Carbon Wire Rod Buffer for EUV Droplet Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing droplet collection devices in extreme ultraviolet light generation systems face challenges in effectively mitigating the impact of droplets colliding with collision plates, leading to increased motion energy of small droplets and potential dispersal into the chamber, which can reduce EUV light output.
Innovation Solution
A droplet collection device featuring a buffer member with a wire rod bundle made of carbon wire rods fixed to a graphite plate using a graphitized adhesive, arranged to mitigate the impact of droplets and prevent dispersion, ensuring stable fixation and reduced droplet diffusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a collision plate is used to collect droplets, then droplet collection is achieved, but the impact of droplets causes increased motion energy and potential dispersal into the chamber
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer member made of porous material is positioned between the droplet source and the collision plate to absorb and mitigate the impact of incoming droplets before they reach the plate, reducing their motion energy and preventing dispersal into the chamber
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a buffer member is added to mitigate droplet impact, then droplet dispersal is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer member is constructed from porous material that naturally absorbs droplet impact through its porous structure, providing effective cushioning without requiring complex mechanical components or additional systems
3Reliability
If wire rods are bundled to form the buffer member, then droplet impact mitigation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire rods are bundled to form a porous three-dimensional network structure that maintains high stability for droplet impact mitigation while the porous nature allows for relatively simple manufacturing processes compared to solid structures
Data Source
AI summary
A droplet collection device may include a collecting container, a collision plate arranged in the collecting container and configured such that a droplet supplied from the opening to the collecting container is to collide with the collision plate, and a buffer member arranged on an opening side with respect to the collision plate and configured to mitigate impact of the droplet colliding with the collision plate. The buffer member may have a wire rod bundle configured such that multiple wire rods are bundled and fixed to a plate member. The wire rods may be made of carbon, and the plate member may be made of graphite. The wire rods may be fixed to the plate member with a graphitized adhesive with the wire rods being arranged in one direction.