Patents by Inventor John Tom Stewart
John Tom Stewart has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240085796Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) source, including: a vessel having an inner vessel wall and an intermediate focus (IF) region; an EUV collector disposed inside the vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface configured to reflect EUV radiation toward the intermediate focus region, the reflective surface configured to directionally face the IF region of the vessel; a showerhead disposed along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall, the showerhead including a plurality of nozzles configured to introduce gas into the vessel; and one or more exhausts configured to remove gas introduced into the vessel, the one or more exhausts being oriented along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall so that the gas is caused to flow away from the EUV collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Dzmitry LABETSKI, Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes BERENDSEN, Rui Miguel DUARTE RODRIGUES NUNES, Alexander Igorevich ERSHOV, Kornelis Frits FEENSTRA, Igor Vladimirovich FOMENKOV, Klaus Martin HUMMLER, Arun JOHNKADAKSHAM, Matthias KRAUSHAAR, Andrew David LAFORGE, Marc Guy LANGLOIS, Maksim LOGINOV, Yue MA, Seyedmohammad MOJAB, Kerim NADIR, Alexander SHATALOV, John Tom STEWART, Henricus Gerardus TEGENBOSCH, Chunguang XIA
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Patent number: 11822252Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) source, including: a vessel having an inner vessel wall and an intermediate focus (IF) region; an EUV collector disposed inside the vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface configured to reflect EUV radiation toward the intermediate focus region, the reflective surface configured to directionally face the IF region of the vessel; a showerhead disposed along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall, the showerhead including a plurality of nozzles configured to introduce gas into the vessel; and one or more exhausts configured to remove gas introduced into the vessel, the one or more exhausts being oriented along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall so that the gas is caused to flow away from the EUV collector.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Dzmitry Labetski, Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes Berendsen, Rui Miguel Duarte Rodreigues Nunes, Alexander Igorevich Ershov, Kornelis Frits Feenstra, Igor Vladimirovich Fomenkov, Klaus Martin Hummler, Arun Johnkadaksham, Matthias Kraushaar, Andrew David Laforge, Marc Guy Langlois, Maksim Loginov, Yue Ma, Seyedmohammad Mojab, Kerim Nadir, Alexander Shatalov, John Tom Stewart, Henricus Gerardus Tegenbosch, Chunguang Xia
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Publication number: 20220179328Abstract: In some general aspects, a surface of a structure within a chamber of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source is cleaned using a method. The method includes generating a plasma state of a material that is present at a location adjacent to a non-electrically conductive body that is within the chamber. The generation of the plasma state of the material includes electromagnetically inducing an electric current at the location adjacent the non-electrically conductive body to thereby transform the material that is adjacent the non-electrically conductive body from a first state into the plasma state. The plasma state of the material includes plasma particles, at least some of which are free radicals of the material. The method also includes enabling the plasma particles to pass over the structure surface to remove debris from the structure surface without removing the structure from the chamber of the EUV light source.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2022Publication date: June 9, 2022Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Jonghoon Baek, John Tom Stewart, IV, Andrew David LaForge, Deniz Van Heijnsbergen, David Robert Evans, Nina Vladimirovna Dziomkina, Yue Ma
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Patent number: 11347154Abstract: In some general aspects, a surface of a structure within a chamber of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source is cleaned using a method. The method includes generating a plasma state of a material that is present at a location adjacent to a non-electrically conductive body that is within the chamber. The generation of the plasma state of the material includes electromagnetically inducing an electric current at the location adjacent the non-electrically conductive body to thereby transform the material that is adjacent the non-electrically conductive body from a first state into the plasma state. The plasma state of the material includes plasma particles, at least some of which are free radicals of the material. The method also includes enabling the plasma particles to pass over the structure surface to remove debris from the structure surface without removing the structure from the chamber of the EUV light source.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2019Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Jonghoon Baek, John Tom Stewart, IV, Andrew David LaForge, Deniz Van Heijnsbergen, David Robert Evans, Nina Vladimirovna Dziomkina, Yue Ma
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Publication number: 20210141311Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) source, including: a vessel having an inner vessel wall and an intermediate focus (IF) region; an EUV collector disposed inside the vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface configured to reflect EUV radiation toward the intermediate focus region, the reflective surface configured to directionally face the IF region of the vessel; a showerhead disposed along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall, the showerhead including a plurality of nozzles configured to introduce gas into the vessel; and one or more exhausts configured to remove gas introduced into the vessel, the one or more exhausts being oriented along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall so that the gas is caused to flow away from the EUV collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2021Publication date: May 13, 2021Inventors: Dzmitry LABETSKI, Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes BERENDSEN, Rui Miguel DUARTE RODRIGUES NUNES, Alexander Igorevich ERSHOV, Kornelis Frits FEENSTRA, Igor Vladimirovich FOMENKOV, Klaus Martin HUMMLER, Arun JOHNKADAKSHAM, Matthias KRAUSHAAR, Andrew David LAFORGE, Marc Guy LANGLOIS, Maksim LOGINOV, Yue MA, Seyedmohammad MOJAB, Kerim NADIR, Alexander SHATALOV, John Tom STEWART, Henricus Gerardus TEGENBOSCH, Chunguang XIA
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Patent number: 10955749Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) source, including: a vessel having an inner vessel wall and an intermediate focus (IF) region; an EUV collector disposed inside the vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface configured to reflect EUV radiation toward the intermediate focus region, the reflective surface configured to directionally face the IF region of the vessel; a showerhead disposed along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall, the showerhead including a plurality of nozzles configured to introduce gas into the vessel; and one or more exhausts configured to remove gas introduced into the vessel, the one or more exhausts being oriented along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall so that the gas is caused to flow away from the EUV collector.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Dzmitry Labetski, Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes Berendsen, Rui Miguel Duarte Rodriges Nunes, Alexander Igorevich Ershov, Kornelis Frits Feenstra, Igor Vladimirovich Fomenkov, Klaus Martin Hummler, Arun Johnkadaksham, Matthias Kraushaar, Andrew David Laforge, Marc Guy Langlois, Maksim Loginov, Yue Ma, Seyedmohammad Mojab, Kerim Nadir, Alexander Shatalov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Henricus Gerardus Tegenbosch, Chunguang Xia
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Publication number: 20210063899Abstract: In some general aspects, a surface of a structure within a chamber of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source is cleaned using a method. The method includes generating a plasma state of a material that is present at a location adjacent to a non-electrically conductive body that is within the chamber. The generation of the plasma state of the material includes electromagnetically inducing an electric current at the location adjacent the non-electrically conductive body to thereby transform the material that is adjacent the non-electrically conductive body from a first state into the plasma state. The plasma state of the material includes plasma particles, at least some of which are free radicals of the material. The method also includes enabling the plasma particles to pass over the structure surface to remove debris from the structure surface without removing the structure from the chamber of the EUV light source.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2019Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Jonghoon Baek, John Tom Stewart, IV, Andrew David LaForge, Deniz Van Heijnsbergen, David Robert Evans, Nina Vladimirovna Dziomkina, Yue MA
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Patent number: 10904993Abstract: A first target is provided to an interior of a vacuum chamber, a first light beam is directed toward the first target to form a first plasma from target material of the first target, the first plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the first target along a first emission direction, the first emission direction being determined by a position of the first target; a second target is provided to the interior of the vacuum chamber; and a second light beam is directed toward the second target to form a second plasma from target material of the second target, the second plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the second target along a second emission direction, the second emission direction being determined by a position of the second target, the first and second emission directions being different.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Robert Jay Rafac, John Tom Stewart, Andrew David LaForge
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Publication number: 20200089124Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) source, including: a vessel having an inner vessel wall and an intermediate focus (IF) region; an EUV collector disposed inside the vessel, the EUV collector including a reflective surface configured to reflect EUV radiation toward the intermediate focus region, the reflective surface configured to directionally face the IF region of the vessel; a showerhead disposed along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall, the showerhead including a plurality of nozzles configured to introduce gas into the vessel; and one or more exhausts configured to remove gas introduced into the vessel, the one or more exhausts being oriented along at least a portion of the inner vessel wall so that the gas is caused to flow away from the EUV collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2018Publication date: March 19, 2020Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Dzmitry LABETSKI, Christianus Wilhelmus Johanne BERENDSEN, Rui Miguel DUARTE RODRIGES NUNES, Alexander Igorevich ERSHOV, Kornelis Frits FEENSTRA, Igor Vladimirovich FOMENKOV, Klaus Martin HUMMLER, Arun JOHNKADAKSHAM, Matthias KRAUSHAAR, Andrew David LAFORGE, Marc Guy LANGLOIS, Maksim LOGINOV, Yue MA, Seyedmohammad MOJAB, Kerim NADIR, Alexander SHATALOV, John Tom STEWART (IV), Henricus Gerardus TEGENBOSCH, Chunguang XIA
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Patent number: 10490313Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2018Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. Fomenkov, Christianus W. J. Berendsen
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Publication number: 20190274210Abstract: A first target is provided to an interior of a vacuum chamber, a first light beam is directed toward the first target to form a first plasma from target material of the first target, the first plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the first target along a first emission direction, the first emission direction being determined by a position of the first target; a second target is provided to the interior of the vacuum chamber; and a second light beam is directed toward the second target to form a second plasma from target material of the second target, the second plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the second target along a second emission direction, the second emission direction being determined by a position of the second target, the first and second emission directions being different.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventors: Robert Jay Rafac, John Tom Stewart, Andrew David LaForge
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Patent number: 10349509Abstract: A first target is provided to an interior of a vacuum chamber, a first light beam is directed toward the first target to form a first plasma from target material of the first target, the first plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the first target along a first emission direction, the first emission direction being determined by a position of the first target; a second target is provided to the interior of the vacuum chamber; and a second light beam is directed toward the second target to form a second plasma from target material of the second target, the second plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the second target along a second emission direction, the second emission direction being determined by a position of the second target, the first and second emission directions being different.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2018Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Robert Jay Rafac, John Tom Stewart, Andrew David LaForge
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Publication number: 20190080811Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Alexander I. ERSHOV, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. FOMENKOV, Christianus W.J. BERENDSEN
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Publication number: 20180343730Abstract: A first target is provided to an interior of a vacuum chamber, a first light beam is directed toward the first target to form a first plasma from target material of the first target, the first plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the first target along a first emission direction, the first emission direction being determined by a position of the first target; a second target is provided to the interior of the vacuum chamber; and a second light beam is directed toward the second target to form a second plasma from target material of the second target, the second plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the second target along a second emission direction, the second emission direction being determined by a position of the second target, the first and second emission directions being different.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2018Publication date: November 29, 2018Inventors: Robert Jay Rafac, John Tom Stewart, Andrew David LaForge
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Publication number: 20180330841Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2017Publication date: November 15, 2018Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. Fomenkov, Christianus W.J. Berendsen
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Patent number: 10128017Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. Fomenkov, Christianus W. J. Berendsen
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Patent number: 10064261Abstract: An initial pulse of radiation is generated; a section of the initial pulse of radiation is extracted to form a modified pulse of radiation, the modified pulse of radiation including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being temporally connected to the second portion, and the first portion having a maximum energy that is less than a maximum energy of the second portion; the first portion of the modified pulse of radiation is interacted with a target material to form a modified target; and the second portion of the modified pulse of radiation is interacted with the modified target to generate plasma that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2017Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Yezheng Tao, John Tom Stewart, IV, Jordan Jur, Daniel Brown, Alexander A. Schafgans, Jason M. Arcand, Andrew LaForge
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Publication number: 20180124906Abstract: An initial pulse of radiation is generated; a section of the initial pulse of radiation is extracted to form a modified pulse of radiation, the modified pulse of radiation including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being temporally connected to the second portion, and the first portion having a maximum energy that is less than a maximum energy of the second portion; the first portion of the modified pulse of radiation is interacted with a target material to form a modified target; and the second portion of the modified pulse of radiation is interacted with the modified target to generate plasma that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2017Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventors: Yezheng Tao, John Tom Stewart, IV, Jordan Jur, Daniel Brown
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Patent number: 9826616Abstract: An initial pulse of radiation is generated; a section of the initial pulse of radiation is extracted to form a modified pulse of radiation, the modified pulse of radiation including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being temporally connected to the second portion, and the first portion having a maximum energy that is less than a maximum energy of the second portion; the first portion of the modified pulse of radiation is interacted with a target material to form a modified target; and the second portion of the modified pulse of radiation is interacted with the modified target to generate plasma that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Yezheng Tao, John Tom Stewart, IV, Jordan Jur, Daniel Brown
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Publication number: 20170311429Abstract: A first target is provided to an interior of a vacuum chamber, a first light beam is directed toward the first target to form a first plasma from target material of the first target, the first plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the first target along a first emission direction, the first emission direction being determined by a position of the first target; a second target is provided to the interior of the vacuum chamber; and a second light beam is directed toward the second target to form a second plasma from target material of the second target, the second plasma being associated with a directional flux of particles and radiation emitted from the second target along a second emission direction, the second emission direction being determined by a position of the second target, the first and second emission directions being different.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2016Publication date: October 26, 2017Inventors: Robert Jay Rafac, John Tom Stewart, Andrew David LaForge