US 12,232,244 B2
Target supply control apparatus and method in an extreme ultraviolet light source
Theodorus Wilhelmus Driessen, Asten-Heusden (NL)
Assigned to ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/428,814
Filed by ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Feb. 7, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/053104
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 5, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/173683, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/810,673, filed on Feb. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0104335 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. H01J 37/153 (2006.01); H05G 2/00 (2006.01)
CPC H05G 2/006 (2013.01) [H05G 2/005 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A target apparatus for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, the target apparatus comprising:
a target generator including a reservoir configured to contain target material that produces EUV light when in a plasma state and a nozzle structure in fluid communication with the reservoir, the target generator defining an opening in the nozzle structure, the opening being suitable to release the target material received from the reservoir;
a diagnostic system configured to diagnostically interact with target material traveling along a trajectory toward a target space and before the target material enters the target space;
a sensor module configured to:
detect an aspect relating to a diagnostic interaction between the target material and the diagnostic system, and
produce a one-dimensional signal from the detected aspect; and
a target generator controller in communication with the sensor module and the target generator, the target generator controller configured to modify characteristics of the target material based on an analysis of the one-dimensional signal;
wherein the diagnostic interaction occurs at a diagnostic distance away from the target space, the diagnostic distance being less than two times the spacing between adjacent targets formed from the target material traveling along the trajectory or halfway between the opening of the nozzle structure and the target space.