Electro-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source

• US 7,605,385 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (State of Nevada)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (State of Nevada)
• Inventors: Bauer, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore; David A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sahu; Meenakshi S
• Application Number:
  US11/572,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20080258085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 250/504.R, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 250/493.1, 250/505.1, 378/119, 378/34, 378/124, 378/143
• US Class Current: 250/504.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 2/001 X-ray radiation generated from plasma plasma for generation of electrons to be accelerated towards an anode H01J35/00

Abstract

An electrode-less discharge source of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (10) efficiently assembles a hot, dense, uniform, axially stable plasma column (5) with magnetic pressure and inductive current drive. It employs theta-pinch-type magnetic compression of plasma confined in a magnetic mirror. Plasma, confined in a magnetic mirror, is made to radiate by resonant magnetic compression. The device comprises a radiation-source gas input nozzle (1), an optional buffer-gas input flow (2), mirror-field coils (9a, 9b), theta-pinch coils (8a, 8b), a plasma and debris dump (11), and an evacuation port (7). The circular currents yield an axially stable plasma-magnetic-field geometry, and a reproducible, stable, highly symmetrical EUV source.

Claims

1. An electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source, comprising:

a vacuum vessel;

an input nozzle disposed within the vessel along an axis, the input nozzle being configured to input material along the axis from which radiation is desired;

an evacuation port disposed along the axis and spaced apart from the input nozzle;

a first theta-pinch coil disposed radially about the axis proximate to the input nozzle;

a second theta-pinch coil disposed radially about the axis proximate to said evacuation port;

a first mirror-field coil disposed radially about the axis proximate to the input nozzle;

a second mirror-field coil disposed radially about the axis proximate to the evacuation port;

the first theta-pinch coil being disposed between the first mirror-field coil and the axis, and the second theta-pinch coil being disposed between the second mirror-field coil and the axis;

the first and second theta pinch coils and the first and second mirror-field coils being driven so as to form and heat a plasma about a position midway between the input nozzle and the evacuation port, thereby emitting radiation at the midway position.

2. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the first and second theta pinch coils and the first and second mirror-field coils are driven to heat the plasma by alternately compressing and expanding it.

3. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 2 wherein said theta-pinch coils compress the plasma in a spherical or quasi-spherical manner.

4. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 2 wherein said theta-pinch coils compress the plasma in a cylindrical or quasi-cylindrical manner.

5. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 2 wherein said theta-pinch coils compress the plasma in a pancake-like manner.

6. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the ratio of theta-pinch heating power to plasma mass is such that ohmic heating of the plasma exceeds compressional heating.

7. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the wavelengths and intensity of the emitted radiation are selected by the choice of the radiating material.

8. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the gas contains one of lithium, tin, and xenon for the production of EUV of wavelength around 13 nm.

9. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the input nozzle is tailored to provide selected gas flow characteristics.

10. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 4 wherein the input nozzle is a Laval nozzle.

11. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the input nozzle is a dynamic gas puff valve.

12. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising a sputtering or laser-deposition means for producing said gas from solid, liquid, or porous material.

13. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said nozzle comprises one of a pellet injector and a droplet injector for providing the gas.

14. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising a preionizer for converting said gas into plasma as it is injected into the central volume.

15. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 14 wherein said preionizer is selected from the group including a high-voltage pin, an electron beam, a laser, a radio-frequency source, an ultraviolet light source.

16. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 9 wherein said preionizer is built into the package surrounding said input nozzle.

17. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising a plasma initiating device for initially converting said gas into plasma in the central volume.

18. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the plasma initiating device is selected from the group including a high-voltage pin, an electron beam, a laser, a radio-frequency source, an ultraviolet light source.

19. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said gas is enveloped by a buffer gas.

20. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 19 wherein said buffer gas is helium or another noble gas.

21. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein the mirror magnetic field is stronger toward said input nozzle than toward said evacuation port, so that plasma flows gently to said evacuation port.

22. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising means for generating Ioffe currents for increased stability of the mirror plasma confinement.

23. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said mirror-field coils are superconducting.

24. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said evacuation port is fitted with a plasma and debris dump.

25. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 24 wherein said debris dump in the shape of one of a cavity and a cone that opens away from the plasma.

26. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 25 and further comprising a device for producing a magnetic field, included in the package surrounding said plasma and debris dump.

27. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 26 wherein said device comprises a magnet.

28. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 27 wherein said magnet is at least one of a current-carrying coil, ferromagnetic material and permanent magnets.

29. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said theta-pinch coils are constructed so as to have a high quality factor Q.

30. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 29 wherein said theta-pinch coils are constructed from one of a litzendraht conductor (litz wire) and a helical resonator.

31. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said theta-pinch coils are part of a circuit capable of efficiently driving a large current.

32. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 31 wherein said circuit is one of a radiofrequency-driven circuit, resonant LC-tank circuit, and a circuit that recovers energy reflected from said theta-pinch coils.

33. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 21 wherein the theta-pinch frequency is tuned to the natural plasma bounce frequency to enhance the plasma oscillation and compression.

34. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 33 wherein the theta-pinch current pulse shape is adjusted to maximize the plasma compression.

35. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising electrostatic shielding, included in the theta-pinch coil package, both inside and outside the coil.

36. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising heat pipes for cooling at least said theta-pinch coils, said mirror coils, said input nozzle, said evacuation port, through which flow coolant.

37. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 36 wherein said heat pipes are connected to regions that are structured for high heat removal including one of microchannels and porous, high-thermal-conductivity heat-exchange matrix.

38. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein plasma-facing components are treated or coated with plasma-resistant materials to minimize debris and promote component life.

39. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 38 wherein said plasma resistant materials are selected from the group including diamond and boron.

40. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising EUV collection and transport optics.

41. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising debris and/or spectral filters, in the direction of EUV collection, as are known in the art, such as, but not limited to, thin membranes, gas jets, plasmas, and capillaries that are differentially pumped and/or contain buffer gas.

42. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 and further comprising an intense short-pulse laser to drive population inversion and EUV lasing.

43. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 34 wherein said intense short-pulse laser is focused to a spot that has the shape of a line.

44. The electrode-less discharge extreme ultraviolet light source of claim 1 wherein said source is combined with one or more similar sources to provide an array of sources producing EUV light that is combined to provide a single combined EUV light source.