Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for operating plasma-based short-wavelength radiation sources, particularly EUV radiation sources, having a long lifetime and to an arrangement for generating plasma-based short-wavelength radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for operating plasma-based short-wavelength radiation sources with a long lifetime which permits extensive debris mitigation without the main process of radiation generation being severely impaired through the use of buffer gas and without the need for substantial additional expenditure for generating partial pressure in a spatially narrowly limited manner.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation based on a plasma that is generated by electric discharge. It is the object of the invention to provide a novel possibility for radiation sources based on an electric discharge by which a long lifetime of the electrodes that are employed and the largest possible solid angle for bundling the radiation emitted from the plasma are achieved. According to the invention, this object is met by providing coated electrodes in the form of two endless strip electrodes which circulate over guide rollers and which have at a short distance between them an area in which the electric discharge takes place.

Abstract: A device for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or soft X-ray radiation comprising: a laser source for producing a laser radiation which is focused to intensities beyond 106 W/cm2 onto a target to produce a plasma; and said electrodes located around the path of the plasma produced by the laser source; and said electrodes being combined with components for producing a rapid electric discharge in the plasma with a characteristic time constant which is less than the time constant of the laser produced plasma expansion time.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating extreme ultraviolet radiation from a plasma generated by an energy beam with high conversion efficiency, particularly for application in radiation sources for EUV lithography. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating EUV radiation by means of a plasma induced by an energy beam that permits a more efficient conversion of the energy radiation into EUV radiation in the wavelength region of 13.5 nm and ensures a long lifetime of the optical components and the injection device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an arrangement for switching high electric currents by way of a gas discharge at high voltages or for generating gas discharge plasma emitting EUV radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating a hollow cathode plasma that permits a longer life of the cathodes of short wavelength-emitting gas discharge radiation sources and pseudospark switches, also in high-power operation. This object is met in that the metal wall between the hollow cathode space and the discharge space has a thickness on the order of the centimeter range so that the openings of the metal wall change into relatively long channels and in that substantially radially extending cooling channels are introduced in the metal wall to reduce the ion erosion of the metal wall of the hollow cathode through efficient cooling.

Abstract: The object of an arrangement and a method for the generation of extreme ultraviolet radiation is to construct the radiation source with an increased lifetime of the electrodes for using various emitters, wherein deposits inside the discharge chamber are reduced considerably when using metal emitters. The starting material is supplied as a continuous series of individual volumes which are introduced successively by directed injection and are pre-ionized by a pulsed energy beam. At least the electrode that is thermally loaded to a comparatively greater degree is constructed as a rotating electrode.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating EUV radiation particularly for source modules in exposure installations for EUV lithography for semiconductor chip fabrication. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for realizing an EUV source module which appreciably improves the ratio of resources to results in the transfer of radiation from the primary source location (plasma 3) to the secondary source location (output opening (6) of the source module (1)/intermediate focus plane (62)), is met according to the invention in that the plasma (3) is formed as a volume emitter for direct illumination of the output opening (6) without collector optics (5), and the transverse dimension (d) of the plasma (3) is greater than the diameter (D) of the output opening (6), wherein the extent to which the diameter is exceeded depends on the distance (L) between the plasma (3) and the output opening (6) and on the numerical aperture (NA) of the illumination system downstream.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for the generation of intensive short-wavelength radiation based on a gas discharge plasma. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for generating intensive short-wavelength radiation, particularly EUV radiation, based on a gas discharge plasma which achieves a long life of the electrode system along with a high total efficiency of the radiation source without substantially increasing the dimensions of the discharge unit. This object is met, according to the invention, in that exclusively suitably shaped vacuum insulation areas which have the shape of an annular gap and which are formed depending on the product of gas pressure (p) and interelectrode distance (d) between the cathode and anode are provided for insulating the cathode and anode from one another in a cylindrically symmetric electrode arrangement for reliable suppression of electron arcing.

Abstract: It is the object of a device and method for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation to overcome the obstacles formerly posed by the use of efficient metal emitters so that the conversion efficiency can be optimized and, as a result, the radiation output can be increased without shortening the useful life of the collector optics and electrode system. An injection nozzle of an injection device is directed to a discharge area located in a discharge chamber. The injection nozzle supplies a series of individual volumes of a source materials for the electric discharge serving to generate radiation at a repetition rate that corresponds to the frequency of the gas discharge. Further, provision is made for successively vaporizing the individual volumes in the discharge area.

Abstract: The object of the invention in an arrangement for generating extreme ultraviolet radiation based on an electrically operated gas discharge is to reduce the time required for charging the electrodes by reducing the inductance of the discharge circuit. A high-voltage power supply connected to the electrodes which are constructed as disk electrodes and are rotatably mounted has a capacitor battery comprising capacitor elements which are arranged along a ring concentric to the axis of rotation of the electrodes with a ring plane directed parallel to the disk surface. Electrical connections are guided to the disk surfaces from the capacitor elements along a ring concentric to the axis of rotation.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating EUV radiation based on a gas discharge plasma with high radiation emission in the range between 12 nm and 14 nm. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for plasma-based radiation generation with high radiation output in the EUV spectral region (between 12 nm and 14 nm) which makes it possible to use tin as a work medium in EUV gas discharge sources for industrial applications. This object is met, according to the invention, in that a gas preparation unit is provided for defined control of the temperature and pressure of a tin-containing work medium and the flow thereof into the vacuum chamber in gaseous state. At least one thermally insulated reservoir vessel and a thermally insulated supply line are provided for transferring the gaseous tin-containing work medium from the gas preparation unit to the pre-ionization unit located inside the electrode housing.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for providing target material for the generation of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation, in particular EUV radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for providing target material for the generation of short-wavelength radiation based on an energy beam induced plasma which makes it possible to supply a reproducible successive flow of mass-limited targets in the interaction chamber in such a way that only the amount of target material needed for efficient generation of radiation achieves plasma generation. This object is met, according to the invention, in that the target generator opens into a selection chamber which precedes the interaction chamber and which has, along the target path, an outlet opening into the interaction chamber and in which a target selector is arranged.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for providing a reproducible target flow for the energy beam-induced generation of short-wavelength radiation. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for providing a reproducibly supplied target flow for the generation of a plasma that emits short-wavelength radiation which ensures a high directional stability of the target flow over a large number of individual plasma generation process for any target materials under given process conditions. According to the invention, this object is met in that a nozzle protection device is provided in the interaction chamber between the target nozzle and the interaction point for the generation of the plasma, and the nozzle protection device contains a gas pressure chamber which has an aperture along the target path for unobstructed passage of the target flow and which is filled with a buffer gas that is maintained at a pressure of some 10 mbar.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for metering target material for the generation of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation from an energy beam induced plasma, in particular X radiation and EUV radiation. The object of the invention is to find a novel possibility for metering target material for the generation of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation from an energy beam induced plasma which makes it possible to provide reproducibly supplied mass-limited targets in such a way that only the amount of target material for plasma generation that can be effectively converted to radiating plasma in the desired wavelength region arrives in the interaction chamber and, therefore, debris generation and the gas burden in the interaction chamber are minimized.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and arrangements for the suppression of debris in short-wavelength radiation sources based on a plasma, particularly for EUV sources for semiconductor lithography. The object of the invention is to find a novel possibility for suppressing the particle flow (debris) from a plasma which keeps the debris away from primarily optical components located downstream without excessive attenuation of the desired radiation emitted from the plasma. According to the invention, this object is met in that a buffer gas is injected inside the filter structure of the debris filter lateral to openings that are provided for passing the radiation.

Abstract: A plasma radiation source is improved in such a way that the lifetime of the optics which is limited by the influence of debris is appreciably increased. A gas curtain through which the radiation proceeding from a source region in a vacuum chamber is emitted at a defined solid angle for debris suppression along an axis of the mean propagation direction of the radiation exits as a radially directed supersonic gas jet from a propulsion nozzle of a gas jet vacuum pump, which propulsion nozzle is arranged on the axis. The gas curtain is directed to an annular mixing nozzle that is arranged coaxial to the axis and is guided out of the vacuum chamber by a diffuser. This makes it possible to use source arrangements having an optimal conversion efficiency but extensive debris.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a collector mirror for short-wavelength radiation based on a plasma. It is the object of the invention to find a novel possibility for managing the temperature of a collector mirror for focusing short-wavelength radiation generated from a plasma which allows an efficient thermal connection to be produced between the optically active mirror surface and a thermostat system without the disadvantages relating to space requirements or high-precision manufacture of the collector mirror. This object is met, according to the invention, in that the collector mirror has a solid, rotationally symmetric substrate which comprises a material with high thermal conductivity of more than 50 W/mK and in which channels for cooling and temperature management are incorporated in the substrate so that a heat transport medium can flow through directly and for rapidly stabilizing the temperature of the optically active mirror surface.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a transmission filter for EUV radiation which has a sufficiently narrow transmission window to characterize EUV radiation in a narrowly defined spectral region. This object is met by providing a transmission layer system having at least one uranium-containing layer.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for generating soft x-radiation, particularly EUV radiation, by laser-induced plasma. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for generating EUV radiation by means of a laser-induced plasma by which a temporally stable radiation emission in the desired wavelength region is ensured when interacting with the target without active regulation of the laser beam, is met according to the invention in that at least one laser is directed to the target, wherein the laser has at least one defined plane with a highly stable spatial distribution of the power density of the laser, and this defined plane is imaged on the target by an optical imaging system so as to be reduced so that the optical image of the defined plane is active for the plasma generation instead of the laser focus. The invention is applied in exposure machines for semiconductor lithography for spatially stable generation of radiation.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for the plasma-based generation of intensive short-wavelength radiation, particularly EUV radiation.