US 11,733,617 B2
Frequency broadening apparatus and method
Patrick Sebastian Uebel, Marloffstein (DE); Sebastian Thomas Bauerschmidt, Wendelstein (DE); and Paul William Scholtes-Van Eijk, Veldhoven (NL)
Assigned to ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Filed by ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Filed on Jan. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/572,864.
Application 17/572,864 is a continuation of application No. 16/827,843, filed on Mar. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,262,665.
Claims priority of application No. 19164997 (EP), filed on Mar. 25, 2019; and application No. 19207621 (EP), filed on Nov. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0128912 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. G03F 7/20 (2006.01); G03B 27/42 (2006.01); G03F 9/00 (2006.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G02B 6/02 (2006.01); G02F 1/365 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 9/7065 (2013.01) [G02B 6/02328 (2013.01); G02F 1/365 (2013.01); G03F 7/7015 (2013.01); G03F 7/70133 (2013.01); G03F 7/70316 (2013.01); G03F 7/70325 (2013.01); G03F 7/70575 (2013.01); G03F 7/70616 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for receiving input radiation and broadening a frequency range of the input radiation to provide broadband output radiation, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber;
a fiber comprising a hollow core configured to guide radiation propagating through the fiber, the hollow core in fluid communication with the chamber;
a gas generating apparatus configured to provide a gas within the chamber; and
a radical generating apparatus configured to provide free radicals within the chamber to reduce contaminants in the gas,
wherein the gas and the free radicals are within the hollow core of the fiber.