Target material refinement device and target supply apparatus
A target material refinement device may include a refinement tank to accommodate a target material, a heating section to heat the interior of the refinement tank, and an oxygen-atom removing section to remove oxygen atoms present in the target material.
1. A target material refinement device that refines a target material used for generation of EUV light, comprising:
a refinement tank configured to accommodate a target material;
a heating section configured to heat an interior of the refinement tank; and
an oxygen-atom removing section configured to remove oxygen atoms present in the target material, wherein
the oxygen-atom removing section includes:
a reduction section configured to reduce the oxygen atoms; and
an exhaust section to evacuate the interior of the refinement tank, and
the reduction section includes a gettering substance that generates oxidants with the oxygen atoms.
2. The target material refinement device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oxygen-atom removing section includes:
an oxygen partial-pressure adjusting section configured to control an oxygen partial pressure inside of the refinement tank to be lower than the oxygen partial pressure in the target material; and
the exhaust section configured to evacuate the interior of the refinement tank.
3. The target material refinement device according to claim 2 , wherein the oxygen partial-pressure adjusting section is an oxygen-free gas supply section configured to supply an oxygen-free gas into the refinement tank.
4. The target material refinement device according to claim 2 , wherein the oxygen partial-pressure adjusting section is configured with the exhaust section configured to evacuate the interior of the refinement tank to be in a vacuum state in the interior of the refinement tank.
5. The target material refinement device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oxygen-atom removing section includes:
an inert gas supply section configured to supply an inert gas into the target material; and
the exhaust section configured to evacuate the interior of the refinement tank.
6. The target material refinement device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the oxygen-atom removing section includes:
a separating section configured to separate oxidants formed of the oxygen atoms and other elements; and
an oxidant removing section configured to remove the above oxidants.
7. The target material refinement device according to claim 6 , wherein the separating section is the heating section configured to control a melting temperature of the target material and separates oxidants formed of the oxygen atoms and the target material.
8. A target supply apparatus comprising:
the target material refinement device according to claim 2 ; and
a nozzle which has a through-hole and is disposed so that the through-hole communicates with the interior of the refinement tank of the target material refinement device.
9. A target supply apparatus comprising:
the target material refinement device according to claim 7 ;
a target generator configured to outputs a target material into a chamber where EUV light is generated;
a generator heating section configured to heat and melt the target material in the target generator;
a transfer section configured to transfer the target material in the refinement tank of the target material refinement device to the target generator; and
a target supply controller configured to control a temperature of the target material in the target generator to be higher than the temperature of the target material in the refinement tank.