporally stable radiation emission in the desired wavelength region is ensured when interacting with the target without active regulation of the laser beam, is met according to the invention in that at least one laser is directed to the target, wherein the laser has at least one defined plane with a highly stable spatial distribution of the power density of the laser, and this defined plane is imaged on the target by an optical imaging system so as to be reduced so that the optical image of the defined plane is active for the plasma generation instead of the laser focus. The invention is applied in exposure machines for semiconductor lithography for spatially stable generation of radiation.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于通过激光诱导等离子体产生软x辐射，特别是EUV辐射的装置。 本发明的目的是为了找到通过激光诱导等离子体产生EUV辐射的新颖可能性，通过该等离子体，当与靶相互作用而确保在期望波长区域中的时间上稳定的辐射发射而无需主动调节激光束时， 根据本发明满足的是，至少一个激光被引导到目标，其中激光器具有至少一个具有激光功率密度的高度稳定的空间分布的限定平面，并且该定义的平面被成像在目标 通过光学成像系统被减少，使得限定平面的光学图像对于等离子体产生而不是激光焦点是有效的。 本发明应用于用于半导体光刻的曝光机，用于在空间上稳定地产生辐射。

公开(公告)号：US07250621B2

公开(公告)日：2007-07-31

申请号：US11045779

申请日：2005-01-27

申请人： Kai Gaebel ,  Christian Ziener ,  Guido Hergenhan

发明人： Kai Gaebel ,  Christian Ziener ,  Guido Hergenhan

IPC分类号： H01J49/00

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for the plasma-based generation of intensive short-wavelength radiation, particularly EUV radiation. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for plasma-based generation of intensive soft x-radiation, particularly EUV radiation, which permits efficient energy conversion in the desired spectral band with high repetition frequency (several kHz) of the plasma excitation, minimized emission of debris and low erosion of the nozzle of the target generator, is met according to the invention in that an additional energy beam is directed on the target flow spatially in advance of its interaction with the high-energy beam, the target flow being acted upon by this additional energy beam with substantially weaker energy pulses compared to the high-energy beam in order to divide the target flow into a first portion and at least one second portion, wherein the target flow is excited at an interaction point within the second portion by the high-energy beam for generating a hot, radiating plasma, and the second portion is decoupled from the first portion and therefore from the target generator in such a way that a hydrodynamic disturbance generated in the second portion by the pulse of the high-energy beam is transmitted into the first portion only negligibly.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于等离子体生成强烈的短波长辐射，特别是EUV辐射的方法和装置。 本发明的目的是为了发现等离子体产生强烈的软x辐射，特别是EUV辐射的新颖可能性，其允许在等离子体激发的高重复频率（几kHz）的期望光谱带中进行有效的能量转换， 根据本发明，符合最小化的碎屑的排放和目标发生器的喷嘴的低侵蚀性，因为在与高能束的相互作用之前，另外的能量束在空间上被引导到目标流上，目标流是 为了将目标流分成第一部分和至少一个第二部分，目标流在第二部分内的相互作用点被激发，该能量束与该高能束相比基本上较弱的能量脉冲作用在该附加能量束上 部分由高能束产生热辐射等离子体，第二部分与第一部分分离，因此从目标 发电机，使得通过高能量束的脉冲在第二部分中产生的流体动力学干扰仅可忽略不计地传递到第一部分。

公开(公告)号：US07405413B2

公开(公告)日：2008-07-29

申请号：US11182363

申请日：2005-07-15

申请人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

发明人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

CPC分类号： H05G2/003

摘要： The invention is directed to an arrangement for providing target material for the generation of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation, in particular EUV radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for providing target material for the generation of short-wavelength radiation based on an energy beam induced plasma which makes it possible to supply a reproducible successive flow of mass-limited targets in the interaction chamber in such a way that only the amount of target material needed for efficient generation of radiation achieves plasma generation. This object is met, according to the invention, in that the target generator opens into a selection chamber which precedes the interaction chamber and which has, along the target path, an outlet opening into the interaction chamber and in which a target selector is arranged. The target selector has elements for eliminating individual targets needed for the regular target sequence of the target generator, so that only the individual targets needed for efficient plasma generation and radiation generation corresponding to the pulse frequency of the energy beam are admitted to the interaction point.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于提供用于产生短波长电磁辐射（特别是EUV辐射）的目标材料的装置。 本发明的目的是找到一种基于能量束诱导等离子体来产生短波长辐射的目标材料的新颖可能性，这使得可以在相互作用室中提供可重复的连续质量受限目标流 以这样的方式，只有有效产生辐射所需的目标材料的量才能实现等离子体产生。 根据本发明，符合本发明的目的在于，目标发生器通向相互作用室之前的选择室，并且沿目标路径具有进入相互作用室的出口，并且其中设置有目标选择器。 目标选择器具有用于消除目标发生器的常规目标序列所需的各个目标的元件，使得只有对应于能量束的脉冲频率的有效等离子体产生和辐射生成所需的各个目标被允许进入相互作用点。

公开(公告)号：US20050258768A1

公开(公告)日：2005-11-24

申请号：US11045779

申请日：2005-01-27

申请人： Kai Gaebel ,  Christian Ziener ,  Guido Hergenhan

发明人： Kai Gaebel ,  Christian Ziener ,  Guido Hergenhan

IPC分类号： G21K5/08 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G21B1/00 ,  H01L21/027 ,  H05G2/00

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for the plasma-based generation of intensive short-wavelength radiation, particularly EUV radiation. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for plasma-based generation of intensive soft x-radiation, particularly EUV radiation, which permits efficient energy conversion in the desired spectral band with high repetition frequency (several kHz) of the plasma excitation, minimized emission of debris and low erosion of the nozzle of the target generator, is met according to the invention in that an additional energy beam is directed on the target flow spatially in advance of its interaction with the high-energy beam, the target flow being acted upon by this additional energy beam with substantially weaker energy pulses compared to the high-energy beam in order to divide the target flow into a first portion and at least one second portion, wherein the target flow is excited at an interaction point within the second portion by the high-energy beam for generating a hot, radiating plasma, and the second portion is decoupled from the first portion and therefore from the target generator in such a way that a hydrodynamic disturbance generated in the second portion by the pulse of the high-energy beam is transmitted into the first portion only negligibly.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于等离子体生成强烈的短波长辐射，特别是EUV辐射的方法和装置。 本发明的目的是为了发现等离子体产生强烈的软x辐射，特别是EUV辐射的新颖可能性，其允许在等离子体激发的高重复频率（几kHz）的期望光谱带中进行有效的能量转换， 根据本发明，符合最小化的碎屑的排放和目标发生器的喷嘴的低侵蚀性，因为在与高能束的相互作用之前，另外的能量束在空间上被引导到目标流上，目标流是 为了将目标流分成第一部分和至少一个第二部分，目标流在第二部分内的相互作用点被激发，该能量束与该高能束相比基本上较弱的能量脉冲作用在该附加能量束上 部分由高能束产生热辐射等离子体，第二部分与第一部分分离，因此从目标 发电机，使得通过高能量束的脉冲在第二部分中产生的流体动力学干扰仅可忽略不计地传递到第一部分。

公开(公告)号：US07161163B2

公开(公告)日：2007-01-09

申请号：US11045605

申请日：2005-01-27

申请人： Kai Gaebel ,  Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener

发明人： Kai Gaebel ,  Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener

IPC分类号： A61N5/06

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/006 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for plasma-based generation of soft x-radiation, particularly for the generation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for providing a target for a plasma-based radiation source which permits a reduction in the heating and erosion of the nozzle and therefore permits an improved temperature control at the injection device, is met according to the invention in that a closure device is arranged between the target nozzle and the interaction region which interrupts an opening for temporarily passing the target flow by mechanically moving elements, wherein at least a portion of the target flow that is provided in a reproducible manner is separated in order to interact with the energy beam only during those time intervals in which an optical transmission from the interaction region to the target nozzle is prevented by the closure device.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于等离子体生成软x辐射的方法和装置，特别是用于产生极紫外（EUV）辐射。 本发明的目的是为了找到提供等离子体辐射源的目标的新颖可能性，其允许减少喷嘴的加热和侵蚀并因此允许喷射装置的改进的温度控制根据 本发明的目的在于，将目标喷嘴与相互作用区域之间的间隔设置在目标喷嘴和相互作用区域之间，该相互作用区域通过机械移动的元件中断用于临时通过目标流的开口，其中以可再现的方式设置的目标流的至少一部分被分离 以便仅在通过闭合装置防止从相互作用区域到目标喷嘴的光学传输的那些时间间隔期间与能量束相互作用。

公开(公告)号：US20060140232A1

公开(公告)日：2006-06-29

申请号：US11293417

申请日：2005-12-02

申请人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

发明人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

IPC分类号： H01S3/13 ,  H01S3/00

CPC分类号： G03F7/70033 ,  B82Y10/00

摘要： The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating a pulsed laser beam with high average output, in particular for generating a hot plasma which emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating a laser beam with a high repetition rate and average output which allows the repetition frequency and, therefore, the output of the laser system to be increased by connecting together a plurality of individual lasers having limited repetition rate without degradation of the beam quality on the target compared to that of an individual laser. This object is met, according to the invention, in that an oriented mirror surface is associated with each individual laser in such a way that a beam bundle which is emitted by each individual laser so as to be offset with respect to time and which is reflected at the mirror surface is coupled into a common beam path, and laser pulses in the common beam path are directed to a target one after the other in a regular, defined pulse sequence, and, with a continuously dynamic mirror movement for coupling the laser pulses into the common beam path, optical means are provided in the common beam path for compensating the directional change caused by the mirror movement.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及用于产生具有高平均输出的脉冲激光束的装置，特别是用于产生发射极紫外（EUV）辐射的热等离子体。 本发明的目的是找到一种产生具有高重复率和平均输出的激光束的新颖可能性，其允许通过将多个个体连接在一起来增加激光系统的重复频率，并因此提高激光系统的输出 与单个激光器相比，具有有限重复率的激光器而不降低目标上的光束质量。 根据本发明，满足本发明的目的在于，定向镜表面与每个单独的激光器相关联，使得由每个单独激光器发射的束束相对于时间偏移并被反射 在镜面处被耦合到公共光束路径中，并且公共光束路径中的激光脉冲以规则的限定的脉冲序列一个接一个地引导到目标上，并且通过连续的动态反射镜移动来将激光脉冲 在公共光束路径中，光学装置设置在公共光束路径中，用于补偿由反射镜运动引起的方向变化。

公开(公告)号：US20050169429A1

公开(公告)日：2005-08-04

申请号：US11045605

申请日：2005-01-27

申请人： Kai Gaebel ,  Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener

发明人： Kai Gaebel ,  Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener

IPC分类号： G21K5/08 ,  G21G4/00 ,  H01J35/00 ,  H05G2/00 ,  H05H1/00

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/006 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for plasma-based generation of soft x-radiation, particularly for the generation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for providing a target for a plasma-based radiation source which permits a reduction in the heating and erosion of the nozzle and therefore permits an improved temperature control at the injection device, is met according to the invention in that a closure device is arranged between the target nozzle and the interaction region which interrupts an opening for temporarily passing the target flow by mechanically moving elements, wherein at least a portion of the target flow that is provided in a reproducible manner is separated in order to interact with the energy beam only during those time intervals in which an optical transmission from the interaction region to the target nozzle is prevented by the closure device.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于等离子体生成软x辐射的方法和装置，特别是用于产生极紫外（EUV）辐射。 本发明的目的是为了找到提供等离子体辐射源的目标的新颖可能性，其允许减少喷嘴的加热和侵蚀并因此允许喷射装置的改进的温度控制根据 本发明的目的在于，将目标喷嘴与相互作用区域之间的间隔设置在目标喷嘴和相互作用区域之间，该相互作用区域通过机械移动的元件中断用于临时通过目标流的开口，其中以可再现的方式设置的目标流的至少一部分被分离 以便仅在通过闭合装置防止从相互作用区域到目标喷嘴的光学传输的那些时间间隔期间与能量束相互作用。

公开(公告)号：US07218651B2

公开(公告)日：2007-05-15

申请号：US11293417

申请日：2005-12-02

申请人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

发明人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

IPC分类号： H01S3/121 ,  H01S3/10

CPC分类号： G03F7/70033 ,  B82Y10/00

摘要： The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating a pulsed laser beam with high average output, in particular for generating a hot plasma which emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating a laser beam with a high repetition rate and average output which allows the repetition frequency and, therefore, the output of the laser system to be increased by connecting together a plurality of individual lasers having limited repetition rate without degradation of the beam quality on the target compared to that of an individual laser. This object is met, according to the invention, in that an oriented mirror surface is associated with each individual laser in such a way that a beam bundle which is emitted by each individual laser so as to be offset with respect to time and which is reflected at the mirror surface is coupled into a common beam path, and laser pulses in the common beam path are directed to a target one after the other in a regular, defined pulse sequence, and, with a continuously dynamic mirror movement for coupling the laser pulses into the common beam path, optical means are provided in the common beam path for compensating the directional change caused by the mirror movement.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及用于产生具有高平均输出的脉冲激光束的装置，特别是用于产生发射极紫外（EUV）辐射的热等离子体。 本发明的目的是找到一种产生具有高重复率和平均输出的激光束的新颖可能性，其允许通过将多个个体连接在一起来增加激光系统的重复频率，并因此提高激光系统的输出 与单个激光器相比，具有有限重复率的激光器而不降低目标上的光束质量。 根据本发明，满足本发明的目的在于，定向镜表面与每个单独的激光器相关联，使得由每个单独激光器发射的束束相对于时间偏移并被反射 在镜面处被耦合到公共光束路径中，并且公共光束路径中的激光脉冲以规则的限定的脉冲序列一个接一个地引导到目标上，并且通过连续的动态反射镜移动来将激光脉冲 在公共光束路径中，光学装置设置在公共光束路径中，用于补偿由反射镜运动引起的方向变化。

公开(公告)号：US07122814B2

公开(公告)日：2006-10-17

申请号：US10788609

申请日：2004-02-27

申请人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

发明人： Guido Hergenhan ,  Christian Ziener ,  Kai Gaebel

IPC分类号： G01N21/73 ,  G01L21/30

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  G01J1/429 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： A short-wavelength radiation is generated which is stable over time from a plasma generated by energy input into a target jet, in which intensity variations due to altered coupling of excitation radiation into the target jet are minimized. Measuring devices are provided for successive detection over time of deviations of at least one of the directions of the target jet or the energy beam from an intersection point of the two directions that is provided as an interaction point. The measuring devices have output signals which are suitable as regulating variables for the orientation of the directions on the interaction point, and actuating elements are provided for adjusting and tracking at least one of the directions of either the target jet or the energy beam depending on the output signal of the measuring devices in the manner of a control loop.

摘要翻译： 产生短波长辐射，其随着时间的推移从由能量输入到目标射流中的能量输入而稳定，其中由于激发辐射耦合到目标射流而引起的强度变化最小化。 提供测量装置，用于随着作为相互作用点提供的两个方向的交点的目标射流或能量束的至少一个方向的偏差随时间的连续检测。 测量装置具有适于作为相互作用点上的方向的取向的调节变量的输出信号，并且提供致动元件用于根据目标射流​​或能量束的至少一个方向调整和跟踪 以控制回路的方式输出测量装置的输出信号。