Inductively Coupled Plasma Chamber for Electrode-Free EUV Brightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Z-pinch plasma chambers face challenges in generating high power and high brightness EUV light while maintaining high stability and reliability, and they often require electrodes that can melt and produce debris, limiting their useful lifetime.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a plasma chamber with a high voltage region, a grounded region, and an insulating region, which allows for inductive coupling of current into the plasma without electrodes. This configuration includes a mirror to reflect EUV light back into the plasma generation region, enhancing brightness, and an insulating break to reduce ion attraction and facilitate safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrodes are used to generate plasma in Z-pinch chambers, then plasma generation is achieved, but electrode melting and debris production occur, limiting useful lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes electrodes entirely from the plasma generation process by using inductive coupling through a magnetic core to generate plasma. This extraction of the harmful electrode component eliminates melting and debris production while maintaining plasma generation capability through electromagnetic induction alone
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based electrode system with a non-contact inductive coupling system using a magnetic core. This substitution eliminates physical wear and material degradation by using electromagnetic fields to generate plasma without physical electrodes contacting the plasma directly
2Illumination intensity
If high voltage is applied to generate high power EUV light, then brightness increases, but ion attraction to grounded region increases, causing operational instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chamber into distinct high voltage and grounded regions separated by an insulating barrier. This segmentation allows high voltage to be applied for high power EUV generation while the insulating barrier prevents ion attraction to the grounded region, maintaining operational stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an insulating barrier as an intermediary between the high voltage and grounded regions. This intermediary prevents direct electrical connection and ion attraction while allowing the system to maintain both high voltage operation for brightness and stable plasma confinement
3Volume of moving object
If plasma confinement region is made compact, then device size is reduced, but optical access for diagnostics and applications is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the insulating barrier with multiple functions: it provides electrical insulation, creates optical access windows for diagnostics and applications, and maintains plasma confinement. This multi-functionality allows compact device size while providing versatile optical access through strategically positioned windows in the insulating barrier
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 achieves high brightness and reliability of EUV light sources by eliminating electrode-related issues, providing two-sided optical access, and optimizing for peak power or peak brightness based on user requirements, while maintaining a compact and stable plasma confinement.
Implementation Method 1
An inner inductive core can be positioned around the plasma generation region to couple current into a plasma loop
Implementation Method 2
A mirror can be positioned adjacent to the grounded region that is oriented to reflect at least some light generated in the plasma generation region back to the plasma generation region
Implementation Method 3
A plasma generation region that defines a plasma confinement region... allows generated ultraviolet radiation to pass out of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma chamber for a UV light source includes a plasma generation region that defines a plasma confinement region. A port is positioned adjacent to a side of the plasma generation region that allows generated light to pass out of the chamber. A high voltage region is coupled to the plasma generation region. A grounded region is coupled to the high voltage region that defines an outer surface configured to be coupled to the ground and is dimensioned for receiving a surrounding inductive core. A width of the high voltage region is greater than the width of the grounded region.