Patent · US Expired

Extreme ultraviolet based on colliding neutral beams

US6421421B1 · kind B1 · utility

18Cited by
12References
37Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 2001
Grant dateJul 16, 2002
Priority date—
Expiry dateMar 23, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05G2/007
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A source of photons includes a discharge chamber, a plurality of ion beam sources in the discharge chamber and a neutralizing mechanism. Each of the ion beam sources electrostatically accelerates a beam of ions of a working gas toward a plasma discharge region. The neutralizing mechanism at least partially neutralizes the ion beams before they enter the plasma discharge region. The neutralized beams enter the plasma discharge region and form a hot plasma that radiates photons. The photons may be in the soft X-ray or extreme ultraviolet wavelength range and, in one embodiment, have wavelengths in a range of about 10-15 nanometers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.