Ionization table

Abstract

A contact layer with the material strength higher than that of the ionization platform body is arranged on the side face of the ionization platform body, the contact layer makes contact with balls and is used for bearing pressure applied by the balls, kidney-shaped holes are formed in the ionization platform body, the contact layer is of a block-shaped structure and embedded into the kidney-shaped holes, and the contact layer is bonded with the kidney-shaped holes. The contact layer is provided with a groove, and the groove is in an external expansion shape. According to the utility model, when the ionization platform body is adjusted, the handle of the screw rod is rotated, the ball at the end part of the screw rod pushes the contact layer, the contact layer and the ionization platform body move to a preset position together, and at the moment, the contact layer isolates the ionization platform body from the ball, so that the ball cannot be in direct contact with the ionization platform body; the high-strength contact layer can still drive the ionization table body to move, so that the deformation degree of the ionization table body is effectively reduced, the high-strength contact layer is not prone to deformation, adjustment of the screw rod is not prone to failure, and then high adjustment precision is kept.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of extreme ultraviolet light generator technology, specifically to an ionization stage. Background Technology

[0002] Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, also known as extreme ultraviolet radiation, refers to electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 121 nanometers to 10 nanometers in the electromagnetic spectrum. An EUV generator is a device used to produce EUV light. In an EUV generator, EUV light is generated within a vacuum chamber by ionizing an inert gas using a red laser beam. In the EUV generator, the red laser beam ionizes the inert gas (such as xenon) through laser ionization, producing high-energy electrons. Under the influence of the laser, the inert gas (such as xenon) is first ionized by the laser beam, forming free electrons and ions. During this process, the high-intensity electric field of the laser ionizes atoms or molecules in the gas into electrons and positive ions. The free electrons are accelerated, colliding and exciting the inert gas atoms, thus producing EUV light. This process depends on the energy and frequency of the laser pulse, the choice of gas, and the optimization of the plasma.

[0003] The ionization process occurs on an ionization stage within a vacuum chamber. To ensure the red laser beam accurately enters the optical fiber on the ionization stage, its position needs to be adjusted. This adjustment typically involves rotating a screw, causing a ball bearing at the screw's tip to push the ionization stage, thus displacing it. However, ionization stages are generally made of aluminum or aluminum alloys to reduce weight, while the ball bearings are usually made of high-hardness stainless steel. Because aluminum or aluminum alloys have low yield strength, the ionization stage is prone to plastic deformation under external forces. Furthermore, aluminum's good ductility allows it to be stretched within a certain range without breaking, making it easily deformable under stress. During repeated position adjustments, the contact points between the ionization stage and the ball bearings are prone to deformation and wear, limiting adjustment accuracy and potentially causing the ball bearings to become embedded in deformed depressions, rendering the ionization stage impossible to adjust. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems mentioned above in the background technology and to propose an ionization stage.

[0005] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] An ionization stage is provided for use in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generator. The EUV light generator is provided with a screw, and a ball bearing is provided at the end of the screw. The stage includes an ionization stage body, and a contact layer with a material strength higher than that of the ionization stage body is provided on the side of the ionization stage body. The contact layer contacts the ball bearing and is used to bear the pressure applied by the ball bearing.

[0007] As a further embodiment of this invention, the ionization stage body has a waist hole.

[0008] As a further embodiment of this utility model: the contact layer is a block structure and is embedded in the waist hole.

[0009] As a further embodiment of this invention: the contact layer is bonded to the waist hole.

[0010] As a further embodiment of this utility model, the contact layer is provided with a groove.

[0011] As a further embodiment of this utility model, the groove is outwardly flared.

[0012] As a further embodiment of this utility model, a first contact portion is provided on the inner wall of the groove.

[0013] As a further embodiment of this utility model, a second contact portion is provided on the inner wall of the groove.

[0014] As a further embodiment of this utility model: both the first contact portion and the second contact portion are inclined.

[0015] As a further embodiment of this invention, the contact layer is made of stainless steel.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] In this invention, when adjusting the ionization stage body, the handle of the screw is rotated, and the ball at the end of the screw pushes the contact layer. The contact layer and the ionization stage body move together to the preset position. At this time, the contact layer isolates the ionization stage body from the ball, so that the ball cannot directly contact the ionization stage body, but can still drive the ionization stage body to move, thereby effectively reducing the degree of deformation of the ionization stage body. The contact layer with higher strength is also not easy to deform, so that the adjustment of the screw is not easy to fail, thus maintaining a high adjustment accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generation chamber inside the EUV generator of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generation chamber inside the EUV generator of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ionization stage;

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 4Schematic diagram of the middle contact layer;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the mating structure between the contact layer and the screw.

[0024] In the picture:

[0025] 1. Ionization stage body; 2. Waist hole; 3. Contact layer; 31. First contact part; 32. Second contact part; 4. Screw. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-2 As shown, this utility model is an ionization stage suitable for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generators. The EUV light generator includes an EUV light generating chamber, and a screw 4 is mounted on the outer shell of the chamber. A ball bearing is mounted at the end of the screw 4. By rotating the handle of the screw 4, the ball bearing at the end of the screw 4 can be driven to push the ionization stage in the vacuum chamber.

[0028] Please see Figure 3 As shown, the ionization stage includes: an ionization stage body 1, with at least two waist holes 2 formed in the ionization stage body 1. A contact layer 3, made of a material with higher strength than the ionization stage body 1, is provided on the side of the ionization stage body 1. The contact layer 3 contacts the ball bearings and is used to bear the pressure applied by the ball bearings. The material of the contact layer 3 includes, but is not limited to, stainless steel, copper, copper alloy, and titanium alloy. Preferably, the contact layer 3 is made of stainless steel. Since the ball bearings at the end of the screw 4 are generally also made of stainless steel, using the same material as the contact layer 3 can reduce wear on both the contact layer 3 and the ball bearings.

[0029] Stainless steel is a steel alloy with good corrosion resistance, typically composed of iron, chromium, nickel, and other elements (such as carbon, molybdenum, and manganese). It is not only inexpensive to manufacture but also possesses high hardness and strength. Stainless steel contains at least 10.5% chromium, which forms a thin passivation film on the steel surface, thereby improving its corrosion resistance. This contributes to its excellent corrosion resistance. Stainless steel can be used in high-temperature environments. Since the ionization stage body 1 of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generator experiences temperature increases during operation, the stainless steel contact layer 3 helps mitigate the effects of temperature. The smooth surface of stainless steel prevents the balls from easily jamming when in contact with the contact layer 3, reducing wear and improving the adjustment accuracy of the screw 4.

[0030] Specifically, the contact layer 3 is a block structure and is embedded in the waist hole 2. The connection methods include, but are not limited to, bonding and riveting.

[0031] For further details, please refer to Figure 4 As shown, the contact layer 3 has a groove, which is an outwardly expanding groove. The inner wall of the groove is provided with a first contact portion 31 and a second contact portion 32, both of which are inclined.

[0032] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, when adjusting the ionization stage body 1, rotating the handle of the screw 4 causes the ball bearing at the end of the screw 4 to push the contact layer 3, and the contact layer 3 and the ionization stage body 1 move together to the preset position. At this time, the contact layer 3 isolates the ionization stage body 1 from the ball bearing, preventing the ball bearing from directly contacting the ionization stage body 1, but it can still drive the ionization stage body 1 to move. Since the ball bearing at the end of the screw 4 directly contacts the ionization stage body 1 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, it is easy to cause significant wear to the ionization stage body 1. The contact layer 3 can provide a transition, thereby effectively reducing the degree of deformation of the ionization stage body 1 and improving its service life. The stronger contact layer 3 is also less prone to deformation, making the adjustment of the screw 4 less likely to fail, thus maintaining high adjustment accuracy.

[0033] Please see Figure 5 As shown, when the ball pushes the ionization stage body 1 to move, it comes into contact with both the first contact portion 31 and the second contact portion 32 of the contact layer 3. Inevitably, the ionization stage body 1 will twist during movement rather than moving in a straight line. The inclined first contact portion 31 and the second contact portion 32 provide a larger contact area for the ball, allowing the ball to slide within the groove, so that the twisting of the ionization stage body 1 will not affect the contact of the ball.

[0034] It should be noted that a tension spring (not shown in the figure) is provided below the contact layer 3 to connect to the ionization stage body 1. When resetting or retracting the ionization stage body 1, it can be achieved by the screw 4 cooperating with the tension spring.

[0035] Furthermore, when the contact layer 3 wears out, it can be removed from the waist hole 2 and a new contact layer 3 can be installed to continue use, which further improves the service life of the ionization stage body 1.

[0036] Understandably, in some embodiments, the ionization stage body 1 is made entirely of high-strength materials, eliminating the need for the contact layer 3. However, this significantly increases manufacturing costs and the overall weight of the ionization stage body 1. While this approach solves the adjustment problem of the ionization stage body 1, it fails to address the overall weight of the extreme ultraviolet light generator. The contact layer 3 used in this embodiment achieves a lighter weight at a lower cost, while effectively improving the hardness and strength of the entire ionization stage.

[0037] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: When adjusting the ionization stage body 1, the handle of the screw 4 is rotated, and the ball at the end of the screw 4 pushes the contact layer 3. The contact layer 3 and the ionization stage body 1 move together to the preset position. At this time, the contact layer 3 isolates the ionization stage body 1 from the ball, so that the ball cannot directly contact the ionization stage body 1, but it can still drive the ionization stage body 1 to move. Since the ball at the end of the screw 4 directly contacts the ionization stage body 1 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, it is easy to cause large wear on the ionization stage body 1. The contact layer 3 can be used to make the transition, thereby effectively reducing the degree of deformation of the ionization stage body 1.

[0038] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of one embodiment of the present invention, but the description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. All equivalent variations and improvements made within the scope of the claims of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ionization stage suitable for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generator, wherein the EUV light generator is provided with a screw (4), and the end of the screw (4) is provided with a ball bearing, characterized in that, include: An ionization stage body (1) is provided on the side of which a contact layer (3) with a material strength higher than that of the ionization stage body (1) is provided. The contact layer (3) contacts the ball and is used to bear the pressure applied by the ball.

2. An ionization stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ionization stage body (1) has a waist hole (2).

3. An ionization stage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The contact layer (3) is a block structure and is embedded in the waist hole (2).

4. An ionization stage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The contact layer (3) is bonded to the waist hole (2).

5. An ionization stage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The contact layer (3) has a groove.

6. An ionization stage according to claim 5, characterized in that, The groove is an outwardly expanding groove.

7. An ionization stage according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner wall of the groove is provided with a first contact portion (31).

8. An ionization stage according to claim 7, characterized in that, The inner wall of the groove is provided with a second contact portion (32).

9. An ionization stage according to claim 8, characterized in that, Both the first contact portion (31) and the second contact portion (32) are inclined.

10. An ionization stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact layer (3) is made of stainless steel.

Images