Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for operating an electrical discharge device

US8227777B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

9References

25Claims

0Family size

Assignee

KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NV · NL

Inventors

MICHAEL LOEKEN · Emmelshausen, DE
Jakob Willi Neff · Kelmis, BE
Juergen Klein · Mainz, DE
Sven Probst · Aachen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Nov 29, 2005
Grant date	Jul 24, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Sep 20, 2027

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F7/70916
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of operating an electrical discharge device (12) comprising at least one first electrode (14) and at least one second electrode (16) at a distance therefrom, which electrodes are electrically connected to a power supply (18) and, upon ignition of a first gas discharge (22) between the electrodes (14, 16), transmit an electrical current (I), as a result of which a plasma (24) is produced in a working gas (26), which plasma emits radiation (28), in particular extreme ultraviolet and/or soft X-ray radiation, which is passed via a solid angle (30) into a chamber (32) outside the electrodes (14, 16). In order to prevent erosion at the electrodes (14, 16), it is proposed that the formation of a secondary plasma (34) in the chamber (32) is suppressed by a device (42).

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