208results about "X-ray tube gas filling" patented technology

A gettered polycrystalline group III metal nitride is formed by heating a group III metal with an added getter in a nitrogen-containing gas. Most of the residual oxygen in the gettered polycrystalline nitride is chemically bound by the getter. The gettered polycrystalline group III metal nitride is useful as a raw material for ammonothermal growth of bulk group III nitride crystals.

An apparatus and method for EUV light production is disclosed which may comprise a laser produced plasma (“LPP”) extreme ultraviolet (“EUV”) light source control system comprising a target delivery system adapted to deliver moving plasma initiation targets and an EUV light collection optic having a focus defining a desired plasma initiation site, comprising: a target tracking and feedback system comprising: at least one imaging device providing as an output an image of a target stream track, wherein the target stream track results from the imaging speed of the camera being too slow to image individual plasma formation targets forming the target stream imaged as the target stream track; a stream track error detector detecting an error in the position of the target stream track in at least one axis generally perpendicular to the target stream track from a desired stream track intersecting the desired plasma initiation site. At least one target crossing detector may be aimed at the target track and detecting the passage of a plasma formation target through a selected point in the target track. A drive laser triggering mechanism utilizing an output of the target crossing detector to determine the timing of a drive laser trigger in order for a drive laser output pulse to intersect the plasma initiation target at a selected plasma initiation site along the target track at generally its closest approach to the desired plasma initiation site. A plasma initiation detector may be aimed at the target track and detecting the location along the target track of a plasma initiation site for a respective target. An intermediate focus illuminator may illuminate an aperture formed at the intermediate focus to image the aperture in the at least one imaging device. The at least one imaging device may be at least two imaging devices each providing an error signal related to the separation of the target track from the vertical centerline axis of the image of the intermediate focus based upon an analysis of the image in the respective one of the at least two imaging devices. A target delivery feedback and control system may comprise a target delivery unit; a target delivery displacement control mechanism displacing the target delivery mechanism at least in an axis corresponding to a first displacement error signal derived from the analysis of the image in the first imaging device and at least in an axis corresponding to a second displacement error signal derived from the analysis of the image in the second imaging device.

A laser produced plasma (“LPP”) extreme ultraviolet (“EUV”) light source control system comprises a target delivery system adapted to deliver moving plasma initiation targets and an EUV light collection optic having a focus defining a desired plasma initiation site, a target tracking and feedback system comprising: at least one imaging device providing as an output an image of a target stream track, and a stream track error detector detecting an error in the position of the target stream track in at least one axis generally perpendicular to the target stream track from a desired stream track intersecting the desired plasma initiation site.

The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A pulse power source comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer, provides electrical pulses having sufficient energy and electrical potential sufficient to produce the EUV light at an intermediate focus at rates in excess of 5 Watts. In preferred embodiments designed by Applicants in-band, EUV light energy at the intermediate focus is 45 Watts extendable to 105.8 Watts.

An EUV light source apparatus and method are disclosed, which may comprise a pulsed laser providing laser pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate focused at a desired target ignition site; a target formation system providing discrete targets at a selected interval coordinated with the laser pulse repetition rate; a target steering system intermediate the target formation system and the desired target ignition site; and a target tracking system providing information about the movement of target between the target formation system and the target steering system, enabling the target steering system to direct the target to the desired target ignition site. The target tracking system may provide information enabling the creation of a laser firing control signal, and may comprise a droplet detector comprising a collimated light source directed to intersect a point on a projected delivery path of the target, having a respective oppositely disposed light detector detecting the passage of the target through the respective point, or a detector comprising a linear array of a plurality of photo-sensitive elements aligned to a coordinate axis, the light from the light source intersecting a projected delivery path of the target, at least one of the which may comprise a plane-intercept detection device. The droplet detectors may comprise a plurality of droplet detectors each operating at a different light frequency, or a camera having a field of view and a two dimensional array of pixels imaging the field of view. The apparatus and method may comprise an electrostatic plasma containment apparatus providing an electric plasma confinement field at or near a target ignition site at the time of ignition, with the target tracking system providing a signal enabling control of the electrostatic plasma containment apparatus. The apparatus and method may comprise a vessel having and intermediate wall with a low pressure trap allowing passage of EUV light and maintaining a differential pressure across the low pressure trap. The apparatus and method may comprise a magnetic plasma confinement mechanism creating a magnetic field in the vicinity of the target ignition site to confine the plasma to the target ignition site, which may be pulsed and may be controlled using outputs from the target tracking system.

An apparatus and method is described for effectively and efficiently providing plasma irradiation laser light pulses in an LPP EUV light source which may comprise a laser initial target irradiation pulse generating mechanism irradiating a plasma initiation target with an initial target irradiation pulse to form an EUV generating plasma having an emission region emitting in-band EUV light; a laser plasma irradiation pulse generating mechanism irradiating the plasma with a plasma irradiation pulse after the initial target irradiation pulse so as to compress emission material in the plasma toward the emission region of the plasma. The plasma irradiation pulse may comprise a laser pulse having a wavelength that is sufficiently longer than a wavelength of the initial target irradiation pulse to have an associated lower critical density resulting in absorption occurring within the plasma in a region of the plasma defined by the wavelength of the plasma irradiation pulse sufficiently separated from an initial target irradiation site to achieve compression of the emission material, and the may compress the emission region. The laser plasma irradiation pulse may produce an aerial mass density in the ablating cloud of the plasma sufficient to confine the favorably emitting plasma for increased conversion efficiency. The deposition region for the plasma irradiation pulse may be is removed enough from the initial target surface so as to insure compression of the favorably emitting plasma. A high conversion efficiency laser produced plasma extreme ultraviolet (“EUV”) light source may comprise a laser initial target irradiation pulse generating mechanism irradiating a plasma initiation target with a target irradiation pulse to form an EUV generating plasma emitting in-band EUV light; a plasma tamper substantially surrounding the plasma to constrain the expansion of the plasma.

An EUV light source apparatus and method are disclosed, which may comprise a pulsed laser providing laser pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate focused at a desired target ignition site; a target formation system providing discrete targets at a selected interval coordinated with the laser pulse repetition rate; a target steering system intermediate the target formation system and the desired target ignition site; and a target tracking system providing information about the movement of target between the target formation system and the target steering system, enabling the target steering system to direct the target to the desired target ignition site. The target tracking system may provide information enabling the creation of a laser firing control signal, and may comprise a droplet detector comprising a collimated light source directed to intersect a point on a projected delivery path of the target, having a respective oppositely disposed light detector detecting the passage of the target through the respective point, or a detector comprising a linear array of a plurality of photo-sensitive elements aligned to a coordinate axis, the light from the light source intersecting a projected delivery path of the target, at least one of the which may comprise a plane-intercept detection device. The droplet detectors may comprise a plurality of droplet detectors each operating at a different light frequency, or a camera having a field of view and a two dimensional array of pixels imaging the field of view. The apparatus and method may comprise an electrostatic plasma containment apparatus providing an electric plasma confinement field at or near a target ignition site at the time of ignition, with the target tracking system providing a signal enabling control of the electrostatic plasma containment apparatus. The apparatus and method may comprise a vessel having and intermediate wall with a low pressure trap allowing passage of EUV light and maintaining a differential pressure across the low pressure trap. The apparatus and method may comprise a magnetic plasma confinement mechanism creating a magnetic field in the vicinity of the target ignition site to confine the plasma to the target ignition site, which may be pulsed and may be controlled using outputs from the target tracking system.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for forming plasma generated EUV light source optical elements, e.g., reflectors comprising MLM stacks employing various binary layer materials and capping layer(s) including single and binary capping layers for utilization in plasma generated EUV light source chambers, particularly where the plasma source material is reactive with one or more of the MLM materials.

A method and apparatus for debris removal from a reflecting surface of an EUV collector in an EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise the reflecting surface comprises a first material and the debris comprises a second material and / or compounds of the second material, the system and method may comprise a controlled sputtering ion source which may comprise a gas comprising the atoms of the sputtering ion material; and a stimulating mechanism exciting the atoms of the sputtering ion material into an ionized state, the ionized state being selected to have a distribution around a selected energy peak that has a high probability of sputtering the second material and a very low probability of sputtering the first material. The stimulating mechanism may comprise an RF or microwave induction mechanism.

A mixture and method for the storage and delivery of at least one gas are disclosed herein. In one aspect, there is provided a mixture for the storage and delivery of at least one gas comprising: an ionic liquid comprising an anion and a cation; and at least one gas that is disposed within and is reversibly chemically reacted with the ionic liquid. In another aspect, there is provided a method for delivering at least one gas from a mixture comprising an ionic liquid and at least one gas comprising: reacting the at least one gas and the ionic liquid to provide the mixture and separating the at least one gas from the mixture wherein the at least one gas after the separating step is substantially the same as the at least one gas prior to the reacting step.

A source material dispenser for an EUV light source is disclosed that comprises a source material reservoir, e.g. tube, that has a wall and is formed with an orifice. The dispenser may comprise an electro-actuatable element, e.g. PZT material, that is spaced from the wall and operable to deform the wall and modulate a release of source material from the dispenser. A heat source heating a source material in the reservoir may be provided. Also, the dispenser may comprise an insulator reducing the flow of heat from the heat source to the electro-actuatable element. A method of dispensing a source material for an EUV light source is also described. In one method, a first signal may be provided to actuate the electro-actuatable elements to modulate a release of source material and a second signal, different from the first, may be provided to actuate the electro-actuatable elements to unclog the orifice.

An EUV light source plasma source material handling system and method is disclosed which may comprise a droplet generator having a droplet generator plasma source material reservoir in fluid communication with a droplet formation capillary and maintained within a selected range of temperatures sufficient to keep the plasma source material in a liquid form; a plasma source material supply system having a supply reservoir in fluid communication with the droplet generator plasma source material reservoir and holding at least a replenishing amount of plasma source material in liquid form for transfer to the droplet generator plasma source material reservoir, while the droplet generator is on line; a transfer mechanism transferring liquid plasma source material from the supply reservoir to the droplet generator plasma source material reservoir, while the droplet generator is on line. The supply reservoir may comprise a solid form of the plasma source material used to periodically form from a portion of the material in solid form the material in liquid form.

A gettered polycrystalline group III metal nitride is formed by heating a group III metal with an added getter in a nitrogen-containing gas. Most of the residual oxygen in the gettered polycrystalline nitride is chemically bound by the getter. The gettered polycrystalline group III metal nitride is useful as a raw material for ammonothermal growth of bulk group III nitride crystals.

The present invention relates to a vacuum insulation material using a getter material obtained by mixing zeolite and calcium oxide, and more particularly, to a vacuum insulation material in which zeolite having a large specific surface area to absorb the greater part of remaining water from the vacuum insulation material is mixed with calcium oxide and used as a getter material, thereby achieving improved initial thermal conductivity.

Method and device for generating light in the extreme ultraviolet, notably for lithography. According to the invention, a laser beam (24) is caused to interact with a dense fog (20) of microdroplets of a liquid. This liquid is a liquefied noble gas. In particular, liquid xenon (6) is used, the latter is produced by liquefying gaseous xenon (10) with which liquid xenon is pressurized to a pressure from 5x10<5 >Pa to 50x10<5 >Pa, and this liquid xenon is maintained at a temperature from -70° C. to -20° C., the pressurized liquid xenon is injected into a nozzle (4) the minimum internal diameter of which ranges from 60 mum to 600 mum, this nozzle opening into an area where pressure is equal to or less than 10<-1 >Pa.

In an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus that exhausts debris including fast ions and neutral particles by the effect of a magnetic field, neutral particles emitted from plasma are efficiently ionized. The extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus includes: a plasma generating unit that generates plasma, that radiates at least extreme ultra violet light, through pulse operation; collective optics that collects the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; a microwave generating unit that radiates microwave through pulse operation into a space in which a magnetic field is formed to cause electron cyclotron resonance, and thereby ionizes neutral particles emitted from the plasma; a magnetic field forming unit that forms the magnetic field and a magnetic field for trapping at least ionized particles; and a control unit that synchronously controls at least the plasma generating unit and the microwave generating unit.

An X-ray source includes an electron-beam generating unit that generates an electron beam, and a transmission type target electrode to be irradiated with the electron beam to generate X-ray radiation. A plurality of convex portions each having an inclined surface with respect to an incident direction of the electron beam is formed on a surface of the transmission type target electrode.

This invention discloses a method of making an oxygen scavenging particle comprised of an activating component and an oxidizable component wherein one component is deposited upon the other component from a vapour phase and is particularly useful when the activating component is a protic solvent hydrolysable halogen compound and the oxygen scavenging particle is a reduced metal.

A getter device including a substrate formed of a first getter material having a composition for gettering a first gas specie, and a second getter material contacting an external surface of the substrate and having a composition for gettering a second gas specie. The substrate has internal porosity connected to openings at its external surface, and the second getter material covers at least a portion of the external surface of the substrate but is absent from at least part of the internal porosity within the substrate so that the first getter material is exposed within the internal porosity for gettering the first gas specie. According to a second aspect, a substrate is formed of a material transparent to radiation, and a film of getter material is deposited on the substrate to be sufficiently thin and / or porous so that the film is also transparent to the radiation transmitted through the substrate.

A treatment method for a getter material, comprising at least one oxidation and / or nitriding step of getter material conducted under dry atmosphere of dioxygen and / or dinitrogen at pressure greater than approximately 10−2 mbar and at a temperature between approximately 50° C. and 120° C. and over a period between approximately 1 minute and 10 minutes, forming a protective layer composed of oxide and / or nitride of getter material.

A high voltage device housing assembly includes a housing and a high voltage assembly arranged in combination with an improved insulation system. The high voltage assembly is disposed within the enclosure defined by the housing, and the outer surface of the high voltage device, such as a vacuum tube, bears an insulator including a first portion generally continuously covering the side surface of the high voltage and an integral second portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart projections extending around the side surface and between the first portion and the inner wall of the housing. Air gaps are present between the respective projections, and the spacing of the ribs is established in a manner that inhibits ionic conduction from occurring between the housing and the high voltage device, which otherwise could lead to high voltage breakdowns.

The invention is directed to a screen-printable getter composition comprising: (a) glass frit; dispersed in (b) organic medium. The invention is further directed to a screen-printable thick film getter composition comprising: (a) glass frit; and (b) desiccant material; dispersed in (c) organic medium. The present invention further relates to a getter composition utilizing low-softening temperature glasses comprising, based on weight %, 1-50% SiO2, 0-80% B2O3, 0-90% Bi2O3, 0-90% PbO, 0-90% P2O5, 0-60% Li2O, 0-30% Al2O3, 0-10% K2O, 0-10% Na2O, and 0-30% MO where M is selected from Ba, Sr, Ca, Zn, Cu, Mg and mixtures thereof. The glasses described herein may contain several other oxide constituents that can substitute glass network-forming elements or modify glass structure.

Disclosed herein are oxygen scavenging compositions and packaging articles that comprise (a) a metal catalyzed oxidizable compound and (b) at least one of a transition metal carboxylate, wherein the transition metal carboxylate comprises at least one carboxylate group and wherein each carboxylate group comprises between 20 and 30 carbon atoms, inclusive, such as cobalt behenate or cobalt arachidate.

The present invention relates to a getter paste composition, and more particularly, to a getter paste composition which is quickly densified at low densification temperatures to be applied to a device that is weak to heat, provides good adhesiveness, controls moisture and gas effectively and is screen-printable to thereby improve productivity.

A lamp includes a discharge vessel. Tungsten electrodes extend into the discharge vessel. An ionizable fill is sealed within the vessel. The fill includes a buffer gas and a halide component that includes a rare earth halide. A source of oxygen which includes a lanthanide oxide is present in the discharge vessel. The source of oxygen provides oxygen for a regenerative cycle which reduces blackening of the lamp walls by tungsten from the electrodes.

A mixture and method for the storage and delivery of at least one gas are disclosed herein. In one aspect, there is provided a mixture for the storage and delivery of at least one gas comprising: an ionic liquid comprising an anion and a cation; and at least one gas that is disposed within and is reversibly chemically reacted with the ionic liquid. In another aspect, there is provided a method for delivering at least one gas from a mixture comprising an ionic liquid and at least one gas comprising: reacting the at least one gas and the ionic liquid to provide the mixture and separating the at least one gas from the mixture wherein the at least one gas after the separating step is substantially the same as the at least one gas prior to the reacting step.

A gas generating composition, in which a combustion temperature is low and the generation amounts of carbon monoxide, ammonia, and nitrogen oxide after combustion is suppressed, comprises the following components (a) to (c) and, based on necessity, further comprises the components selected from the following components (d) to (f): (a) an organic compound as fuel, (b) an oxygen-containing oxidizing agent, (c) magnesium hydroxide or a mixture of magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide, (d) a binder, (e) an additive selected from metal oxides and metal carbonates, and (f) silicon dioxide having a specific surface area of 100 to 500 m2 / g.

The present invention relates to a radiation generating apparatus which includes an envelope provided with a first window through which radiation is transmitted, a radiation tube housed in the envelope and provided with a second window through which the radiation is transmitted, the second window being located at a position opposite the first window, and an insulating fluid adapted to fill between the inner wall of the envelope and the radiation tube. Plural plates are arranged side by side between the first window including its periphery and the second window including its periphery by overlapping one another via gaps. The gaps is formed among the plates, thereby the withstanding voltage between the first window and second window is made larger.

A getter device including a substrate formed of a first getter material having a composition for gettering a first gas species, and a second getter material contacting an external surface of the substrate and having a composition for gettering a second gas species. The substrate has internal porosity connected to openings at its external surface, and the second getter material covers at least a portion of the external surface of the substrate but is absent from at least part of the internal porosity within the substrate so that the first getter material is exposed within the internal porosity for gettering the first gas species. According to a second aspect, a substrate is formed of a material transparent to radiation, and a film of getter material is deposited on the substrate to be sufficiently thin and / or porous so that the film is also transparent to the radiation transmitted through the substrate.