EUV Light Source Target Material Reservoir Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current EUV light source technologies face challenges in maintaining a continuous and efficient supply of target material, leading to interruptions and performance issues during the production of extreme ultraviolet light for photolithography processes.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a first and second reservoir system, a priming system, and a fluid control system that maintains fluid communication and pressure control between the reservoirs and the nozzle supply system, allowing for continuous operation by isolating and refilling the priming system while maintaining high pressures and temperatures to prevent overfilling and ensure uninterrupted fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single reservoir system is used to supply target material, then the device complexity is reduced, but interruptions occur during refilling causing downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir system is divided into multiple independent reservoirs (first reservoir, second reservoir, third reservoir) that can operate independently. This segmentation allows one reservoir to be refilled while others continue supplying target material, eliminating downtime without requiring a completely complex integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
Reservoirs are pre-filled with target material before operation begins. The priming system prepares reservoirs in advance by filling them with molten target material and sealing them, so that during operation, reservoirs are already ready to supply material without interruption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the priming system operates at high pressure to maintain fluid flow, then fluid flow stability is improved, but the risk of overfilling and material loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates level sensors that detect the amount of target material in each reservoir and provide feedback to the control system. When a reservoir reaches a predetermined level, the system automatically stops filling or isolates the reservoir, preventing overfilling and material loss while maintaining stable fluid flow pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
Isolation valves act as intermediaries between the priming system and the reservoirs. These valves control the transfer of target material and can be closed to isolate reservoirs when full, preventing overfilling while allowing the priming system to maintain high pressure for stable fluid flow to other reservoirs.
3Reliability
If multiple reservoirs are used with independent pressure control, then continuous supply reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple reservoirs are combined into a single integrated system where they can operate independently but are managed through a unified control architecture. The control system coordinates pressure control, isolation valve operation, and level monitoring across all reservoirs, achieving reliable continuous supply without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The priming system and control system are designed to work with multiple reservoirs simultaneously through universal interfaces and control logic. The same pressure control mechanisms, isolation valves, and level sensors are applied to each reservoir, allowing the system to maintain reliability across multiple units without requiring separate complex control systems for each.
4Speed
If the target material is kept in molten state at high temperature, then fluidity and flow rate are improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the molten target material storage into multiple separate reservoirs, each maintained at the required temperature only when containing material. This segmentation allows the system to reduce overall thermal energy consumption by heating smaller volumes individually rather than maintaining a large continuous molten reservoir, while still achieving high flow rates when needed.
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 solution enables continuous and efficient supply of target material to the EUV light source, reducing downtime and maintaining performance by independently controlling pressures and temperatures, thus ensuring a stable and uninterrupted stream of targets for EUV light production.
Implementation Method 1
the priming system (104) is configured to receive a solid matter (122) that includes a target material and to melt the solid matter into a fluid target material
Implementation Method 2
The first fluid reservoir (112) is maintained at a first pressure that is greater than the priming pressure
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an apparatus that includes a first reservoir system including a first fluid reservoir configured to be in fluid communication with a nozzle supply system during operation of the nozzle supply system, a second reservoir system including a second fluid reservoir configured to be, at least part of the time during operation of the nozzle supply system, in fluid communication with the first reservoir system, a priming system configured to produce a fluid target material from a solid matter, and a fluid control system fluidly connected to the priming system, the first reservoir system, the second reservoir system, and the nozzle supply system. The fluid control system is configured to, during operation of the nozzle supply system: isolate at least one fluid reservoir and the nozzle supply system from the priming system, and maintain a fluid flow path between at least one fluid reservoir and the nozzle supply system.