Protection module for EUV lithography apparatus, and EUV lithography apparatus
In EUV lithography apparatuses ( 10 ), it is proposed, in order to lengthen the lifetime of contamination-sensitive components, to arrange them in a protection module. The protection module comprises a housing ( 23 - 29 ) having at least one opening ( 37 - 47 ), in which at least one component ( 13 a, 13 b, 15, 16, 18, 19 ) is arranged and at which one or more gas feeds ( 30 - 36 ) are provided in order to introduce a gas flow into the housing ( 23 - 29 ), which emerges through the at least one opening ( 37 - 47 ). In order to effectively prevent contaminating substances from penetrating into the protection module, a light source ( 48 - 56 ) is arranged at the at least one opening ( 37 - 47 ), which light source illuminates the opening ( 37 - 47 ) with one or more wavelengths by which the contaminating substances can be dissociated before they penetrate through the opening ( 37 - 47 ).
1. A protection module, comprising:
a housing having at least one opening through which a first light of a first light source passes to illuminate a wafer to image a structure onto the wafer, and configured and arranged to house at least one component,
at least one gas feed configured and arranged to introduce a gas flow into the housing, which emerges through the at least one opening, and
a second light source arranged at the at least one opening and configured to illuminate the at least one opening with a second light which dissociates a contaminating substance when the wafer is illuminated by the first light,
wherein the second light source is arranged outside the housing.
2. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second light emitted by the second light source has a wavelength selected to dissociate a predetermined contaminating substance.
3. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit ultraviolet (UV) light.
4. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a broadband spectrum.
5. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a narrowband spectrum.
6. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one further light source arranged at the at least one opening.
7. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second light source is configured and arranged to illuminate completely the at least one opening.
8. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the component is a reflective optical element.
9. An extreme-ultra-violet lithography apparatus, comprising at least one protection module as claimed in claim 1 .
10. A sub-system for an extreme ultra-violet lithography apparatus, comprising at least one protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sub-system consists essentially of a projection system, an illumination system or a beam-shaping system.
11. The protection module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first light comprises extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light.
12. An extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography apparatus, comprising:
a vacuum chamber,
a housing within the vacuum chamber and at least one component arranged in the housing,
at least one gas feed configured and arranged to introduce a gas flow into the housing, which emerges from the housing through at least one opening through which a first light of a first light source passes to illuminate a wafer to image a structure onto the wafer, and
a second light source arranged outside the housing at the at least one opening and configured to illuminate the at least one opening with a second light which dissociates a contaminating substance when the wafer is illuminated by the first light.
13. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second light emitted by the second light source has a wavelength selected to dissociate a predetermined contaminating substance.
14. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit ultraviolet (UV) light.
15. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a broadband spectrum.
16. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a narrowband spectrum.
17. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising at least one further light source arranged at the at least one opening.
18. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second light source is configured and arranged to illuminate completely the at least one opening.
19. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the component is a reflective optical element.
20. The EUV lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first light comprises extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light.
21. A sub-system for an extreme ultra-violet lithography apparatus, comprising:
a vacuum chamber,
a housing within the vacuum chamber and at least one component arranged in the housing,
at least one gas feed configured and arranged to introduce a gas flow into the housing, which emerges from the housing through at least one opening through which a first light of a first light source passes to illuminate a wafer to image a structure onto the wafer, and
a second light source arranged outside the housing at the at least one opening and configured to illuminate the at least one opening with a second light which dissociates a contaminating substance when the wafer is illuminated by the first light,
wherein the sub-system consists essentially of a projection system, an illumination system or a beam-shaping system.
22. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the second light emitted by the second light source has a wavelength selected to dissociate a predetermined contaminating substance.
23. The system as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the gas feed introduces hydrogen or a noble gas, wherein the contaminating substance comprises a hydrocarbon, and wherein the selected wavelength comprises an ultraviolet wavelength.
24. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit ultraviolet (UV) light.
25. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a broadband spectrum.
26. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the second light source is configured to emit a narrowband spectrum.
27. The system as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising at least one further light source arranged at the at least one opening.
28. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the second light source is configured and arranged to illuminate completely the at least one opening.
29. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the component is a reflective optical element.
30. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the first light comprises extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light.