IP Library Granted Patent US 12,451,316
Granted Patent B2
US 12,451,316 · App. 17/905,909 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Extreme-ultraviolet light source device using electron beams

Inventor: Kyu Chang Park (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: WORLDBEAM SOLUTION CO., LTD.
H01J31/04H01J29/04H01J29/58H05G2/002H05G2/008H01J2229/481H01J2229/507
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,451,316
App. No.
17/905,909
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An extreme-ultraviolet light source device comprises: a discharge chamber of which the inside is maintained in a vacuum; an electron beam-emitting unit which is located inside the discharge chamber and produces electron beams; and a metal radiator which is located inside the discharge chamber and is ionized by the electron beams. Extreme-ultraviolet radiation occurs in plasma generated from the metal radiator. The electron beam-emitting unit comprises: a cathode electrode; a plurality of emitters located on the cathode electrode and including a carbon-based material; and a gate electrode which is located on the plurality of emitters at a distance therefrom and to which a pulse voltage is applied.

Claims (15)

1. An extreme-ultraviolet light source device, comprising:

a discharge chamber of which the inside is maintained in a vacuum;

an electron beam-emitting unit which is located inside the discharge chamber and produces electron beams; and

a metal radiator which is located inside the discharge chamber and is ionized by the electron beams,

wherein extreme-ultraviolet radiation occurs in plasma generated from the metal radiator, and

the electron beam-emitting unit includes a cathode electrode, a plurality of emitters located on the cathode electrode and including a carbon-based material, and a gate electrode which is located on the plurality of emitters at a distance from the plurality of emitters and to which a pulse voltage is applied.

2. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of emitters is formed of a pointed emitter tip and includes carbon nanotubes.

3. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the gate electrode facing the plurality of emitters is formed of a metal mesh or a porous plate, and an insulating layer having a thickness greater than a height of each of the plurality of emitters is located between the cathode electrode and the gate electrode around the plurality of emitters.

4. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam-emitting unit further includes an anode electrode located on the gate electrode at a distance from the gate electrode and having an opening through which the electron beams pass, and a voltage of 10 kV or more is applied to the anode electrode.

5. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 4 , wherein the electron beam-emitting unit further includes at least one focusing electrode which is located between the gate electrode and the anode electrode and to which a negative voltage is applied.

6. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 5 , wherein the focusing electrode includes a first focusing electrode and a second focusing electrode located closer to the anode electrode than the first focusing electrode.

7. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 6 , wherein the first and second focusing electrodes each have openings, the opening of the second focusing electrode is smaller than that of the first focusing electrode, and the opening of the anode electrode is smaller than that of the second focusing electrode.

8. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 4 , wherein the cathode electrode, the plurality of emitters, and the gate electrode constitute an electron beam module, the electron beam-emitting unit further includes a rotating plate, and a plurality of electron beam modules are arranged in a circle at a distance from each other on the rotating plate.

9. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device of claim 8 , wherein any one of the plurality of electron beam modules is aligned to face an opening of the anode electrode, and the other of the electron beam modules is aligned to face the opening of the anode electrode when the rotating plate rotates.

10. The extreme-ultraviolet light source device according to claim 1 , wherein the metal radiator is made of any one of tin droplets dropping into the plasma region by an injection device and solid tin formed of a rotating body.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2024
From: UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COOPERATION GROUP OF KYUNG HEE UNIVERSITY
To: WORLDBEAM SOLUTION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066637/0502 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2022
From: PARK, KYU CHANG
To: UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COOPERATION GROUP OF KYUNG HEE UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 061030/0258 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0031395 · Mar 13, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230122253A1 · Apr 20, 2023
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