公开(公告)号：US10101664B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-16

申请号：US14739305

申请日：2015-06-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Alexey Kuritsyn ,  Ye Liu ,  Oleg Khodykin ,  Michael P. Kanouff

IPC: H05G2/00 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for generating an illumination beam. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a vacuum chamber configured to hold a target material, an optical element positioned within the vacuum chamber or within a wall of such vacuum chamber, and an illumination source system for generating at least one excitation source that is focused on the target in the vacuum chamber for generating a plasma in the vacuum chamber so as to produce illumination radiation. The apparatus further includes a debris protection system for flowing gas out of a plurality of nozzles and away from the optical element at a velocity towards the plasma so as to prevent debris from reaching such optical element.

公开(公告)号：US09989758B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-05

申请号：US14247082

申请日：2014-04-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Alexey Kuritsyn ,  Alexander Bykanov ,  Oleg Khodykin

IPC: G01F23/00 ,  G02B27/00 ,  H05G2/00 ,  G03F7/20

CPC classification number: G02B27/0006 ,  G01N2223/204 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  G03F7/70175 ,  G03F7/70908 ,  G03F7/70933 ,  H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/005 ,  H05G2/008

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system for protecting a reflective optic and/or any other surface in a plasma-based illumination system from debris by actively flowing gas against the debris flow direction. According to various embodiments, a vacuum chamber is configured to contain a target material, wherein a laser or discharge produced plasma is generated in response to an excitation of the target material. One or more outlets within the chamber are configured to receive gas flowing from a fluidically coupled gas source and further configured to actively flow the gas towards a source of debris and away from the reflective optic or any other protected surface at a controlled flow rate.