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Title: Particle control near reticle and optics using showerhead

Abstract

A method and an apparatus to protect a reticle against particles and chemicals in an actinic EUV reticle inspection tool are presented. The method and apparatus utilizes a pair of porous metal diffusers in the form of showerheads to provide a continual flow of clean gas. The main showerhead bathes the reticle surface to be inspected in smoothly flowing, low pressure gas, isolating it from particles coming from surrounding volumes. The secondary showerhead faces away from the reticle and toward the EUV illumination and projection optics, supplying them with purge gas while at the same time creating a buffer zone that is kept free of any particle contamination originating from those optics.

Inventors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1262617
Patent Number(s):
9244368
Application Number:
14/033,929
Assignee:
KLA-Tencor Corporation (Milpitas, CA) Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
G - PHYSICS G03 - PHOTOGRAPHY G03F - PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2013 Sep 23
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats

Delgado, Gildardo R., Chilese, Frank, Garcia, Rudy, Torczynski, John R., Geller, Anthony S., Rader, Daniel J., Klebanoff, Leonard E., and Gallis, Michail A. Particle control near reticle and optics using showerhead. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
Delgado, Gildardo R., Chilese, Frank, Garcia, Rudy, Torczynski, John R., Geller, Anthony S., Rader, Daniel J., Klebanoff, Leonard E., & Gallis, Michail A. Particle control near reticle and optics using showerhead. United States.
Delgado, Gildardo R., Chilese, Frank, Garcia, Rudy, Torczynski, John R., Geller, Anthony S., Rader, Daniel J., Klebanoff, Leonard E., and Gallis, Michail A. Tue . "Particle control near reticle and optics using showerhead". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1262617.
@article{osti_1262617,
title = {Particle control near reticle and optics using showerhead},
author = {Delgado, Gildardo R. and Chilese, Frank and Garcia, Rudy and Torczynski, John R. and Geller, Anthony S. and Rader, Daniel J. and Klebanoff, Leonard E. and Gallis, Michail A.},
abstractNote = {A method and an apparatus to protect a reticle against particles and chemicals in an actinic EUV reticle inspection tool are presented. The method and apparatus utilizes a pair of porous metal diffusers in the form of showerheads to provide a continual flow of clean gas. The main showerhead bathes the reticle surface to be inspected in smoothly flowing, low pressure gas, isolating it from particles coming from surrounding volumes. The secondary showerhead faces away from the reticle and toward the EUV illumination and projection optics, supplying them with purge gas while at the same time creating a buffer zone that is kept free of any particle contamination originating from those optics.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {1}
}

Works referenced in this record:

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