IP Library Granted Patent US 12,593,391
Granted Patent B2
US 12,593,391 · App. 17/899,772 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Light source apparatus

Inventor: Yusuke Teramoto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
H05G2/002H01J37/3244
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,593,391
App. No.
17/899,772
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light source apparatus, in which an energy beam transforms a liquid raw material into plasma to extract radiation, includes a rotation body, a raw material supply section, and an electric field applying section. The rotation body is disposed at a position onto which the energy beam is incident. The raw material supply section supplies the liquid raw material to the rotation body. The electric field applying section is set to a potential different from a potential of the liquid raw material that has been supplied to the rotation body, and applies an electric field to a plasma generation area in which plasma is to be generated by irradiation of the energy beam.

Claims (33)

1 . A light source apparatus, in which an energy beam transforms a liquid raw material into plasma via a Laser Produced Plasma (LPP) method to extract radiation, the light source apparatus comprising:

a rotation body including a plasma generation area onto which the energy beam is incident;

a raw material supply section connected to the rotation body for supplying the liquid raw material to the rotation body; and

an electric field applying section including a first element that is electrically grounded and a second element located near the first element and connected to an external voltage source, the electric field applying section setting a first potential different from a second potential of the liquid raw material that has been supplied to the rotation body by applying an electric field to the plasma generation area in which plasma is to be generated by irradiation of the energy beam.

2 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electric field applying section includes a conductor connected to the external voltage source and disposed at a position facing the rotation body and across the plasma generation area.

3 . The light source apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation body is a disk-shaped member having a front surface and a back surface, and is disposed to allow the energy beam to be incident on the front surface, and the electric field applying section is disposed at a position opposite the front surface of the rotation body.

4 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a chamber section, the chamber section including a plasma generation section that accommodates the rotation body and forms the plasma generation area, a beam introduction section that introduces the energy beam into the plasma generation area, and a radiation extraction section that extracts the radiation from the plasma that has been generated in the plasma generation area.

5 . The light source apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the electric field applying section includes at least one of the plasma generation section, the beam introduction section, or the radiation extraction section.

6 . The light source apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the chamber section includes a protrusion that protrudes toward the plasma generation area, and the electric field applying section includes the protrusion.

7 . The light source apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the chamber section includes a chamber body to which the beam introduction section and the radiation extraction section are connected, and a rotation body accommodation chamber that is at least partially provided inside the chamber body and that accommodates the rotation body, and the electric field applying section includes the rotation body accommodation chamber connected to the external voltage source while the rotation body is electrically grounded.

8 . The light source apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the rotation body accommodation chamber is insulated from the chamber body.

9 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation includes X-rays or extreme ultraviolet light.

10 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation includes extreme ultraviolet light, and the electric field applying section is set to a higher potential than the liquid raw material that has been supplied to the rotation body.

11 . The light source apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the second potential of the liquid raw material is set to a negative potential, and the first potential of the electric field applying section is set to a ground potential.

12 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation includes hard X-rays, and the electric field applying section is set to a lower potential than the liquid raw material that has been supplied to the rotation body.

13 . The light source apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the second potential of the liquid raw material is set to a positive potential, and the first potential of the electric field applying section is set to a ground potential.

14 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a radiation measurement section that measures a state of the radiation from the plasma; and a potential control section that controls a potential difference between the liquid raw material and the electric field applying section based on a measurement result of the state of the radiation.

15 . The light source apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the radiation measurement section measures intensity of the radiation, and the potential control section controls the potential difference between the liquid raw material and the electric field applying section such that the intensity of the radiation is increased based on a measurement result of the intensity of the radiation.

16 . The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the energy beam includes a laser beam.

17 . A light source apparatus for extracting radiation by transforming a liquid raw material into plasma, comprising:

an energy beam source for emitting energy beam;

a rotation body electrically grounded and including a plasma generation area where the liquid raw material and the energy beam are received for generating plasma; and

an electric field applying section including a conductor connected to an external voltage source and located over the rotation body and across the plasma generation area for setting a first potential different from a second potential of the liquid raw material by applying an electric field to the plasma generation area while the energy beam is emitted so as to improve lumen efficiency of the plasma.

18 . A light source apparatus for extracting radiation by transforming a liquid raw material into plasma, comprising:

an energy beam source for emitting energy beam;

a rotation body including a plasma generation area where liquid raw material and the energy beam are received for generating plasma;

a raw material supply section connected to the rotation body for supplying the liquid raw material to the plasma generation area on the rotation body;

a chamber body for housing the rotation body within the chamber body;

an external voltage source for providing a predetermined voltage; and

an electric field applying section including a first element that is electrically grounded and a second element located near the first element and connected to the external voltage source, the electric field applying section for setting a first potential different from a second potential of the liquid raw material by applying an electric field to the plasma generation area while the energy beam is emitted so as to improve lumen efficiency of the plasma.

19 . The light source apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the first element is the chamber body while the second element is the rotation body.

20 . The light source apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising a rotation body accommodation chamber for enclosing the rotation body at least partially within the chamber, wherein the first element is the rotation body while the second element is the rotation body accommodation chamber.

21 . The light source apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising a conductor located directly over the rotation body and across the plasma generation area, wherein the first element is the rotation body while the second element is the conductor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2022
From: TERAMOTO, YUSUKE
To: USHIO DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 060948/0604 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-057606 · Mar 30, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230319970A1 · Oct 5, 2023
References Cited (8)
US 7622727B2 · Shirai et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 10672584B2 · Teramoto et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20170094766A1 · Yokoyama · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20200060014A1 · Vinokhodov · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210327701A1 · Ashizawa · 2021 [cited by examiner]
JP 6658324B2 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
Unpublished, Pending U.S. Appl. No. 18/096,452, filed Jan. 12, 2023 by Yusuke Teramoto, Related to the Current Application. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report of Jun. 13, 2023 for European Application No. EP22194063, which corresponds to the current U.S. Appl. No. 17/899,772. [cited by applicant]