Patent · US Expired

Discharge source with gas curtain for protecting optics from particles

US6714624B2 · kind B2 · utility

18Cited by
7References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 18, 2001
Grant dateMar 30, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 25, 2022

Classification

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

Abstract

A gas curtain device is employed to deflect debris that is generated by an extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray radiation discharge source such as an electric discharge plasma source. The gas curtain device projects a stream of gas over the path of the radiation to deflect debris particles into a direction that is different from that of the path of the radiation. The gas curtain can be employed to prevent debris accumulation on the optics used in photolithography.

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