EUV Light Source Beam Combining With Lateral Offset Optics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing EUV light sources require significant installation space and complex adjustments for laser beams due to the need for precise alignment and separate optical units, leading to thermally induced deformations and imaging quality deterioration.
Innovation Solution
The EUV light source employs a combination device that guides laser beams with a lateral offset through common optical units, allowing spatially separated beam guidance and simplified adjustments, using a prism to orient beams parallel while maintaining a lateral offset, and employing adjustable deflection and expansion devices to set focus positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate optical units are used to guide laser beams into the target region, then the laser beams can be focused with precise alignment, but the installation space required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple optical units into a single integrated optical unit that guides both the first and second laser beams through common optical components. This merging approach reduces the installation space while maintaining the ability to focus both beams with precise alignment through the shared optical path.
Solution Approach 2:
The common optical units are designed to serve multiple functions by guiding both laser beams simultaneously. The optical unit acts as a universal component that handles alignment and focusing for multiple beams, eliminating the need for separate dedicated optical paths for each beam.
2Ease of operation
If separate optical units are used for each laser beam, then beam alignment can be independently adjusted, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the optical guidance functions into common optical units, the patent reduces device complexity while maintaining adjustment capabilities. The shared optical path requires fewer independent components, simplifying the overall system configuration.
3Reliability
If laser beams are guided through separate optical units, then each beam can be optimized independently, but thermally induced deformations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the optical guidance for multiple laser beams into common optical units, reducing the total number of optical components. This reduction in component count minimizes the cumulative thermal effects that cause deformations, thereby improving beam focus quality while reducing thermally induced harmful factors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the required installation space, minimizes thermally induced deformations, and maintains high imaging quality by allowing aberration-free focusing and efficient EUV radiation generation.
Implementation Method 1
The combination device can, for example, be designed in the form of a prism which serves to orient the first laser beam and the second laser beam parallel to one another
Implementation Method 2
The combiner can be designed to be wavelength-selective and, for example, reflect the prepulse laser beam and transmit the main pulse laser beam
Data Source
AI summary
An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, including a first laser source for emitting a first laser beam, a second laser source for emitting a second laser beam, a combiner configured to combine the first laser beam and the second laser beam, and a beam-guide configured to jointly guide the first laser beam and the second laser beam into a target region for generating EUV radiation. The combiner is configured to supply the first laser beam and the second laser beam to the beam-guide for joint beam guidance via common optical units in a spatially separated manner and with a lateral offset.