Laser-excited plasma light source, exposure apparatus and its making method, and device manufacturing method

• US 6,504,903 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Hiroyuki, Kandaka, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Application Number:
  US09/722,817
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 378/34, 378/35, 378/84, 378/85, 378/145, 378/119
• US Class Current: 378/119
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70033 by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

The end of a nozzle of a laser-excited plasma light source is made of a specific material, such as silicon Si, the transmittance of which to EUV light is higher than those of heavy metals. Therefore, even if the temperature of the end of the nozzle is higher than the melting point of the specific material because of the high temperature of the plasma produced around the focal point, the end of the nozzle is therefore eroded, and sputtered particles of the material adhere to a light-collecting mirror provided near the nozzle, the degradation of the reflectance of the light-collecting mirror is mitigated compared to the transmittance of the sputtered particles (specific material) to EUV light is higher than those of heavy metals.

Claims

1. A laser-excited plasma light source which generates energy beams by irradiating an energy-ray generating material with a laser beam to excite said energy-ray generating material to a plasma state, said light source comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a nozzle which introduces said energy-ray generating material into said vacuum chamber;

a first irradiation portion which condenses and irradiates said laser beam via a guiding window arranged on said vacuum chamber on said energy-ray generating material introduced by said nozzle;

an optical element which is arranged within said vacuum chamber and guides said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material out of said vacuum chamber;

a gas introduction portion which introduces a gas including at least one of oxygen and ozone into said vacuum chamber; and

a second irradiation portion which irradiates a cleaning light onto said optical element, said second irradiation portion including one of;

a piercing portion which pierces a side wall of said vacuum chamber and an emitting portion which is located at an internal portion of the side wall of said vacuum chamber, and

an emitting portion which is located at an external portion of the side wall of said vacuum chamber and a passing section which said cleaning light emitted from said external emitting portion passes through.

2. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 1, wherein said second irradiation portion includes a mirror which reflects said cleaning light and guides said cleaning light to said optical element.

3. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 1, said light source further comprising:

an adjustment unit which adjusts pressure of said gas introduced by said gas introduction portion into said vacuum chamber.

4. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 3, wherein said adjustment unit includes an exhausting unit that exhausts gas within said vacuum chamber.

5. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 1, wherein said second irradiation portion irradiates said cleaning light on said optical element without cutting off said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material, which are guided out of said vacuum chamber by said optical element.

6. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 1, said light source further comprising:

a cover portion which is arranged within said vacuum chamber covering said optical element;

wherein

said gas introduction portion guides said gas into an internal space of said cover portion spatially isolated from an atmosphere within said vacuum chamber by said cover portion, and

said second irradiation portion irradiates said cleaning light onto said optical element in said internal space.

7. A laser-excited plasma light source that generates energy beams by irradiating an energy-ray generating material with a laser beam to excite said energy-ray generating material to a plasma state, said light source comprising:

a vacuum chamber;

a nozzle which introduces said energy-ray generating material into said vacuum chamber;

a first irradiation portion which condenses and irradiates said laser beam via a guiding window arranged on said vacuum chamber on said energy-ray generating material introduced by said nozzle;

an optical element which is arranged within said vacuum chamber and guides said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material out of said vacuum chamber;

a cover portion which is arranged within said vacuum chamber covering said optical element;

a gas introduction portion which introduces a gas including at least one of oxygen and ozone into an internal space of said cover portion spatially isolated from an atmosphere within said vacuum chamber by said cover portion; and

a second irradiation portion which irradiates a cleaning light onto said optical element within said internal space.

8. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 7, wherein said second irradiation portion includes an emitting portion of said cleaning light arranged within said vacuum chamber.

9. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 7, said light source further comprising:

an adjustment unit which adjusts pressure of said gas introduced by said gas introduction portion into said vacuum chamber.

10. A laser-excited plasma light source according to claim 9, wherein said adjustment unit includes an exhausting unit that exhausts gas within said vacuum chamber.

11. An exposure apparatus which comprises a laser-excited plasma light source for generating energy beams by irradiating an energy-ray generating material with a laser beam to excite said energy-ray generating material to a plasma state, wherein said light source includes:

a vacuum chamber;

a nozzle which introduces said energy-ray generating material into said vacuum chamber;

a first irradiation portion which condenses and irradiates said laser beam via a guiding window arranged on said vacuum chamber on said energy-ray generating material introduced by said nozzle;

an optical element which is arranged within said vacuum chamber and guides said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material out of said vacuum chamber;

a gas introduction portion which introduces a gas including at least one of oxygen and ozone into said vacuum chamber; and

a second irradiation portion which irradiates a cleaning light onto said optical element, said second irradiation portion including one of;

a piercing portion which pierces a side wall of said vacuum chamber and an emitting portion which is located at an internal portion of the side wall of said vacuum chamber, and

an emitting portion which is located at an external portion of the side wall of said vacuum chamber and a passing section which said cleaning light emitted from said external emitting portion passes through.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 11, said exposure apparatus further comprising:

an adjustment unit which adjusts pressure of said gas introduced by said gas introduction portion into said vacuum chamber.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said second irradiation portion irradiates said cleaning light on said optical element without cutting off said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material, which are guided out of said vacuum chamber by said optical element.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 11, said exposure apparatus further comprising:

a cover portion which is arranged within said vacuum chamber covering said optical element;

wherein

said gas introduction portion guides said gas into an internal space of said cover portion spatially isolated from an atmosphere within said vacuum chamber by said cover portion, and

said second irradiation portion irradiates said cleaning light onto said optical element in said internal space.

15. An exposure apparatus which comprises a laser-excited plasma light source for generating energy beams by irradiating an energy-ray generating material with a laser beam to excite said energy-ray generating material to a plasma state, wherein said light source includes:

a vacuum chamber;

a nozzle which introduces said energy-ray generating material into said vacuum chamber;

a first irradiation portion which condenses and irradiates said laser beam via a guiding window arranged on said vacuum chamber on said energy-ray generating material introduced by said nozzle;

an optical element which is arranged within said vacuum chamber and guides said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material out of said vacuum chamber;

a cover portion which is arranged within said vacuum chamber covering said optical element;

a gas introduction portion which introduces a gas including at least one of oxygen and ozone into an internal space of said cover portion spatially isolated from an atmosphere within said vacuum chamber by said cover portion; and

a second irradiation portion which irradiates a cleaning light onto said optical element within said internal space.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said second irradiation portion includes an emitting portion of said cleaning light arranged within said vacuum chamber.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 15, said exposure apparatus further comprising:

an adjustment unit which adjusts pressure of said gas introduced by said gas introduction portion into said vacuum chamber.

18. A making method of a laser-excited plasma light source which generates energy beams by irradiating an energy-ray generating material with a laser beam to excite said energy-ray generating material to a plasma state, said method including steps of:

providing a vacuum chamber;

providing a nozzle which introduces said energy-ray generating material into said vacuum chamber;

providing a first irradiation portion which condenses and irradiates said laser beam via a guiding window arranged on said vacuum chamber on said energy-ray generating material introduced by said nozzle;

providing an optical element arranged within said vacuum chamber which guides said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material out of said vacuum chamber;

providing a gas introduction portion which introduces a gas including at least one of oxygen and ozone into said vacuum chamber; and

providing a second irradiation portion which irradiates a cleaning light onto said optical element, and includes one of;

a piercing portion which pierces a side wall of said vacuum chamber and an emitting portion which is located at an internal portion of the side wall of said vacuum chamber, and

an emitting portion which is located at an external portion of the side wall of said vacuum chamber and a passing section which said cleaning light emitted from said external emitting portion passes through.

19. A making method according to claim 18, wherein said step of providing a second irradiation portion includes a step of providing a mirror which reflects said cleaning light and guides said cleaning light to said optical element.

20. A making method according to claim 18, said method further including a step of providing an adjustment unit which adjusts pressure of said gas introduced by said gas introduction portion into said vacuum chamber.

21. A making method according to claim 20, wherein said step of providing an adjustment unit includes a step of providing an exhausting unit that exhausts gas within said vacuum chamber.

22. A making method according to claim 18, wherein said second irradiation portion is provided in said step of providing a second irradiation portion to make irradiation of said cleaning light possible on said optical element without cutting off said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material, which are guided out of said vacuum chamber by said optical element.

23. A making method according to claim 18, said method further including a step of providing a cover portion which is arranged within said vacuum chamber covering said optical element;

wherein

said gas introduction portion is provided in said step of providing a gas introduction portion to make guidance of said gas into an internal space of said cover portion spatially isolated from an atmosphere within said vacuum chamber by said cover portion possible, and

said second irradiation portion is provided in said step of providing a second irradiation portion to make irradiation of said cleaning light possible onto said optical element in said internal space.

24. A making method of an exposure apparatus, said method including a step of providing a laser-excited plasma light source made by a making method according to claim 18 as a light source for exposure.

25. A making method of a laser-excited plasma light source which generates energy beams by irradiating an energy-ray generating material with a laser beam to excite said energy-ray generating material to a plasma state, said method including steps of:

providing a vacuum chamber;

providing a nozzle which introduces said energy-ray generating material into said vacuum chamber;

providing a first irradiation portion which condenses and irradiates said laser beam via a guiding window arranged on said vacuum chamber on said energy-ray generating material introduced by said nozzle;

providing an optical element arranged within said vacuum chamber which guides said energy beams generated by irradiating said laser beam on said energy-ray generating material out of said vacuum chamber;

providing a cover portion which covers said optical element within said vacuum chamber;

providing a gas introduction portion which introduces a gas including at least one of oxygen and ozone into an internal space of said cover portion spatially isolated from an atmosphere within said vacuum chamber by said cover portion; and

providing a second irradiation portion which irradiates a cleaning light onto said optical element within said internal space.

26. A making method according to claim 25, wherein an emitting portion of said cleaning light is arranged within said vacuum chamber in said step of providing said second irradiation portion.

27. A making method according to claim 25, said method further including a step of providing an adjustment unit which adjusts pressure of said gas introduced by said gas introduction portion into said vacuum chamber.

28. A making method according to claim 27, wherein said step of providing an adjustment unit includes a step of providing an exhausting unit that exhausts gas within said vacuum chamber.

29. A making method of an exposure apparatus, said method including a step of providing a laser-excited plasma light source made by a making method according to claim 25 as a light source for exposure.