Apparatus for laser excitation analysis

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for laser excitation analysis, comprising: a first mirror, the first mirror being an off-axis parabolic mirror, and the first mirror being configured to focus at least two light beams incident on a reflecting surface thereof at a focal point, wherein the first mirror has at least a preset reflecting area such that an included angle between the two light beams focused at the focal point is capable of continuously varying within a preset angle range; and a monitoring module, the monitoring module being configured to monitor an excitation parameter associated with laser excitation occurring at the focal point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of laser technology, and more specifically, to an apparatus for laser-excited analysis. Background Technology

[0002] Laser-induced plasmaluminescence (LPP) is a common technique for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. In LPP, a high-energy laser is focused onto a target material such as molten tin droplets, causing at least a portion of the target material to vaporize and ionize, thereby generating plasma that radiates EUV light, for example, at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. The conversion efficiency of the LPP process is related to several factors, and to improve the conversion efficiency, it is necessary to analyze the relationship between these factors and the conversion efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to provide an apparatus for laser-excited analysis.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for laser-excited analysis is provided, comprising:

[0005] A first reflecting mirror, which is an off-axis parabolic mirror, is configured to focus at least two beams of light incident on its reflecting surface at a focal point. The first reflecting mirror has at least a predetermined reflective area such that the included angle between the two beams focused at the focal point can continuously vary within a predetermined angle range.

[0006] A monitoring module configured to monitor excitation parameters associated with laser excitation occurring at the focal point.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first reflector further has a light-transmitting portion disposed at the location where its reflective surface intersects with the optical axis, the light-transmitting portion being configured to allow a light beam to be incident on the focal point via the light-transmitting portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the monitoring module includes a camera configured to capture an optical image of a laser excitation occurring at the focal point as the excitation parameter.

[0009] In some embodiments, the monitoring module includes two cameras arranged symmetrically about the optical axis of the first reflector.

[0010] In some embodiments, the monitoring module includes a particle distribution monitoring ring configured to monitor the spatial distribution of plasma generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, which is the excitation parameter. The particle distribution monitoring ring is arranged around the focal point of the first reflector, and the ring surface of the particle distribution monitoring ring is substantially located on the plane containing the optical axis of the first reflector.

[0011] In some embodiments, the monitoring module includes an energy distribution monitoring ring configured to monitor the energy distribution of plasma and / or extreme ultraviolet light generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, which are the excitation parameters. The energy distribution monitoring ring is arranged around the focal point of the first reflector, and the ring surface of the energy distribution monitoring ring is substantially located on the plane containing the optical axis of the first reflector.

[0012] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0013] Off-axis adjustment module, the off-axis adjustment module being configured to adjust the distance of the position of the incident light beam on the reflecting surface of the first reflector with respect to the optical axis of the first reflector.

[0014] In some embodiments, the device includes at least two off-axis adjustment modules, wherein each off-axis adjustment module is configured to adjust a beam of light.

[0015] In some embodiments, the off-axis adjustment module includes:

[0016] A second reflecting mirror, which is a plane mirror, is configured to reflect a light beam incident along a first direction and exiting along a second direction, wherein the first and second directions intersect each other, and the second direction is parallel to the optical axis of the first reflecting mirror; and

[0017] An electrically controlled displacement stage is configured to carry the second reflector and is configured to adjust at least one of the following: the distance of the second reflector about the optical axis of the first reflector, and the angle between the reflecting surface of the second reflector and the optical axis of the first reflector.

[0018] In some embodiments, the device further includes at least one of the following:

[0019] A laser source, the laser source being configured to generate a light beam; and

[0020] A collimation module configured to collimate a light beam.

[0021] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0022] The housing has a vacuum cavity formed inside it, wherein at least the focal point of the first reflector is located in the vacuum cavity.

[0023] In some embodiments, the housing is further provided with a flange configured to guide a light beam from the outside of the housing into the interior of the housing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the focal point of the first reflector is configured to place a target.

[0025] In some embodiments, the preset angle range is 5°~175°, or 10°~90°, or 15°~45°, or 15°~30°; and / or

[0026] The radius of curvature of the reflecting surface of the first reflector is 300~500mm or 500~700mm; and / or

[0027] The distance between the position of the incident light beam on the reflecting surface of the first reflector and the optical axis of the first reflector is 60~130mm or 130~200mm.

[0028] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0030] This disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, wherein:

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus for laser-excited analysis according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 2 A partial structural schematic diagram of an apparatus for laser-excited analysis according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a device for laser-excited analysis according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the optical path in which the second mirror in the device for laser excitation analysis is in the first position;

[0035] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 Some optical parameters in the optical path diagram;

[0036] Figure 6 It shows Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the optical path in which the second mirror in the device for laser excitation analysis is in the second position;

[0037] Figure 7It shows Figure 6 Some optical parameters in the optical path diagram;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a device for laser-excited analysis according to another specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0039] Figure 9 It shows Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the optical path in the device used for laser-induced analysis.

[0040] Note that in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are sometimes used across different figures to denote the same parts or parts having the same function, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In this specification, similar reference numerals and letters are used to denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0041] For ease of understanding, the positions, dimensions, and extents of the structures shown in the accompanying drawings and other materials may not represent actual positions, dimensions, and extents. Therefore, the disclosed invention is not limited to the positions, dimensions, and extents disclosed in the accompanying drawings and other materials. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some features may be enlarged to show details of specific components. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use. Those skilled in the art will understand that they merely illustrate exemplary ways that can be used to implement this disclosure, and are not exhaustive.

[0044] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0045] In the LPP process, to improve the generation efficiency of extreme ultraviolet light, multiple high-energy laser beams are typically used for time-sequential bombardment. Here, the conversion efficiency of the LPP process depends on factors such as the target size (e.g., the diameter of a molten tin droplet), laser intensity, laser wavelength, the number of laser beams, the angle between the laser beams, and the size of the focal spot. Among these, laser intensity and wavelength are generally limited by practical engineering capabilities, and their selectable range is limited. However, the angle between high-energy laser beams is usually a continuous variable, and the conversion efficiency can be improved by adjusting the angle between the beams. However, due to the arrangement of the environment used to implement the LPP process (e.g., a vacuum environment) and the arrangement of optical elements used for light focusing and transmission, mechanical interference often occurs, making it difficult to easily adjust the angle between the beams used to bombard the target. This, in turn, makes it difficult to study the relationship between the angle between different beams and the conversion efficiency under specific bombardment conditions.

[0046] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides an apparatus for laser-excited analysis. In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as... Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the apparatus for laser excitation analysis may include a first reflector 110 and a monitoring module.

[0047] The first reflecting mirror 110 can be an off-axis parabolic mirror and can be configured to focus at least two beams incident on its reflecting surface at a focal point F. The focal point F of the first reflecting mirror 110 can be configured to place a target material (e.g., liquid tin). Thus, under the action of the first reflecting mirror 110, multiple beams can be focused onto the target material, bombarding it to vaporize and ionize at least a portion of the target material, thereby generating plasma and radiating extreme ultraviolet light. In some embodiments, the number of beams can be even. Furthermore, each pair of beams can be symmetrically incident on the first reflecting mirror 110 about its optical axis. For example, the first reflecting mirror 110 can be configured to focus two, four, six, or more beams at the focal point F, which can help study the relationship between the conversion efficiency of the LPP process and the number of beams. Additionally, the first reflecting mirror 110 can have at least a predetermined reflective area so that the angle between the two beams focused at the focal point F can continuously vary within a predetermined angle range, which can help study the relationship between the conversion efficiency of the LPP process and the angle between the beams.

[0048] The monitoring module can be configured to monitor excitation parameters associated with the laser excitation occurring at the focal point F, thereby reflecting the conversion efficiency of the LPP process. These excitation parameters can be determined as needed and are not limited herein. Accordingly, the monitoring module can be used to sense specific types of excitation parameters as determined.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the monitoring module may include a camera 121, which can be configured to capture optical images of laser excitation occurring at the focal point as an excitation parameter. Through the photographs or videos captured by the camera 121, the LPP process can be visually observed. For example, the camera 121 can monitor at least one of the following during the LPP process: the state of the high-energy laser used for excitation, the state of the generated extreme ultraviolet light, and the morphological changes of the target material (e.g., liquid tin) struck by the laser. It is understood that the camera's sensing or capturing wavelength can be set as needed. For example, the camera's sensing or capturing wavelength may include the wavelength of the generated extreme ultraviolet light, thereby allowing the intensity of the generated extreme ultraviolet light to be determined from the photographs or videos captured by the camera. Furthermore, in some embodiments, to avoid interference from the beam incident on the target material or damage to the camera, the camera's sensing or capturing wavelength may not include the wavelength of the beam used to excite the target material.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, in order to comprehensively observe the optical imaging from various viewpoints, the monitoring module may include multiple cameras 121, which may be arranged at different locations to observe the LPP process. In one specific embodiment, the monitoring module may include two cameras 121 symmetrically arranged about the optical axis of the first reflector 110. These two cameras 121 can respectively capture images of the area where the focal point F is located from different viewpoints, thereby acquiring information related to the excited extreme ultraviolet light.

[0051] In other embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the monitoring module may include a particle distribution monitoring ring 122, which can be configured to monitor the spatial distribution of plasma generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, as an excitation parameter, such as monitoring the particle concentration density of the plasma at different angles. The particle distribution monitoring ring 122 can be appropriately arranged according to the expected spatial distribution of the plasma to be monitored. For example, in Figure 1In the specific example shown, the particle distribution monitoring ring 122 can be arranged around the focal point F of the first reflector 110, and the ring surface of the particle distribution monitoring ring 122 can be located on or substantially on the plane containing the optical axis of the first reflector 110, thereby monitoring the distribution of plasma originating from the focal point F generated by the LPP process as comprehensively as possible. In some embodiments, the particle distribution monitoring ring 122 can also be configured to acquire the spatial distribution of plasma over time to help measure the spatial changes of plasma during and after the LPP process.

[0052] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the monitoring module may include an energy distribution monitoring ring 123, which can be configured to monitor the energy distribution of plasma generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, as an excitation parameter, and / or monitor the energy distribution of extreme ultraviolet light generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, as an excitation parameter, such as monitoring the power distribution of the plasma and / or extreme ultraviolet light. The energy distribution monitoring ring 123 can be appropriately arranged according to the expected energy distribution of the plasma and / or extreme ultraviolet light to be monitored. For example, similar to that described above with respect to the particle distribution monitoring ring 122, the energy distribution monitoring ring 123 can be arranged around the focal point F of the first reflector 110, and the ring surface of the energy distribution monitoring ring 123 can be located on or substantially on the plane containing the optical axis of the first reflector 110, thereby monitoring the energy distribution associated with the LPP process as comprehensively as possible. In some embodiments, the energy distribution monitoring ring 123 can also be configured to acquire the energy distribution of the plasma and / or extreme ultraviolet light over time. Generally, the higher the energy of the monitored extreme ultraviolet light, the higher the excitation efficiency. In some embodiments, the apparatus for laser excitation analysis may include only one of a particle distribution monitoring ring 122 and an energy distribution monitoring ring 123. In other embodiments, the apparatus for laser excitation analysis may include both a particle distribution monitoring ring 122 and an energy distribution monitoring ring 123, and there are no particular requirements regarding their relative positions. For example, in Figure 2 In a specific example shown, particle distribution monitoring ring 122 and energy distribution monitoring ring 123 can be arranged in parallel.

[0053] In this way, by setting a first reflector 110 with an off-axis parabolic reflective surface and a certain preset reflective area, combined with the monitoring module, it is possible to change the relevant parameters of the beam used to excite the target material (e.g., the number of beams, the angle between beams) as needed without changing the spatial arrangement of the first reflector 110, thereby helping to determine the relationship between the conversion efficiency and the relevant parameters of the beam in the LPP process.

[0054] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, to facilitate adjustment of the angle between the beams used to bombard the target, the apparatus for laser excitation analysis may also include an off-axis adjustment module. This off-axis adjustment module can be configured to adjust the distance (i.e., off-axis amount) of the position of the beam incident on the reflecting surface of the first reflector 110 with respect to the optical axis of the first reflector 110. The off-axis adjustment module can be configured in various ways, as long as it can change the position of the beam incident on the first reflector 110.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the off-axis adjustment module may include a second reflector 131 and an electrically controlled displacement stage 132. It should be noted that... Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 8 The drawing of the electrically controlled displacement stage 132 is omitted, as is the drawing of the electronically controlled displacement stage 132. Figure 1 The dashed box shows the second reflecting mirror 131 after its position has changed. In some embodiments, the second reflecting mirror 131 can be a plane mirror and can be configured to reflect a light beam incident along a first direction as exiting along a second direction. It is understood that the first direction and the second direction intersect each other. Additionally, for the sake of simplicity, in some embodiments, the second direction can be aligned with the optical axis of the first reflecting mirror 110 (e.g., ...). Figure 5 and Figure 7 (As shown by the dashed line in the diagram) parallel. That is, the first reflector 110 can be configured to focus two or more beams of light incident along a direction parallel to its optical axis at the focal point F, thereby bombarding the target material. The electrically controlled displacement stage 132 can be configured to carry the second reflector 131, thereby controlling the position and / or orientation of the second reflector 131 in real time under the action of a corresponding electrical control signal, and thus changing the landing point of the beam on the first reflector 110. For example, the electrically controlled displacement stage 132 can be configured to adjust the distance of the second reflector 131 with respect to the optical axis of the first reflector 110, that is, the electrically controlled displacement stage 132 can drive the second reflector 131 to... Figure 4 and Figure 6 The vertical movement shown changes the angle between the beams. Additionally, in some embodiments, the electrically controlled displacement stage 132 can be configured to adjust the angle between the reflecting surface of the second reflector 131 and the optical axis of the first reflector 110, i.e., control the second reflector 131 in... Figure 4 and Figure 6Rotate in the plane shown, so that the light beam reflected by the second reflector 131 can be incident on the first reflector 110 in the desired direction.

[0056] exist Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 In the specific embodiment shown, the apparatus for laser-excited analysis includes two off-axis adjustment modules, each of which can be configured to adjust a beam. It is understood that in other embodiments, as the number of beams used to bombard the target increases, corresponding off-axis adjustment modules can be added to adjust the off-axis amount of a respective beam, thereby enabling the angle between the two beams to be changed according to the analytical needs; this is not limited to this embodiment.

[0057] To further increase the number of beams that can be used to bombard the target, in some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the first reflecting mirror 110 may also have a light-transmitting portion 111 disposed at the intersection of its reflecting surface and the optical axis. This light-transmitting portion 111 can be configured to allow the light beam to be incident on the focal point through the light-transmitting portion 111. Compared to a first reflecting mirror without a light-transmitting portion, such a first reflecting mirror with a light-transmitting portion may allow more light beams to be focused at the focal point F, thereby helping to more comprehensively study the influence of factors such as the number of light beams and the angle between light beams on the conversion efficiency in the LPP process. It is understood that in some embodiments, the light-transmitting portion 111 may be in the form of an open light-transmitting aperture, which is through and does not contain any material or substance. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the light-transmitting portion 111 may be formed of a material transparent to the light beam (e.g., glass, plastic, etc.), without limitation.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 9 As shown, the apparatus for laser-excited analysis may further include a laser source 140, which can be configured to generate a beam that can be used to bombard a target. For example, in Figure 4 and Figure 6 In the specific embodiment shown, the apparatus for laser-induced analysis may include two laser sources 140. The beams generated by these two laser sources 140 are both incident on the first reflecting mirror 110 and focused at the focal point F by the reflection of the first reflecting mirror 110, thereby bombarding the target material. Furthermore, in Figure 9In the specific embodiment shown, the apparatus for laser-induced analysis may include three laser sources 140. The beam generated by the leftmost laser source 140 in the figure can pass through the light-transmitting portion 111 in the first reflector 110 and be incident at the focal point F. The beams generated by the two laser sources 140 on the right side of the figure can be incident on the first reflector 110 and focused at the focal point F by reflection from the first reflector 110, so as to bombard the target material. It is understood that in some other embodiments, the laser sources may also be set independently of the apparatus for laser-induced analysis.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the apparatus for laser excitation analysis may further include a collimation module 150, which can be configured to collimate the beam. Figure 9 In the specific embodiment, only the collimation module in the output optical path of the leftmost laser source 140 is depicted. However, it is understood that, as needed, collimation modules can also be provided for other laser sources 140 or components so that the light beam incident on or passing through the first reflector 110 is collimated. The collimation module 150 can be formed by optical elements such as lenses (e.g., convex lenses, concave lenses, etc.), and is not limited thereto.

[0060] Normally, extreme ultraviolet light reacts with certain components in the air, such as causing the ionization of certain gases. To address this issue, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the apparatus for laser-excited analysis disclosed herein may further include a housing 160, the interior of which may form a vacuum cavity. At least the focal point F of the first reflecting mirror 110 may be located within the vacuum cavity to prevent the extreme ultraviolet light generated at focal point F from reacting with relevant components in the air. Furthermore, in some embodiments, components such as the off-axis adjustment module and the first reflecting mirror 110 may also be disposed inside the housing 160; this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the main body of the housing 160 may also be formed of a non-transparent material to prevent ambient light from interfering with the analysis.

[0061] Furthermore, in some embodiments, in order to achieve optical connection between the inside and outside of the housing, such as Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, a flange 161 may also be provided on the housing 160, which can be configured to guide a light beam from the outside of the housing 160 into the interior of the housing 160. For example, in Figure 3 In the specific embodiment shown, at least two flanges 161 can be provided on the housing 160 to introduce two beams of light into the housing 160, which are then reflected by the second reflector 131 and the first reflector 110 to bombard the target material. Figure 4In the specific embodiment shown, at least three flanges 161 can be provided on the housing 160 to introduce three beams of light into the interior of the housing 160 to bombard the target. In addition, if necessary, more flanges or light-transmitting parts can be provided on the housing 160 so that a monitoring module (e.g., camera 121) can monitor the LPP process occurring inside the housing 160.

[0062] In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the reflecting surface of the first reflecting mirror 110 in this disclosure can be in the range of 300~700mm, for example, 500mm. The reflecting surface of the first reflecting mirror 110 can have a certain preset reflecting area, so that the distance between the position of the light beam incident on the reflecting surface of the first reflecting mirror 110 and the optical axis of the first reflecting mirror 110 can vary within a certain range. For example, the distance between the position of the light beam incident on the reflecting surface of the first reflecting mirror 110 and the optical axis of the first reflecting mirror 110 can be in the range of 60~200mm, for example, 130mm. In addition, the preset reflecting area of ​​the first reflecting mirror 110 will also affect the preset angle range within which the included angle between the two beams focused at the focal point can continuously vary. The included angle between the two beams can be as small as approximately 0° and as large as approximately 180°. For example, the preset angle range can be 5°~175°, or 10°~90°, or 15°~45°, or 15°~30°, etc., which can be determined according to the expected LPP conversion efficiency with respect to the beam angle or specific analysis needs, and is not limited here. In a specific example, the radius of curvature of the reflecting surface of the first reflecting mirror 110 can be 500mm, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, by adjusting the off-axis adjustment module, the off-axis distance of the two beams incident on the first reflecting mirror 110 can be ±133.975mm, at which point the included angle α between the two beams is 30°. Further, as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, by changing the off-axis adjustment module, the off-axis amount of the two beams incident on the first reflecting mirror 110 can be varied by ±65.826 mm, at which point the included angle α between the two beams changes by 15°. Combined with... Figure 5 and Figure 7 The excitation parameters monitored by the monitoring module under two states or during the change between these two states can be used to compare and analyze the conversion efficiency of LPP.

[0063] In the laser excitation analysis apparatus disclosed herein, by setting a first reflecting mirror with an off-axis parabolic reflective surface and a certain preset reflective area, and in some cases combined with an off-axis adjustment module, a target-shooting device with adjustable bombardment angle, capable of simultaneous focusing of multiple beams, and continuously adjustable beam-to-beam angles can be realized. Furthermore, by combining the excitation parameters monitored by the monitoring module, the relationship between LPP conversion efficiency and parameters such as beam-to-beam angles and the number of beams can be reliably and cost-effectively measured and analyzed. This helps guide the arrangement of relevant components in the light source used to generate extreme ultraviolet light, and helps improve the performance of the light source used to generate extreme ultraviolet light.

[0064] The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “high,” “lower,” etc., used in the specification and claims, if present, are for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing unchanging relative positions. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate, enabling embodiments of this disclosure described herein to operate, for example, in orientations different from those shown or otherwise described herein. For example, when the device in the drawings is reversed, a feature previously described as “above” other features may now be described as “below” other features. The device may also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), in which case the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0065] In the specification and claims, when an element is described as being "on top of," "attached to," "connected to," "coupled to," or "in contact with" another element, the element may be directly located on top of, directly attached to, directly connected to, directly coupled to, or directly in contact with the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may be present. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly" located on top of, directly attached to, directly connected to, directly coupled to, or directly in contact with another element, no intermediate elements are present. In the specification and claims, when a feature is arranged "adjacent" to another feature, it may mean that a feature has a portion overlapping with the adjacent feature or a portion located above or below the adjacent feature.

[0066] As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration” and not as a “model” to be precisely copied. Any implementation described herein by example is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, this disclosure is not limited to any theory expressed or implied as given in the field of art, background art, summary of invention, or detailed description.

[0067] As used herein, the term "substantially" means any minor variation resulting from design or manufacturing defects, device or component tolerances, environmental influences, and / or other factors. The term "substantially" also allows for differences from the perfect or ideal situation due to parasitic effects, noise, and other practical considerations that may exist in the actual implementation.

[0068] Furthermore, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., may be used in this document for reference purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words “first,” “second,” and other such numerical terms relating to structures or elements do not imply order or sequence.

[0069] It should also be understood that when the term “including / contains” is used herein, it indicates the presence of the indicated feature, whole, step, operation, unit and / or component, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, units and / or components and / or combinations thereof.

[0070] In this disclosure, the term “provide” is used broadly to cover all ways of obtaining an object, and therefore “provide an object” includes, but is not limited to, “purchasing,” “preparing / manufacturing,” “arranging / setting up,” “installing / assembling,” and / or “ordering” an object.

[0071] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items in association. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the boundaries between the above operations are merely illustrative. Multiple operations may be combined into a single operation, a single operation may be distributed among additional operations, and operations may be performed with at least partial overlap in time. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include multiple instances of a particular operation, and the order of operations may be changed in various other embodiments. However, other modifications, variations, and substitutions are equally possible. Aspects and elements of all the embodiments disclosed above may be combined in any way and / or in combination with aspects or elements of other embodiments to provide multiple additional embodiments. Therefore, this specification and the accompanying drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0073] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The various embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any way without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should also understand that various modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for laser-excited analysis, characterized in that, The device includes: A first reflecting mirror, which is an off-axis parabolic mirror, is configured to focus at least two beams of light incident on its reflecting surface at a focal point. The first reflecting mirror has at least a predetermined reflective area such that the included angle between the two beams focused at the focal point can continuously vary within a predetermined angle range. A monitoring module configured to monitor excitation parameters associated with laser excitation occurring at the focal point.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first reflector also has a light-transmitting portion disposed at the intersection of its reflecting surface and optical axis, the light-transmitting portion being configured to allow a light beam to be incident on the focal point via the light-transmitting portion.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring module includes at least one of the following: A camera configured to capture an optical image of a laser excitation occurring at a focal point, which is the excitation parameter; A particle distribution monitoring ring, configured to monitor the spatial distribution of plasma generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, which is the excitation parameter, wherein the particle distribution monitoring ring is arranged around the focal point of the first reflector, and the ring surface of the particle distribution monitoring ring is substantially located on the plane containing the optical axis of the first reflector; and An energy distribution monitoring ring is configured to monitor the energy distribution of plasma and / or extreme ultraviolet light generated by laser excitation occurring at the focal point, which is the excitation parameter. The energy distribution monitoring ring is arranged around the focal point of the first reflector, and the ring surface of the energy distribution monitoring ring is substantially located on the plane containing the optical axis of the first reflector.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The monitoring module includes two cameras symmetrically arranged about the optical axis of the first reflector.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device further includes: Off-axis adjustment module, the off-axis adjustment module being configured to adjust the distance of the position of the incident light beam on the reflecting surface of the first reflector with respect to the optical axis of the first reflector.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The device includes at least two off-axis adjustment modules, wherein each off-axis adjustment module is configured to adjust a beam of light.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The off-axis adjustment module includes: A second reflecting mirror, which is a plane mirror, is configured to reflect a light beam incident along a first direction and exiting along a second direction, wherein the first and second directions intersect each other, and the second direction is parallel to the optical axis of the first reflecting mirror; and An electrically controlled displacement stage is configured to carry the second reflector and is configured to adjust at least one of the following: the distance of the second reflector about the optical axis of the first reflector, and the angle between the reflecting surface of the second reflector and the optical axis of the first reflector.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device further includes at least one of the following: A laser source, the laser source being configured to generate a light beam; Collimation module, the collimation module being configured to collimate the beam; and The housing has a vacuum cavity formed inside it, wherein at least the focal point of the first reflector is located in the vacuum cavity.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The housing is also provided with a flange, which is configured to guide a light beam from the outside of the housing into the inside of the housing.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The preset angle range is 5°~175°, or 10°~90°, or 15°~45°, or 15°~30°; and / or The radius of curvature of the reflecting surface of the first reflector is 300~500mm or 500~700mm; and / or The distance between the position of the incident light beam on the reflecting surface of the first reflector and the optical axis of the first reflector is 60~130mm or 130~200mm.

Images