Excimer Laser Gas Recycle Control for Purity and Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas management systems in photolithography processes face inefficiencies in recycling and purifying gas mixtures used in excimer lasers, leading to suboptimal performance due to impurities and variable gas composition, which can degrade the quality of deep ultraviolet light production.
Innovation Solution
A gas recycle system that includes a gas purifier, analysis system, and blending system to purify and adjust the gas mixture by removing impurities and adding necessary components, ensuring the gas composition meets specific ranges for optimal performance, using tools like mass spectrometers and FTIR spectrometers for precise measurement and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas mixture is recycled without purification, then productivity is improved through continuous operation, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to impurity accumulation affecting gas composition quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts impurity gas components from the recycled gas mixture through a purification system that selectively removes contaminants while retaining the useful gas components, thereby maintaining gas composition quality during continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system that monitors gas composition in real-time and adjusts purification and blending operations to maintain optimal gas composition ranges, ensuring manufacturing precision while enabling continuous productivity
2Manufacturing precision
If gas mixture is purified to remove impurities, then manufacturing precision is improved through better gas composition control, but device complexity increases due to additional purification and analysis systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-functional gas management system where a single integrated platform performs purification, analysis, blending, and control functions, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precise gas composition control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control system as an intermediary that coordinates between purification and analysis subsystems, optimizing their interaction and reducing complexity through centralized management rather than separate independent systems
3Manufacturing precision
If gas composition is adjusted by adding components, then manufacturing precision is improved through optimal gas ratios, but loss of substance increases due to additional gas consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers and reuses gas components from the exhaust stream through purification, reducing the need to add fresh gas components and thereby minimizing gas consumption while maintaining optimal gas ratios
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts gas composition by controlling the parameters of gas blending rather than simply adding more gas, optimizing the ratios of existing components through precise flow control and mixing parameters to achieve desired composition with minimal additional substance
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 effectively recycles and purifies gas mixtures, reducing impurities and maintaining optimal gas composition, thereby enhancing the performance and longevity of excimer lasers by ensuring consistent and high-quality deep ultraviolet light production.
Implementation Method 1
The measurement system may be a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatograph, or a Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer
Implementation Method 2
The measurement system may be a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatograph, or a Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer
Implementation Method 3
the gas purifier system being configured to reduce an amount of at least one of the impurity gas components to form a purified gas mixture based on the exhausted gas mixture
Implementation Method 4
under the appropriate condition of electrical stimulation (energy supplied) and high pressure (of the gas mixture), a pseudo-molecule called an excimer is created, which only exists in an energized state and gives rise to amplified light in the ultraviolet range
Implementation Method 5
gives rise to amplified light in the ultraviolet range
Data Source
AI summary
A gas recycle system includes a gas purifier system; a gas analysis system; a gas blending system that prepares a recycled gas mixture; and a control system configured to: determine whether a measured amount of at least one intended gas component is within a first range of acceptable values; and determine whether a measured amount of the at least one impurity gas component is within a second range of acceptable values. If the measured amount of the at least one intended gas component is not within the first range of acceptable values, the control system causes the gas blending system to add an additional gas component to the purified gas mixture to prepare the recycled gas mixture; and if the measured amount of the at least one impurity gas is not within the second range of acceptable values, the control system generates an error signal.