METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING OPTICAL RADIATION BY MEANS OF ELECTRICALLY OPERATED PULSED DISCHARGES

摘要

The present invention relates to a method and device for generating optical radiation (18), in particular EUV radiation or soft x-rays, by means of electrically operated discharges. A plasma (15) is ignited in a gaseous medium between at least two electrodes (1, 2), wherein said gaseous medium is produced at least partly from a liquid material (6), which is applied to one or several surface(s) moving in the discharge space and is at least partially evaporated by one or several pulsed energy beam(s) (9). At least two consecutive pulses (16) are applied within a time interval of each electrical discharge onto said surface(s). The delay between and/or the pulse energy of said consecutive pulses is controlled to stabilize the position of an emission center of the plasma (15).

主权项

1. A method of generating optical radiation by means of electrically operated pulsed discharges, in which
igniting a plasma in a gaseous medium between at least two electrodes in a discharge space, said plasma emitting said radiation that is to be generated, producing said gaseous medium at least partly from a liquid material, which is applied to one or several surface(s) moving in said discharge space and is at least partially evaporated by one or several pulsed energy beam(s), and applying at least two consecutive pulses of said pulsed energy beam(s) within a time interval of each electrical discharge onto said surface(s) to evaporate said liquid material, wherein a position of an emission center of said plasma is held constant during a time period covering a multiplicity of said electrical discharges by controlling a time delay between said at least two consecutive pulses and/or a pulse energy of said at least two consecutive pulses.