EUV Target Material Purifier for Droplet Generator Nozzle Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Impurities in the target material, such as tin oxide, can damage the nozzle of the droplet generator and cause issues with droplet formation and emission in EUV lithography systems, leading to reduced efficiency and accuracy in producing extreme ultraviolet light for photolithography processes.
Innovation Solution
A target material supply system that includes a purifier to separate impurities from the fluid target material, using a centrifuge to isolate pure tin droplets, which are then used in a vacuum environment to prevent oxidation and ensure accurate droplet generation and emission for EUV light production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If target material is supplied without purification, then the system complexity is reduced, but impurities damage the nozzle and reduce droplet generation reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The purifier is integrated into the target material supply system to perform purification in advance before the material reaches the droplet generator. This preliminary action removes impurities such as tin oxide from the molten target material, preventing nozzle damage and ensuring reliable droplet generation without requiring complex post-processing or replacement systems
Solution Approach 2:
The purifier acts as an intermediary component between the target material source and the droplet generator. It mediates the material flow by filtering out impurities while allowing the purified molten material to pass through to the droplet generator, thus protecting the sensitive nozzle without adding significant complexity to the overall system
2Manufacturing precision
If target material is not purified, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but droplet formation accuracy deteriorates due to impurity interference
Solution Approach 1:
The purifier removes impurities from the target material before droplet formation occurs. This preliminary purification ensures that only clean molten material reaches the droplet generator, enabling accurate droplet formation with consistent size and shape without requiring complex post-formation correction mechanisms
3Reliability
If target material is not purified, then processing time is reduced, but nozzle damage occurs leading to system downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The purifier performs impurity removal in advance, preventing tin oxide and other contaminants from reaching the nozzle. This preliminary protection action eliminates the need for frequent nozzle cleaning or replacement, ensuring continuous operation without unplanned downtime while adding minimal processing time
4Measurement precision
If purification is added to the system, then droplet emission accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The purifier serves as an intermediary device that enhances droplet emission accuracy by ensuring only purified material reaches the droplet generator. It achieves this precision improvement without significantly increasing overall system complexity through its integrated design and straightforward purification mechanism
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 system ensures continuous and accurate emission of target droplets into the excitation zone, maintaining the integrity of the droplet generator and enhancing the intensity and clarity of EUV radiation for precise lithography processes.
Implementation Method 1
refill assembly includes a purifier configured to purify the target material in the liquid state
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for supplying target material in an EUV light source are provided. The system for supplying a target material comprises a priming assembly, a refill assembly and a droplet generator assembly. The priming is configured to transform the target material from a solid state to a liquid state. The refill assembly is in fluid communication with the priming assembly and configured to receive the target material in the liquid state from the priming assembly. Further, the refill assembly includes a purifier configured to purify the target material in the liquid state. The droplet generator assembly is configured to supply the target material in the liquid state from the refill assembly.