Capillary Tube Filter for EUV Material Purity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the production of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light for photolithography, existing methods face challenges in effectively removing non-target particles from the target material mixture, which can lead to impurities in the plasma and debris, affecting the quality and characteristics of the EUV light produced.
Innovation Solution
A target material supply apparatus with a filter system that includes a sintered or porous filter integrated within a capillary tube, where the target mixture passes through pores to remove non-target particles, with the filter's pore size determined by the nozzle and orifice size, and potentially another filter upstream to further purify the mixture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a filter is added to remove non-target particles from the target mixture, then the purity of the target material is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is integrated within the capillary tube structure, with the filter element nested inside the tube. This allows the filter to be housed within the existing supply system geometry, removing non-target particles while avoiding the need for separate external filter housings or complex additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
A porous filter element is used to physically separate and remove non-target particles from the target mixture. The porous structure allows the target material to pass through while blocking larger non-target particles, achieving purification through the inherent filtering properties of porous materials.
2Manufacturing precision
If the pore size of the filter is reduced to remove smaller non-target particles, then the purity of the target material is improved, but the fluid flow through the filter is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The filter structure is designed with varying pore sizes at different locations or regions to optimize both filtration and flow. The local pore structure can be tailored to provide finer filtration where needed while maintaining larger pores in other regions to preserve overall fluid flow rate through the filter element.
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
The filter system effectively reduces non-target particles, improving the purity of the target material and reducing debris, thereby enhancing the quality and consistency of the EUV light produced by ensuring that only the target material is converted into plasma, leading to more stable and efficient EUV light production.
Implementation Method 1
a filter inside the tube through which the target mixture is passed
Implementation Method 2
The filter can include pores through which the target material passes. The size of the pores within the filter can be determined by the size of the nozzle and orifice.
Implementation Method 3
The tube can be a capillary tube.
Implementation Method 4
a nozzle that defines an orifice through which the target mixture is passed
Implementation Method 5
converting a material into a plasma state that has an element, for example, xenon, lithium, or tin, with an emission line in the EUV range. In one such method, often termed laser produced plasma (LPP), the required plasma can be produced by irradiating a target material
Implementation Method 6
the required plasma can be produced by irradiating a target material, for example, in the form of a droplet, stream, or cluster of material, with an amplified light beam that can be referred to as a drive laser
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus supplies a target material to a target location. The apparatus includes a reservoir that holds a target mixture that includes the target material and non-target particles; a supply system that receives the target mixture from the reservoir and that supplies the target mixture to the target location, the supply system including a tube and a nozzle that defines an orifice through which the target mixture is passed; and a filter inside the tube through which the target mixture is passed.