Method and apparatus for controlling exhaust pressure for an extreme ultraviolet generation chamber

• US 10,514,167 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2019
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsai, Ming-Hsun, Li, Ping-Cheng, Chen, Yen-Hsun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kiet T
• Application Number:
  US16/389,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20200003414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 250504 R
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2900/99001 Cold flame combustion or flameless oxidation processes
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2900/9901 Combustion process using hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide water or brown gas as fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 99/006 Flameless combustion stabilised within a bed of porous heat-resistant material F23C13/00 takes precedence; gas burners with radiant combustion on a porous surface F23D14/16
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2207/101 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2207/102 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2207/112 for waste supply flowrate
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2209/141 Explosive gases
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/12 using gaseous or liquid fuel F23G5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/50 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 7/06 of waste gases or noxious gases, e.g. exhaust gases exhaust apparatus for engines with means for rendering the exhaust innocuous, e.g. by thermal or catalytic conversion, F01N3/08; combustion of uncombusted material from primary combustion within apparatus for combustion of solid or fluent fuel F23B, of non combusted material from primary combustion of solid fuels F23B5/00; of gases produced by primary combustion of solid fuels F23B90/04, F23C
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 7/065 using gaseous or liquid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70033 by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 2/005 containing a metal as principal radiation generating component
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 2/008 involving an energy-carrying beam in the process of plasma generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/34 Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery

Abstract

An apparatus coupled to a chamber for processing extreme ultraviolet radiation includes a gas inlet configured to direct exhaust gases from the chamber into a combustion zone. The combustion zone is configured to flamelessly ignite the exhaust gases. An air inlet is configured to direct a mixture of air and a fuel into the combustion zone. A control valve is configured to change a volume of fluid exhausted from the combustion zone. A controller configured to control the control valve so as to prevent a pressure inside the combustion zone from exceeding a preset pressure value is provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing exhaust gases from a chamber for processing extreme ultraviolet radiation, the apparatus comprising:

a gas inlet configured to direct the exhaust gases from the chamber into a combustion zone, the combustion zone being configured to flamelessly ignite the exhaust gases;

an air inlet configured to direct a mixture of air and a fuel into the combustion zone;

a control valve configured to change a volume of fluid exhausted from the combustion zone; and

a controller configured to control the control valve so as to prevent a pressure inside the combustion zone from exceeding a preset pressure value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combustion zone comprises a porous ceramic matrix.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control valve is selected from the group consisting of a twin mesh variable opening valve, a butterfly valve, an aperture type valve, an in-line gate valve, and a combination thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control an opening of the control valve based on an output of a pressure sensor provided outside the combustion zone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control an opening of the control valve using an actuator coupled to the control valve, the actuator being configured to control an opening of the control valve and change a volume of gas passing through the control valve.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combustion zone is configured to operate at a temperature in a range from 700°

C. to 800°

C.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fuel comprises methane.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preset pressure value is equal to or less than 1.2 kPa.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exhaust gases comprise hydrogen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air inlet comprises an air flow controller configured to change a volume of the air and the fuel entering the combustion zone based on a volume of exhaust gas entering the combustion zone.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the air flow controller is configured to maintain a volume of the air and the fuel in the combustion zone so as to completely oxidize the exhaust gases from the chamber within the combustion zone.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas inlet is configured to maintain a flow velocity of the exhaust gases so as to prevent flashback ignition of the exhaust gases in the chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber for processing extreme ultraviolet radiation is a portion of an extreme ultraviolet source.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber for processing extreme ultraviolet radiation is a part of an extreme ultraviolet scanner.

15. A method of removing exhaust gases from a chamber for processing extreme ultraviolet radiation, the method comprising:

directing the exhaust gases from the chamber into a combustion zone;

contacting the exhaust gases inside the combustion zone with a mixture of air and a fuel;

flamelessly igniting a mixture of the exhaust gases, air and the fuel in the combustion zone; and

controlling an opening of a control valve of the combustion zone to prevent a pressure inside the combustion zone from exceeding a preset pressure value, the control valve being configured to change a volume of fluid exhausted from the combustion zone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the preset pressure value is equal to or less than 1.2 kPa.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling an opening of the control valve comprises changing a size of the opening based on an output of a pressure sensor provided outside the combustion zone.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling a volume and a flow rate of the mixture of air and fuel contacting the exhaust gases such that the exhaust gases are completely oxidized in the combustion zone.

19. An apparatus for generation of extreme ultraviolet radiation, the apparatus comprising:

an extreme ultraviolet generation chamber comprising a hydrogen inlet and a hydrogen outlet;

a combustor configured to oxidize an entirety of hydrogen output by the extreme ultraviolet generation chamber; and

a flow controller coupled to the combustor, the flow controller being configured to prevent a pressure inside the combustor from exceeding a preset pressure value, and the flow controller comprising a control valve configured to change a volume of gas exhausted from the combustor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control valve has a variable opening controlling a volume and a flow rate of gases passing through the control valve, the variable opening being controlled based on an output of a pressure sensor provided outside the combustor.