METHOD OF OPERATING A LITHOGRAPHY TOOL

摘要

In a method of operating a lithography tool, hydrogen is supplied to a chamber housing the tool. An amount of argon is added either to the chamber or to gas exhausted from the chamber in order to enhance the pumping speed of gas from the chamber. The amount of argon is selected so that (i) the breakdown voltage of the gas within the chamber is no less than 0.75 times the breakdown voltage of the gas within the chamber absent the argon addition, and/or (ii) the transmission of EUV radiation through the gas within the chamber is at least 95% that of the gas within the chamber absent the argon addition.