US 12,341,314 B2
Conduit system, radiation source, lithographic apparatus, and methods thereof
Edward Siqi Luo, San Diego, CA (US); Thomas Dickson Steiger, San Diego, CA (US); Andrew Jay Effenberger, Jr., San Diego, CA (US); and Mohammad Amin Khamehchi, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Cymer, LLC, San Diego, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/912,996
Filed by Cymer, LLC, San Diego, CA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 9, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/021543
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/206838, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 14, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/005,845, filed on Apr. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0163551 A1, May 25, 2023
Int. Cl. H01S 3/036 (2006.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H01S 3/034 (2006.01); H01S 3/225 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 3/036 (2013.01) [G03F 7/70025 (2013.01); H01S 3/034 (2013.01); H01S 3/225 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pulsed-discharge radiation source configured to generate radiation, the pulsed-discharge radiation system comprising:
a gas chamber configured to confine a gas and a contaminant produced during generation of the radiation;
a window configured to isolate the gas from an environment external to the gas chamber and to allow the radiation to travel between the gas chamber and the environment; and
a conduit system comprising:
a refill path configured to allow a replacement of the gas;
a conduit configured to circulate the gas to or from the gas chamber during the generation of the radiation, and
a bypass conduit and a unidirectional valve disposed to intersect the bypass conduit, the bypass conduit connecting the conduit to the refill path, the unidirectional valve being configured to prevent a flow of the gas from the gas chamber and toward the window;
wherein the conduit system is configured to direct a flow of one of a refill gas, the gas, or the refill gas and the gas at least during a refill operation to prevent the contaminant from contacting the window, whereby the conduit system increases usable lifetime of at least the window.