Lithographic apparatus, anti-contamination device for an illumination lamp chamber, and method of designing the same

Abstract

The application provides a photoetching machine, a pollution prevention device for a lighting lamp chamber and a design method thereof. The pollution prevention device can form an air protection layer on two side surfaces of optical glass by setting a lighting side protection device with a double-flow channel structure and a lamp chamber side protection device with a single-flow channel structure, realizes protection of the two side surfaces of the optical glass, and further prevents the optical glass surfaces from being polluted by pollutants.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical technology, and in particular to a lithography machine, a pollution prevention device for an illumination room, and a design method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] Photolithography is a crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing. It involves transferring chip patterns from a series of photomasks to corresponding layers on a silicon wafer through exposure, and is considered a core step in large-scale integrated circuit manufacturing. The complex and time-consuming photolithography process in semiconductor manufacturing is primarily performed by dedicated photolithography machines.

[0003] In lithography machine architecture, highly sensitive components such as the lamp chamber require a stable operating environment based on low vibration. However, if the illumination module, which has multiple movable mechanisms, is directly connected to the lamp chamber, the low vibration design and operational requirements of the lamp chamber cannot be guaranteed. This characteristic leads to the use of an open connection design in the lithography machine structure. Such a design inevitably exposes optical components, including optical glass, directly to the factory environment. Furthermore, the shutter located here needs to be cooled by air convection when closed; the application of exhaust fans may accelerate the aforementioned contamination. The illumination-side surface of the optical glass will therefore develop surface contamination within a foreseeable time, causing a rapid decrease in machine illumination. In addition, the open space within the lamp chamber and the complex internal flow field caused by internal heat dissipation necessitate effective protection for the lamp chamber-side surface of the optical glass.

[0004] Therefore, a protective device is needed that can simultaneously protect both sides of the optical glass within a limited space in order to meet the exposure quality requirements of the lithography device during long-term operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a lithography machine, a pollution prevention device for an illumination chamber, and a design method thereof, for protecting both sides of the optical glass.

[0006] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides a pollution prevention device for a lighting room, comprising:

[0007] An illumination-side protective device is configured with a dual-channel structure to homogenize the flow rate of the gas introduced into the illumination-side protective device in order to form an air protective layer on the first surface of the optical glass.

[0008] A lamp chamber side protection device is configured as a single-channel structure to homogenize the flow rate of the gas introduced into the lamp chamber side protection device, so as to form an air protection layer on the second surface of the optical glass, the optical glass being disposed between the lamp chamber side protection device and the lighting side protection device.

[0009] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting chamber, the chamber-side protection device includes: an inner circulation channel on the chamber side, an air inlet on the chamber side, and an air outlet on the chamber side. The gas output from the air inlet on the chamber side flows through the inner circulation channel on the chamber side to the second surface of the optical glass, and then flows back through the second surface of the optical glass to the air outlet on the chamber side. The inner circulation channel on the chamber side is provided with a plurality of non-uniformly distributed air outlets, and the gas flows through the air outlets to the second surface of the optical glass within the circulation channel on the chamber side.

[0010] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting chamber, the direction of the air inlet on the chamber side is perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass.

[0011] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting chamber, the chamber-side protection device further includes a chamber-side airflow homogenizing baffle, and the chamber-side airflow homogenizing baffle is arranged opposite to the chamber-side air inlet, and the gas output from the chamber-side air inlet is homogenized by the chamber-side airflow homogenizing baffle.

[0012] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting chamber, the chamber-side protection device further includes a first guide plate and a second guide plate. The first guide plate and the second guide plate are disposed near the air outlet of the inner circulation channel of the chamber side. There is a first gap between the first guide plate and the second guide plate. The gas output from the inner circulation channel of the chamber side passes through the first gap to the second surface of the optical glass.

[0013] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the width of the first gap is no greater than 3 mm.

[0014] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the first guide plate has a first guide surface for guiding gas, the second guide plate has a second guide surface for guiding gas, and the gas guiding direction is changed by adjusting the angle β between the first guide surface and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass and pointing towards the center along the edge of the optical glass and / or the angle θ between the second guide surface and the optical axis of the optical glass along the direction of the lighting side protection device pointing towards the lamp room side protection device. The range of the angle β is 45° to 90°; the range of the angle θ is 75° to 86°.

[0015] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting chamber, the chamber-side protection device further includes an isolation baffle, which is disposed at the position where the chamber-side protection device contacts the external device structure.

[0016] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the lighting-side protection device includes: a lighting-side air inlet, a lighting-side air outlet, an inner lighting-side circulation channel, and an outer lighting-side circulation channel. The gas output from the lighting-side air inlet passes sequentially through the outer lighting-side circulation channel and the inner lighting-side circulation channel to the first surface of the optical glass, and then flows back through the first surface of the optical glass to the lighting-side air outlet. Both the inner and outer lighting-side circulation channels are provided with a plurality of non-uniformly distributed air outlets. The gas flows through the air outlets of the outer lighting-side circulation channel into the inner lighting-side circulation channel, and then through the air outlets of the inner lighting-side circulation channel to the first surface of the optical glass.

[0017] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the direction of the air inlet on the lighting side is perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass.

[0018] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting chamber, the pollution prevention device further includes a lighting side cover plate, and the lighting side protection device further includes a lighting side airflow homogenizing baffle. The lighting side cover plate is connected to the end of the lighting side protection device away from the lighting chamber side protection device. The lighting side airflow homogenizing baffle is located near the air outlet of the inner circulation channel of the lighting side, and there is a second gap between the lighting side airflow homogenizing baffle and the lighting side cover plate. The gas output from the inner circulation channel of the lighting side passes through the second gap to the first surface of the optical glass.

[0019] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the width of the second gap is no greater than 2.5 mm.

[0020] Optionally, in the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the airflow homogenizing baffle on the lighting side includes a homogenizing surface for gas homogenization and a third guiding surface for gas flow opposite to the homogenizing surface. The gas flow direction is changed by adjusting the angle α between the third guiding surface and the optical axis perpendicular to the optical glass and along the direction from the center of the optical glass to the edge. The angle α is in the range of 40° to 50°.

[0021] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention also provides a lithography machine including an optical assembly for an illumination chamber, the optical assembly including an adapter ring, optical glass, and the aforementioned anti-contamination device for the illumination chamber, wherein the optical glass is fixed within the anti-contamination device via the adapter ring.

[0022] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention also provides a design method for an anti-pollution device for a lighting room, applied to the aforementioned anti-pollution device, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0023] Set the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters;

[0024] The structure of the lighting-side protection device with a dual-channel structure and the structure of the lamp chamber-side protection device with a single-channel structure are adjusted according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters. The lighting-side protection device and the lamp chamber-side protection device constitute the pollution prevention device.

[0025] Optionally, in the design method of the pollution prevention device for the lighting room, the structure of the lighting room side protection device with a single-channel structure that is adjusted according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters includes:

[0026] Adjust the width of the first gap according to the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters;

[0027] Adjust the guiding angles of the first and second guide plates so that the output gas covers the second surface of the optical glass; and / or

[0028] The structure of the lighting-side protective device with a dual-channel structure that adjusts according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters includes:

[0029] Adjust the width of the second gap according to the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters;

[0030] Adjust the angle of the airflow homogenizing baffle on the illumination side so that the output gas covers the first surface of the optical glass.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0032] This invention, through the dual-channel structure design of the illumination-side protection device and the single-channel structure design of the lamp chamber-side protection device, can form a uniform outflow field on both sides of the optical glass, thereby protecting both sides of the optical glass and meeting the exposure quality requirements of the lithography device under long-term operation.

[0033] Secondly, by setting non-uniformly distributed air outlets on the inner circulation channel of the lamp chamber side, setting a lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle near the air inlet on the lamp chamber side, and setting non-uniformly distributed air outlets on the inner and outer circulation channels of the lighting side, this invention can help to achieve uniform flow velocity distribution on the lamp chamber side and the lighting side, ensure the formation of a uniform airflow field on both sides of the optical glass, and form an air protection layer that can effectively resist lateral disturbances, prevent pollutants from contaminating the surface of the optical glass, maintain the high optical characteristics of the system, and improve product life, production efficiency and product yield.

[0034] Furthermore, by installing an isolation baffle on the lamp chamber side protection device, the present invention can enhance the resistance to lateral disturbances at low flow velocities on the lamp chamber side.

[0035] Furthermore, this invention, by setting a first guide plate and a second guide plate on the lamp chamber side protection device, and by adjusting the gap width between the first and second guide plates and the guiding angle of the first and second guide plates, ensures that the guided, slow-flowing gas can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass. Conversely, by setting an illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle on the illumination-side protection device, and by adjusting the gap width between the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle and the cover plate, and the angle of the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle, ensures that the output high-speed gas can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass, thus continuously forming an air protective layer during long-term operation. This effectively prevents contaminants from contacting the optical glass and improves the imaging quality of the optical glass.

[0036] Furthermore, by extracting the structure and design parameters of key components, this invention designs an anti-pollution device for lighting rooms that can provide effective protection within a limited space, which can improve the imaging quality of optical glass and can be effectively extended to the design of anti-pollution devices for lighting rooms in different limited spaces. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an anti-pollution device for a lighting room according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figures 2 to 4 This is a schematic diagram of the corresponding structure in the anti-pollution device for a lighting room according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a side view of a pollution prevention device for a lighting room according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figures 6 to 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lighting-side protective device in one embodiment of the invention;

[0041] Figure 9This is a cross-sectional view of a pollution prevention device for a lighting room according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0042] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A structural diagram of region B in the pollution prevention device described above;

[0043] Figures 11a to 11c This is a schematic diagram of the structure of different lighting-side airflow homogenization baffles in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figures 12 to 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lamp chamber side protection device in one embodiment of the invention;

[0045] Figure 14 yes Figure 9 A structural diagram of region A in the pollution prevention device described above;

[0046] Figures 15a to 15c This is a schematic diagram of a different arrangement of the second guide plate in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the internal gas flow of an anti-pollution device for a lighting room according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figures 1 to 16 middle,

[0049] 1-Pollution prevention device; 11-Lamp chamber side protection device; 111-Lamp chamber side air inlet; 112-Lamp chamber side inner circulation channel; 1121-Lamp chamber side air outlet; 113-Lamp chamber side powder cleaning hole; 114-Isolation baffle; 115-First guide plate; 1151-First guide surface; 116-Second guide plate; 1161-Second guide surface; 118-Lamp chamber side airflow homogenization baffle; 12-Illumination side Protective device, 121-Illumination side air inlet, 122-Illumination side inner circulation channel, 1221-Illumination side inner air outlet, 123-Illumination side outer circulation channel, 1231-Illumination side outer air outlet, 124-Illumination side airflow homogenization baffle, 1241-Third guide surface, 1242-Homogenization surface, 125-Illumination side powder cleaning hole, 13-Adapter ring, 14-Optical glass, 15-Illumination side cover plate. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a more comprehensive understanding of the lithography machine, the anti-contamination device for the lighting chamber, and the design method thereof proposed in this invention. The advantages and features of this invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of this invention.

[0051] See Figures 1-4This invention provides a pollution prevention device 1 for a lighting chamber, comprising: a chamber-side protective device 11, a lighting-side protective device 12, and a lighting-side cover plate 15. In this embodiment, the positions of the lighting-side protective device 12, the chamber-side protective device 11, the optical glass 14, and the lighting-side cover plate 15, in the order from the lighting side to the chamber side, are: lighting-side cover plate 15, lighting-side protective device 12, optical glass 14, and chamber-side protective device 11. The optical glass 14 is installed between the lighting-side protective device 12 and the chamber-side protective device 11 and is fixed using an adapter ring 13, and then further fixed using the chamber-side protective device 11 to prevent the optical glass 14 from falling off. The lighting-side protective device 12, the adapter ring 13, and the chamber-side protective device 11 have multiple screw holes, allowing for fixing between them using bolts. The lighting-side cover plate 15 is installed at the end of the lighting-side protective device 12 away from the chamber-side protective device 11. The optical glass 14, adapter ring 13, and illumination side cover plate 15 described in this embodiment are structural features in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0052] See Figures 5 to 8 By analyzing the available space inside the device, the lighting-side protective device 12 adopts a dual-channel structure design, and specifically includes: a lighting-side air inlet 121, a lighting-side air outlet (not shown in the figure), an inner lighting-side circulation channel 122, and an outer lighting-side circulation channel 123. The distance between the outer lighting-side circulation channel 123 and the center point of the lighting-side protective device 12 is greater than the distance between the inner lighting-side circulation channel 122 and the center point of the lighting-side protective device 12, that is, the inner lighting-side circulation channel 122 is located inside the outer lighting-side circulation channel 123. The gas output from the lighting-side air inlet 121 passes sequentially through the outer lighting-side circulation channel 123 and the inner lighting-side circulation channel 122 to the first surface of the optical glass 14, and then flows back to the lighting-side air outlet through the first surface of the optical glass 14. The surface of the optical glass 14 away from the lamp chamber-side protective device 11 serves as the first surface of the optical glass 14.

[0053] The lighting-side protective device 12 is specifically a ring structure, and the central area of ​​the ring structure serves as the lighting-side air outlet, that is, the ring structure surrounds the lighting-side air outlet.

[0054] The inner circulation channel 122 and the outer circulation channel 123 on the lighting side are provided with a plurality of vent holes. Specifically, a plurality of inner vent holes 1221 on the lighting side are provided on the inner surface of the inner circulation channel 122, and a plurality of outer vent holes 1231 on the lighting side are provided on the inner surface of the outer circulation channel 123. Gas flows from the outer circulation channel 123 into the inner circulation channel 122 through the outer vent holes 1231, and then flows to the first surface of the optical glass 14 through the inner vent holes 1221. The number of vent holes on each channel structure of the lighting-side protective device 12 can be selected as needed.

[0055] The positions of the air outlets on each of the flow channel structures can be uniformly distributed or non-uniformly distributed, meaning the distance between adjacent air outlets can be the same or different. Since the gas pressure and flow rate are greater closer to the lighting-side air inlet 121, to better homogenize the gas input to the lighting-side air inlet 121, the density of the air outlets on each flow channel structure preferably increases with the distance from the lighting-side air inlet 121. That is, the farther away from the lighting-side air inlet 121, the closer the distance between adjacent air outlets.

[0056] The shape of the vent holes on each flow channel structure of the lighting-side protective device 12 can be selected in different shapes depending on the usage conditions, such as circular or square. In this embodiment, small circular holes are used. Furthermore, the diameter of the vent holes on each flow channel structure of the lighting-side protective device 12 can be uniform or non-uniform. Since the gas pressure and flow rate are greater closer to the lighting-side air inlet 121, it is necessary to set the vent hole diameter on each flow channel structure non-uniformly to better homogenize the gas. Therefore, it is preferable that the vent hole diameter on each flow channel structure is non-uniform. Further, the vent hole diameter (i.e., diameter) on each flow channel structure increases with the increase of the distance from the lighting-side air inlet 121. Moreover, the diameter range of the vent holes on each flow channel structure can be controlled within the range of 0.8mm to 1.5mm according to the 3D printing accuracy and design parameter requirements, and the distribution can be optimized according to the flow velocity distribution.

[0057] Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the pollution prevention device 1 is shown. Figure 10 A structural diagram of region B in the pollution prevention device 1 is shown. (See attached diagram.) Figure 9 and Figure 10To further homogenize the gas, in other embodiments, the illumination-side protective device 12 may further include an illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle 124, which has a second gap with the illumination-side cover plate 15. The gas output from the illumination-side inner circulation channel 122 passes through the second gap to the first surface of the optical glass 14. The illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle 124 is positioned near the illumination-side inner air outlet 1221, and the gas output from the illumination-side inner air outlet 1221 is homogenized by the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle 124.

[0058] See Figure 10 In this embodiment, the direction of gas flow passing through the illumination-side airflow homogenization baffle 124 and the coverage area of ​​the first surface of the optical glass to be protected can be adjusted by adjusting the baffle 124. The illumination-side airflow homogenization baffle 124 includes a homogenization surface 1242 for gas homogenization and a third guide surface 1241 opposite to the homogenization surface 1242 for gas guidance. In this embodiment, the gas guidance direction is changed by adjusting the angle α between the third guide surface 1241 and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass and along the direction from the center of the optical glass to the edge. That is, the acute angle formed between the third guide surface 1241 and the plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14 is the angle α. At high exhaust flow rates (e.g., 4 m / s), the lateral disturbance protection capability can be increased by increasing the angle α. However, this design will reduce its protective performance at low exhaust flow rates. Under current design and environmental constraints, the included angle α is preferably in the range of 40° to 50°, and can be adjusted according to different pumping velocities and protective environments. For example... Figures 11a-11c The included angle α is shown to be set to 40°, 45°, and 50°. Depending on the size of the included angle α of the third guide surface 1241, the angle between the homogenizing surface 1242 and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass and pointing from the center of the optical glass towards the edge needs to be set within a range not exceeding 90°. The angle of the homogenizing surface 1242, in conjunction with the variation of the included angle α of the third guide surface 1241, can improve lateral disturbance protection while homogenizing the gas.

[0059] The width of the second gap can adjust the output gas flow rate and also plays a certain role in gas homogenization. Furthermore, the width of the second gap is no greater than 2.5 mm. For example, through simulation analysis, the gap width between the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle 124 and the illumination-side cover plate 15 is locked (fixed to 1.5 mm after simulation optimization), setting the outflow velocity to approximately 0.8 m / s. By adjusting the angle of the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle 124 to 45°, even high-speed outflow can fully cover the surface of the optical glass. The illumination-side cover plate 15 has an angle of 90° with the horizontal direction, meaning it is parallel to the vertical plane of the optical axis of the optical glass, with a guide angle of 90°. Therefore, the illumination-side cover plate 15 does not guide the flow to the surface of the optical glass 14. This is mainly because the outflow velocity of the illumination-side protective device 12 is relatively high, and it can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass 14 without adjusting the guide angle.

[0060] The lighting-side protective device 12 also includes a lighting-side powder cleaning hole 125, which is preferably located at a 150° opposite position to the lighting-side air inlet 121, as shown in the reference. Figure 6 The dust removal hole 125 on the lighting side is mainly used to remove dust from new equipment. It will be sealed when the new equipment is in normal operation to prevent air leakage.

[0061] In this embodiment, due to the interaction of the inner circulation channel 122 and the outer circulation channel 123 on the lighting side, as well as the airflow homogenization baffle 124 on the lighting side, the gas input from the lighting side air inlet 121 is transported to the optical glass 14. The gas will flow back vertically. Therefore, the lighting side air inlet 121 and the optical axis of the optical glass 14 are at 90° to each other, that is, the direction of the lighting side air inlet 121 is perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14. By forming an air protective layer that can resist lateral disturbances on the first surface of the optical glass 14 to be protected, an effective protective effect is achieved.

[0062] See Figure 12 and Figure 13 By analyzing the available space inside the device, the lamp chamber side protection device 11 is configured as a single-channel structure to homogenize the flow rate of the gas introduced into the lamp chamber side protection device 11, so as to form an air protection layer on the second surface of the optical glass 14. Clean CDA (compressed air) flows into both the lamp chamber side protection device 11 and the lighting side protection device 12 as the intake fluid.

[0063] The lamp chamber side protection device 11 specifically includes: a lamp chamber side air inlet 111, a lamp chamber side inner circulation channel 112, and a lamp chamber side air outlet (not shown in the figure). The lamp chamber side protection device 11 is specifically a ring structure, and the central area of ​​the ring structure serves as the lamp chamber side air outlet, that is, the ring structure surrounds the lamp chamber side air outlet.

[0064] The gas output from the lamp chamber-side air inlet 111 flows through the inner circulation channel 112 of the lamp chamber side to the second surface of the optical glass 14, and then flows back to the lamp chamber-side air outlet through the second surface of the optical glass 14. The surface of the optical glass 14 closest to the lamp chamber-side protective device 11 serves as the second surface of the optical glass 14. The lamp chamber-side air inlet 111 and the lamp illumination-side air inlet 121 are located in the same orientation, which facilitates the overall air intake path arrangement. (See reference...) Figure 5 .

[0065] The inner circulation channel 112 on the lamp chamber side is provided with a plurality of air outlets, namely lamp chamber side air outlets 1121, which are used to transport the gas in the inner circulation channel 112 on the lamp chamber side to the second surface of the optical glass 14. The plurality of lamp chamber side air outlets 1121 are disposed on the inner surface of the inner circulation channel 112 on the lamp chamber side, and the number of lamp chamber side air outlets 1121 can be selected as needed.

[0066] The lamp chamber-side air outlets 1121 can be evenly distributed on the inner circulation channel 112 of the lamp chamber side, or they can be non-uniformly distributed on the inner circulation channel 112 of the lamp chamber side. That is, the distance between adjacent lamp chamber-side air outlets 1121 can be the same or different. Since the gas pressure and gas flow rate are greater closer to the lamp chamber-side air inlet 111, in order to better homogenize the gas output from the lamp chamber-side air inlet 111, the arrangement density of the lamp chamber-side air outlets 1121 preferably increases with the increase of the distance from the lamp chamber-side air inlet 111. That is, the farther away from the lamp chamber-side air inlet 111, the closer the distance between adjacent lamp chamber-side air outlets 1121.

[0067] The shape of the lamp chamber side vent 1121 can be selected in different shapes depending on the application, such as circular or square. In this embodiment, it is a small circular hole. Furthermore, the diameter of the lamp chamber side vent 1121 can be uniform or non-uniform. Since the gas pressure and flow rate are greater closer to the lamp chamber side air inlet 111, a non-uniform diameter of the lamp chamber side vent 1121 is necessary to better homogenize the gas. Therefore, it is preferable that the diameter of the lamp chamber side vent 1121 is non-uniform. Further, the diameter of the lamp chamber side vent 1121 increases with the distance from the lamp chamber side air inlet 111. Moreover, the diameter range of the vents on each flow channel structure can be controlled within the range of 0.8mm to 1.5mm according to the 3D printing accuracy and design parameter requirements, and the distribution can be optimized based on the flow velocity distribution. The design of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 ensures that a uniform airflow field is formed on the second surface of the optical glass 14 to be protected, and forms an air protection layer that can effectively resist lateral disturbances and prevent pollutants from contaminating the surface of the optical glass.

[0068] In addition, to avoid insufficient uniformity of gas outlet velocity distribution caused by the single-channel structure of the lamp chamber side protection device 11, a lamp chamber side airflow uniformity baffle 118 is provided at the corresponding position of the lamp chamber side air inlet 111, as can be seen in [reference]. Figure 13 That is, the lamp chamber side protection device 11 may further include a lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle 118, and the gas output from the lamp chamber side air inlet 111 is homogenized by the lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle 118. In this embodiment, by analyzing the available internal space, the lamp chamber side protection device 11 uses a single-channel structure, and the lamp chamber side air outlet 1121 and the lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle 118, which are not uniformly sized, achieve internal flow velocity homogenization.

[0069] See Figure 14The diagram shows the structure of region A in the anti-pollution device 1. The lamp chamber side protection device 11 may further include a first guide plate 115 and a second guide plate 116. The first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116 are positioned near the air outlet of the inner circulation channel 112 on the lamp chamber side. The directions of the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116 form a certain angle, and a first gap exists between the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116. The gas output from the inner circulation channel 112 on the lamp chamber side passes through the first gap to the second surface of the optical glass 14. The preferred range of the certain angle is 45° to 135°. The first guide plate 115 is positioned near the air outlet 1121 on the lamp chamber side, guiding the gas output from the air outlet 1121 on the lamp chamber side for the first time. For example, the first guide plate 115 guides the gas along the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14 to a direction close to the optical axis of the optical glass 14. The gas output from the first guide plate 115 passes through the first gap to the second guide plate 116, and the second guide plate 116 provides a second guide for the gas output from the lamp chamber side outlet 1121. According to the changes in lamp chamber side protection requirements and standards, the system design requirements can be met simply by changing the structure of the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116. The first guide plate 115 has a first guide surface 1151 for guiding gas, and the second guide plate 116 has a second guide surface 1161 for guiding gas. The second guide surface 1161 is the surface of the second guide plate 116 near the first guide plate 115. The gas guiding direction is changed by adjusting the angle β between the first guide surface 1151 and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14 and pointing towards the center along the edge of the optical glass 14, and / or the angle θ between the second guide surface 1161 and the optical axis of the optical glass 14 along the direction from the illumination side protection device 12 to the lamp chamber side protection device 11. The range of the angle β is preferably 45° to 90°; the range of the angle θ is preferably 75° to 86°. The included angle β is defined as the acute or right angle formed between the first guide surface 1151 and the plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14, while the acute angle formed between the second guide surface 1161 and the plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14 is complementary to the included angle θ. Research has found that 81° is the limiting value of the guide angle of the second guide surface 1161 on the lamp chamber side. When the angle is less than 75°, the airflow cannot cover the surface of the optical glass, reducing its protective properties; when the angle is greater than 75°, the airflow can cover the surface evenly, but when the angle is greater than 86°, the protective performance begins to decrease. (See also...) Figures 15a to 15c The included angles θ are shown to be 75°, 81° and 86° respectively.

[0070] In this embodiment, the width of the first gap between the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116 can adjust the output gas flow rate and also play a certain role in homogenizing the gas. Preferably, the width of the first gap is no greater than 3mm.

[0071] In this embodiment, to consider the isolation requirements between the lamp chamber side protection device 11 and the external device structure, the lamp chamber side protection device 11 further includes an isolation baffle 114, and the isolation baffle 114 is disposed at the position where the lamp chamber side protection device 11 contacts the external device structure, as can be seen in the following reference. Figure 9 Therefore, the lamp chamber side protection device 11 has a stronger ability to resist lateral disturbances at low flow rates than the lighting side protection device 12 due to the presence of the isolation baffle 114.

[0072] The lamp chamber side protection device 11 also includes a lamp chamber side air outlet for discharging gas from the second surface of the optical glass. In this embodiment, due to the interaction of the inner circulation channel 122, the lamp chamber side airflow homogenization baffle 118, the first guide plate 115, and the second guide plate 116, the gas output from the lamp chamber side air inlet 111 is transported to the optical glass 14. The gas will flow back vertically. Therefore, the direction of the lamp chamber side air inlet 111 is preferably 90° to the optical axis of the optical glass 14, that is, the direction of the lamp chamber side air inlet 111 is perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass 14. By forming an air protective layer that can resist lateral disturbances on the second surface of the optical glass 14 to be protected, an effective protective effect is achieved.

[0073] The lamp chamber side protective device 11 may further include a lamp chamber side dust removal hole 113, which is preferably located 180° opposite to the lamp chamber side air inlet 111. The lamp chamber side dust removal hole 113 is mainly used to remove dust from new equipment, and will be sealed when the new equipment is in normal operation to prevent air leakage.

[0074] See Figure 16 The principle of the anti-pollution device 1 in this embodiment is as follows: Clean CDA, as the intake fluid, flows simultaneously into the lamp chamber-side protection device 11 and the lighting-side protection device 12. By analyzing the available internal space, the lamp chamber-side protection device 11 uses a single-channel structure, with non-uniformly sized outlet holes and airflow homogenizing baffles to achieve uniform internal flow velocity distribution. The lighting-side protection device 12 fully utilizes the internal space, setting up inner and outer double-sided flow channels. The non-uniformly sized outlet holes in the inner and outer circulating flow channels on the lighting side achieve uniform internal gas flow velocity. This design ensures a uniform airflow field is formed on the optical glass surface to be protected, and forms an air protective layer that effectively resists lateral disturbances, preventing contaminants from polluting the optical glass surface. The contaminants are generally volatile organic compounds and particulate matter with a particle size of less than 0.01 mm.

[0075] The present invention also provides a design method for a pollution prevention device for a lighting room, comprising the following steps:

[0076] Step S1: Set the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters;

[0077] Step S2: Adjust the structure of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 and the lighting side protection device 12 according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters.

[0078] In step S1, a higher gas flow rate input to the anti-pollution device 1 results in better homogenization, but also higher costs. Therefore, in this embodiment, the input gas flow rate of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 is preferably no higher than 15 L / min, and the input gas flow rate of the lighting side protection device 12 is preferably no higher than 25 L / min. The output gas flow rate is set according to process requirements. That is, the input gas flow rate parameters include two parameters: the input gas flow rate parameters of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 and the input gas flow rate parameters of the lighting side protection device 12. The output gas flow rate parameters also include two parameters: the output gas flow rate parameters of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 and the output gas flow rate parameters of the lighting side protection device 12. The lamp chamber side protection device 11 is adjusted according to its input and output gas flow rate parameters, and the structure of the lighting side protection device 12 is adjusted according to its input and output gas flow rate parameters.

[0079] In step S2, the key design elements of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 and the lighting side protection device 12 are similar, but their key design elements differ. Because the lamp chamber side protection device 11 has an isolation baffle 114, its resistance to lateral disturbances at low flow rates is stronger than that of the lighting side protection device 12 due to the presence of the isolation baffle 114. Therefore, the design focus of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 is to form an effective laminar air protection layer under slow flow conditions. The specific structure adjustment of the lamp chamber side protection device 11 according to the gas flow rate includes:

[0080] The width of the first gap is adjusted according to the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters;

[0081] Adjust the guiding angle of the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116 so that the output gas covers the second surface of the optical glass 14.

[0082] The adjustment of the width of the first gap based on the input gas flow rate parameter and the output gas flow rate parameter specifically involves adjusting the width of the first gap between the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116 according to the gas flow rate, so that the flow velocity of the homogenized gas is stabilized at a first set value. The first set value is the output gas flow rate parameter.

[0083] For example, under an intake flow rate constraint of 15 L / min, the gap width between the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116 is first adjusted to 2 mm (the value optimized after simulation) to stabilize the homogenized outflow velocity (output gas velocity) at approximately 0.3 m / s (the pollutant diffusion velocity is set to 0.1 m / s). Then, the guiding angle (i.e., the included angle θ) of the second guide plate 116 is adjusted to 81° (the value optimized after simulation), and combined with the outlet angle (i.e., the included angle β) of the first guide plate 115 to 62° (the value optimized after simulation), so that the slow-flowing outflow can effectively cover the second surface of the optical glass 14.

[0084] The design of the lighting-side protective device 12 differs from that of the lamp chamber-side protective device 11. Due to the presence of a cooling system, the external flow field of the lighting-side protective device 12 experiences greater lateral disturbance. Therefore, the lighting-side protective device 12 requires a design that enhances the formation of a homogenized, high-speed outflow. Adjusting the structure of the lighting-side protective device 12 according to the gas flow rate specifically includes:

[0085] Adjust the width of the second gap according to the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters;

[0086] Adjust the angle of the airflow homogenizing baffle 124 on the illumination side so that the output gas covers the first surface of the optical glass 14.

[0087] The adjustment of the width of the second gap based on the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters specifically involves adjusting the gap width between the lighting-side airflow homogenization baffle 124 and the lighting-side cover plate 15 according to the gas flow rate parameters, so that the flow rate of the homogenized gas is stabilized at a second set value. The second set value is the output gas flow rate parameter.

[0088] For example, through simulation analysis, under the constraint of an intake airflow of 25 L / min, the gap width between the illumination-side airflow homogenization baffle 124 and the illumination-side cover plate 15 is locked at 1.5 mm (the value after simulation optimization), so that the outflow velocity (output gas velocity) is set to approximately 0.8 m / s. Furthermore, by adjusting the angle (i.e., the included angle α) of the illumination-side airflow homogenization baffle 124 to 45° (the value after simulation optimization), even the high-speed outflow can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass 14. In the illumination protection device, the guiding angle of the illumination-side cover plate 15 is 90°, meaning it has no guiding effect on the optical glass surface. This is mainly because the outflow velocity of the illumination-side protection device 12 is relatively high, and it can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass 14 without adjusting the guiding angle.

[0089] The main design parameters in this embodiment are the airflow homogenization baffle 118 on the lamp chamber side, the airflow homogenization baffle 124 on the lighting side, the first guide plate 115, and the second guide plate 116. Specifically, these include the guiding angles of the first guide plate 115 and the second guide plate 116, and the height and angle of the airflow homogenization baffle 118 on the lamp chamber side and the airflow homogenization baffle 124 on the lighting side. Through simulation optimization analysis, the specific structure of the anti-pollution device that effectively covers the surface of the optical glass to be protected within a limited space (7mm~10mm) under different high and low airflow conditions is derived.

[0090] This invention tests the contamination protection performance of the anti-contamination device 1 under different air intake flow rates and with or without lateral disturbances. Specifically, under conditions where the air intake flow rate of the illumination-side protective device 12 is 15 L / min and 25 L / min, and with or without lateral disturbances, the surface contamination of the optical glass to be protected can be controlled below 0.5%. Therefore, the anti-contamination device 1 demonstrates effective contamination protection under simulation analysis; moreover, the protective device is effective under confined space and chaotic disturbances.

[0091] Secondly, the present invention also demonstrated that no tendency for contamination was found on the test strip surface during a 4-hour continuous anti-contamination effectiveness verification test. Furthermore, the anti-contamination device 1 provided by the present invention has been verified on 5 machines operating under different environments, proving that it can effectively prevent optical glass contamination within a 6-month period, avoiding accelerated reduction in mercury lamp illuminance due to optical glass surface contamination.

[0092] In summary, the present invention, through the dual-channel structure design of the illumination-side protection device and the single-channel structure design of the lamp chamber-side protection device, can form a uniform outflow field on both sides of the optical glass, thereby protecting both sides of the optical glass and meeting the exposure quality requirements of the lithography device under long-term operation.

[0093] Secondly, by setting non-uniformly distributed air outlets on the inner circulation channel of the lamp chamber side and setting a lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle near the air inlet of the lamp chamber side, and setting non-uniformly distributed air outlets on the inner and outer circulation channels of the lighting side, the present invention can help to achieve uniform distribution of flow velocity on the lamp chamber side and the interior of the lighting side, ensure the formation of a uniform airflow field on both sides of the optical glass, and form an air protection layer that can effectively resist lateral disturbances and prevent pollutants from contaminating the surface of the optical glass.

[0094] Furthermore, by installing an isolation baffle on the lamp chamber side protection device, the present invention can enhance the resistance to lateral disturbances at low flow velocities on the lamp chamber side.

[0095] Furthermore, this invention, by setting a first guide plate and a second guide plate on the lamp chamber side protective device, and by adjusting the gap width between the first and second guide plates and the guiding angle of the first guide plate, combined with the gas outlet angle of the second guide plate, ensures that the slow-flowing airflow can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass. Conversely, by setting an illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle on the illumination-side protective device, and by adjusting the gap width between the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle and the cover plate, and the angle of the illumination-side airflow homogenizing baffle, ensures that the high-speed airflow can fully cover the first surface of the optical glass.

[0096] Furthermore, by extracting the structure and design parameters of key components, this invention can design an anti-pollution device that provides effective protection within a limited space, thereby improving the imaging quality of optical glass. Moreover, it can be effectively extended to the design of anti-pollution devices in different limited spaces.

[0097] In addition, the present invention also provides a lithography machine, including an optical assembly for an illumination chamber, the optical assembly including an adapter ring, optical glass, and the anti-contamination device for the illumination chamber in the above embodiments, wherein the optical glass is fixed in the anti-contamination device by the adapter ring.

[0098] The lithography machine of the present invention employs the anti-contamination device described in the above embodiments, which can protect both sides of the optical glass and prevent contaminants from contaminating the surface of the optical glass, thereby meeting the exposure quality requirements of the lithography machine under long-term operation.

[0099] It is understood that although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. For any person skilled in the art, many possible variations and modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention based on the disclosed technical content, or equivalent embodiments can be modified accordingly, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0100] Furthermore, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific methods, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications described herein, which can vary. It should also be understood that the terminology described herein is used only to describe particular embodiments and not to limit the scope of the invention. It must be noted that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein and in the appended claims include plural bases unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “a step” means a reference to one or more steps, and may include secondary steps. All conjunctions used should be understood in the broadest sense. Therefore, the word “or” should be understood to have the definition of logical “or” rather than logical “exclusive”, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Structures described herein will be understood to also refer to functional equivalents of that structure. Language that can be interpreted as approximate should be understood in that way unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Claims

1. A pollution prevention device for a lighting room, characterized in that, The pollution prevention device includes: An illumination-side protective device is configured with a dual-channel structure to homogenize the flow rate of gas introduced into the illumination-side protective device, thereby forming an air protective layer on the first surface of the optical glass. The illumination-side protective device includes: an illumination-side air inlet, an illumination-side air outlet, an illumination-side inner circulation channel, and an illumination-side outer circulation channel. The gas output from the illumination-side air inlet flows sequentially through the illumination-side outer circulation channel and the illumination-side inner circulation channel to the first surface of the optical glass, and then flows back through the first surface of the optical glass to the illumination-side air outlet. Both the illumination-side inner circulation channel and the illumination-side outer circulation channel are provided with a plurality of non-uniformly distributed air outlets. The gas flows through the air outlets of the illumination-side outer circulation channel into the illumination-side inner circulation channel, and then through the air outlets of the illumination-side inner circulation channel to the first surface of the optical glass. A lamp chamber side protection device is configured as a single-channel structure to homogenize the flow rate of the gas introduced into the lamp chamber side protection device, so as to form an air protection layer on the second surface of the optical glass, the optical glass being disposed between the lamp chamber side protection device and the lighting side protection device.

2. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lamp chamber side protection device includes: an inner circulation channel on the lamp chamber side, an air inlet on the lamp chamber side, and an air outlet on the lamp chamber side. The gas output from the air inlet on the lamp chamber side flows through the inner circulation channel on the lamp chamber side to the second surface of the optical glass, and then flows back through the second surface of the optical glass to the air outlet on the lamp chamber side. The inner circulation channel on the lamp chamber side is provided with a plurality of non-uniformly distributed air outlets, and the gas flows through the air outlets to the second surface of the optical glass in the circulation channel on the lamp chamber side.

3. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The direction of the air inlet on the lamp chamber side is perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass.

4. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lamp chamber side protection device also includes a lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle, and the lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle is arranged opposite to the lamp chamber side air inlet, and the gas output from the lamp chamber side air inlet is homogenized by the lamp chamber side airflow homogenizing baffle.

5. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lamp chamber side protection device further includes a first guide plate and a second guide plate. The first guide plate and the second guide plate are disposed near the air outlet of the inner circulation channel of the lamp chamber side. There is a first gap between the first guide plate and the second guide plate. The gas output from the inner circulation channel of the lamp chamber side passes through the first gap to the second surface of the optical glass.

6. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The width of the first gap is no greater than 3mm.

7. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first guide plate has a first guide surface for guiding gas, and the second guide plate has a second guide surface for guiding gas. The gas guiding direction is changed by adjusting the angle β between the first guide surface and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass and pointing towards the center along the edge of the optical glass, and / or the angle θ between the second guide surface and the optical axis of the optical glass along the direction from the illumination side protection device to the lamp chamber side protection device. The range of the angle β is 45° to 90°, and the range of the angle θ is 75° to 86°.

8. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lamp chamber side protection device also includes an isolation baffle, which is located at the position where the lamp chamber side protection device contacts the external device structure.

9. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The direction of the air inlet on the illumination side is perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical glass.

10. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-pollution device also includes an illumination side cover plate, and the illumination side protection device also includes an illumination side airflow homogenizing baffle. The illumination side cover plate is connected to the end of the illumination side protection device away from the lamp chamber side protection device. The illumination side airflow homogenizing baffle is located near the air outlet of the illumination side inner circulation channel, and there is a second gap between the illumination side airflow homogenizing baffle and the illumination side cover plate. The gas output from the illumination side inner circulation channel passes through the second gap to the first surface of the optical glass.

11. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The width of the second gap is no greater than 2.5 mm.

12. The pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The illumination-side airflow homogenization baffle includes a homogenization surface for gas homogenization and a third guide surface for gas guidance opposite to the homogenization surface. The gas guidance direction is changed by adjusting the angle α between the third guide surface and the optical axis perpendicular to the optical glass and along the direction from the center of the optical glass to the edge. The angle α ranges from 40° to 50°.

13. A lithography machine, characterized in that, The invention includes an optical assembly for a lighting chamber, the optical assembly comprising an adapter ring, optical glass, and a contamination prevention device for the lighting chamber as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the optical glass is fixed within the contamination prevention device via the adapter ring.

14. A design method for a pollution prevention device for a lighting room, applicable to the pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Set the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters; The structure of the lighting-side protection device with a dual-channel structure and the structure of the lamp chamber-side protection device with a single-channel structure are adjusted according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters. The lighting-side protection device and the lamp chamber-side protection device constitute the pollution prevention device.

15. The design method of the pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The structure of the lamp chamber side protection device with a single-channel structure that adjusts according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters includes: Adjust the width of the first gap according to the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters; Adjust the guiding angle of the first guide plate and the second guide plate so that the output gas covers the second surface of the optical glass.

16. A design method for a pollution prevention device for a lighting room, applicable to the pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Set the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters; The structure of the lighting-side protection device with a dual-channel structure and the structure of the lamp chamber-side protection device with a single-channel structure are adjusted according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters. The lighting-side protection device and the lamp chamber-side protection device constitute the pollution prevention device.

17. The design method of the pollution prevention device for a lighting room as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The structure of the lighting-side protective device with a dual-channel structure that adjusts according to the input gas flow parameters and the output gas flow parameters includes: Adjust the width of the second gap according to the input gas flow rate parameters and the output gas flow rate parameters; Adjust the angle of the airflow homogenizing baffle on the illumination side so that the output gas covers the first surface of the optical glass.

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