TWI883050B - Reversible elongate element for aligning and joining components, vessel for an extreme ultraviolet (euv) radiation source, lithographic system, and method for joining an apparatus to a vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

A reversible elongate element for joining an apparatus to a vessel is provided. The reversible elongate element includes a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter. The first portion is configured for engagement with a narrower section of a bore of the apparatus or the vessel to form a tight fit and support the apparatus and/or align the apparatus relative to the vessel. The elongate element may be reversed after the apparatus is joined to the vessel and the first wider portion may be disposed in a wider part of the bore to provide clearance and allow for final alignment and joining of the apparatus to the vessel. The apparatus may be a metrology apparatus and/or an inspection apparatus.

Description

A reversible long element for aligning and bonding components, a container for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source, a lithography system, and a method for bonding a device to a container

The present invention relates to a reversible long element for mounting a detection or measurement device on a container and to associated assemblies, devices, systems and methods.

A lithography apparatus is a machine constructed to apply a desired pattern to a substrate. A lithography apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). A lithography apparatus can, for example, project a pattern from a patterned device (e.g., a mask) onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on a substrate.

The minimum size of features that can be formed on a substrate is determined by the wavelength of the radiation used by the lithography apparatus to project a pattern onto the substrate. Lithography apparatus using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, which is electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of 4 nm to 20 nm, can be used to form smaller features on a substrate than conventional lithography apparatus or lithography apparatus operating at higher wavelengths, such as electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 193 nm.

EUV radiation may be generated by converting a fuel into a plasma in a vessel of a radiation source. Fuel droplets may be directed toward a plasma formation region. A laser beam may be directed toward the plasma formation region to be incident on the fuel droplets. The delivery of laser energy to the fuel may generate a plasma that emits EUV radiation.

The position of the fuel droplet relative to the laser beam can affect the performance of the radiation source, such as, for example, the power of the EUV radiation. The position of the fuel droplet in the container can be determined by metrological tools (such as, for example, a camera) and can be adjusted in response to the determination made by the metrological tools.

The metrological tool can usually be mounted on the container by hand. The metrological tool can be positioned with high precision relative to the container using a kinematic mounting stand. However, since the metrological tool can weigh 10 kg or more, mounting the metrological tool on the container can be complicated. In addition, it may be difficult to reach the mounting position of the metrological tool on the container.

Misalignment of the metrology tool during installation on the container, for example due to incorrect and/or incomplete placement of the kinematic mounting, may cause damage to the metrology tool, the container and/or injury to the personnel installing the metrology tool. Damage to the metrology tool and/or the container may result in downtime of the radiation source and the lithography apparatus. For example, misalignment of the metrology tool during installation of the container may generate torque or lateral torque on the bolts used to fasten the metrology tool to the container. This in turn may result in thread misthreading and/or wear of the bolts, damage to the container and/or the metrology tool. In addition, misalignment of the metrology tool on the container may result in an incorrect determination of the position of the fuel droplets in the container, which may affect the performance of the radiation source.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a reversible elongated element for coupling a device to a container is provided, the elongated element comprising: a first portion having a first diameter, and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole of the device to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; and the device comprising a measuring device and/or a detection device. By configuring the first portion to engage a section of a hole in the device to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container, installation of the device on the container may be facilitated, the need to manually lift the device may be reduced, the risk of injury to personnel installing the device may be reduced, and/or the risk of threading and/or wear of one or more mechanical components or fixtures that may be used to secure and/or fasten the device to the container may be reduced. This in turn may reduce the risk of damage to the device and/or the container.

The first portion may be offset from a center of the elongated element in an axial direction.

The elongated element may be configured to be received in the hole of the device in a first configuration. In the first configuration, the first portion may engage with the section of the hole. The elongated element may be further configured to be received in the hole of the device in a second configuration. In the second configuration, the first portion may be provided or configured to be located a distance from the section of the hole of the device.

The first portion may comprise a spherical portion of the elongated element.

The first diameter may correspond to a large extent to a diameter of the section of the hole.

The second diameter may be smaller than a linear diameter of the section of the hole.

The elongate element may include a third portion for connecting the elongate element to the device.

The elongate element may include a guide rod.

The shape of a cross-section of the first portion may be a polygon.

The container may be part of or contained in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source. The device may be or contain a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC).

The elongated element may include a first end portion. The elongated element may include a second end portion. Each of the first end portion and the second end portion may be configured for mating with an adapter. Alternatively, each of the first end portion and the second end portion may be configured for mating with a hole of the device or the container.

The first end portion and the second end portion may each include a threaded section.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a reversible elongated element for joining a device to a container is provided, the elongated element comprising: a first portion having a first diameter, and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; and the device comprises a measuring device and/or a detection device.

The elongated element may be configured to be received in the hole of the container in a first configuration. In the first configuration, the first portion may engage with the section of the hole. The elongated element may be further configured to be received in the hole of the container in a second configuration. In the second configuration, the first portion may be configured to be located a distance from the section of the hole of the container.

The first diameter may correspond to a large extent to a diameter of the section of the hole of the container.

The second diameter may be smaller than a linear diameter of the section of the hole of the container.

The elongated element may include a third portion configured to connect the elongated element to the device.

Any features defined in relation to the elongated element of the above aspect may be applied to or included in the elongated element of this aspect.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an assembly for connecting a detection or measurement device to a container is provided, the assembly comprising: a reversible long element according to any of the above aspects, and an adapter for coupling the reversible long element to the container.

The adapter may be configured to mate with a first end portion or a second end portion of the elongated member and also to mate with the container.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a container for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source is provided, which comprises: a device connected to the container, and a positive and negative dual-purpose elongated element as in any of the above aspects.

The device may comprise a detection device or a metrology device or module.

The device may include a fuel droplet imager or camera for determining a position of a fuel droplet in the container.

The device may be a detection device which may include the hole.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a lithography system is provided, which comprises: an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source and a lithography device, wherein the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source comprises a container and a device connected to the container, the device is a detection and/or metrology device and a positive and negative dual-purpose elongated element as any one of the above aspects.

The elongated element can couple the container to the device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for coupling a device to a container is provided, the method comprising: providing a reversible elongated element comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the device to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; coupling the elongated element to the container such that when the elongated element is received in the hole of the device, the first portion of the elongated element is engaged with the second portion of the elongated element. The device is a detection device and/or a metrological device.

The step of removing the elongated element from the hole of the device and/or the step of flipping the elongated element may each occur while the device is initially still coupled to the container.

The container may be part of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source.

The step of coupling the elongated member to the container may include directly connecting the elongated member to the container.

The step of coupling the elongated member to the container may include providing an adapter. The step of coupling the elongated member to the container may include mounting the adapter on the container. The step of coupling the elongated member to the container may include connecting the elongated member to the adapter.

The step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device may include inserting the elongated element into the hole, for example, such that the first portion may be arranged at a certain space or distance from the section of the hole. The step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device may include inserting the elongated element into the hole such that the first portion is at least one of: engageable with or received in another section of the hole; and/or protruding or extending from the hole.

The method may include, for example, further aligning the device relative to the container prior to the step of fully securing the device to the container.

The method may include, for example, maintaining the elongated element in the hole of the device during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container and/or the step of fully securing the device to the container.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for coupling a device to a container is provided, the method comprising: providing a reversible elongated element comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; connecting the elongated element to the device so that when the elongated element is received in the hole of the container, the first portion of the elongated element can engage with the container; The device is a testing device and/or a metrological device.

The container may be contained in or be part of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source.

The step of removing the elongated element from the hole in the container and/or the step of flipping the elongated element may each occur while the device is initially still coupled to the container.

The elongated element may include a third portion configured to connect the elongated element to the device. The third portion may be threaded.

The step of connecting the elongated element to the device and/or the step of inserting the elongated member into the hole of the container may comprise connecting the third portion of the elongated element to a section of a hole of the device.

The step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the container may include inserting the elongated element into the hole of the container such that the first portion is received in another section of a hole of the device.

The method may include, for example, further aligning the device relative to the container prior to the step of fully securing the device to the container.

The method may include maintaining the elongate member in the aperture during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container and/or the step of fully securing the device to the container.

As will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, various aspects and features of the present invention described above or below may be combined with various other aspects and features of the present invention.

1:Laser

2: Laser beam

3: Fuel launcher

4: Plasma formation zone

5: Collector

6: Middle focus/point

7: Plasma

8: Open mouth

9: Shell/Container

10: Faceted field mirror device

11: Faceted pupil mirror device

13: Mirror

14: Mirror

16: Detection device/fuel droplet camera

18: Fuel droplet manipulation system

19: Controller

20: Assembly

22: Fasteners

24: Guide rod

26: Part 1

28: Part 2

30: First terminal part

32: Second terminal part

34: Adapter

34a: first convex part

34b: Second convex portion

34c: Thread section

34d: Thread section

34e: Engagement surface

34f: Concave part

34g: hole

34h: Chamfering section

34i: Thread section

36: Concave part

36a: hole

36b: Chamfered surface

36c: Thread section

36d: Engagement surface

40: Hole

40a: Section 1

40b: Second section

40d: Thread section

42: Hole

42a: Section

44: Convex part

44a: Chamfered surface

44b: Thread section

44c: Engagement surface

46: Part 3

46a: Thread section

105: Steps

110: Steps

115: Steps

120: Steps

125: Steps

130: Steps

135: Steps

140: Steps

205: Steps

210: Steps

215: Steps

220: Steps

225: Steps

230: Steps

235: Steps

240: Steps

A: Longitudinal direction

B: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation beam

C: Center

D: fuel droplets

D1: First diameter

D2: Second diameter

D3: Third diameter

DB1: First diameter

DB2: Second diameter

DV: Diameter

IL: Lighting system

L1: Length

L2: Length

LA: Lithography equipment

MA: Patterned devices/masks

MT: Support structure

PS: Projection system

SO: Radiation source

W: substrate

WT: substrate table

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 depicts a lithography system including a lithography apparatus and a radiation source according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 depicts a radiation source that can be used with the lithography system of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 depicts a portion of the radiation source of FIG. 2; FIG. 4A depicts an exemplary guide rod for coupling the apparatus to a container of the radiation source of FIG. 2 or 3; FIG. 4B depicts a cross-sectional view of the end portion of the guide rod of FIG. 4A; FIG. 4C depicts a front view of the end portion of FIG. 4B; FIG. 4D depicts an exemplary adapter for use with the guide rod of FIG. 4A; and FIGS. 5A and 5B depict the guide rod of FIG. 4A and the adapter installation of FIG. 4D. 2 ; FIGS. 5C and 5D depict guide rods received in a hole of a device according to one embodiment; FIG. 6A depicts another exemplary guide rod for coupling a device to a container; FIG. 6B depicts an exemplary adapter for use with the guide rod of FIG. 6A; FIGS. 6C and 6D depict embodiments of guide rods received in a hole of a device and adapters mounted to a container; FIGS. 7A and 7B depict another exemplary guide rod for coupling a device to a container; FIG. 8 depicts a flow chart outlining the steps of an embodiment of a method for coupling a device to a container according to the present invention; and FIG. 9 depicts a flow chart outlining the steps of another embodiment of a method for coupling a device to a container.

FIG1 shows a lithography system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The lithography system comprises a radiation source SO and a lithography apparatus LA. The radiation source SO is configured to generate an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation beam B. The lithography apparatus LA comprises an illumination system IL, a support structure MT configured to support a patterned device MA (e.g., a mask), a projection system PS, and a substrate table WT configured to support a substrate W. The illumination system IL is configured to condition the radiation beam B before the radiation beam B is incident on the patterned device MA. The projection system is configured to project the radiation beam B (now patterned by the mask MA) onto the substrate W. The substrate W may include a previously formed pattern. In this case, the lithography apparatus aligns the patterned radiation beam B with the pattern previously formed on the substrate W.

The radiation source SO, the illumination system IL and the projection system PS may all be constructed and arranged so that they can be isolated from the external environment. A gas (e.g., hydrogen) at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure may be provided in the radiation source SO. A vacuum may be provided in the illumination system IL and/or the projection system PS. A small amount of gas (e.g., hydrogen) at a pressure sufficiently lower than atmospheric pressure may be provided in the illumination system IL and/or the projection system PS.

The radiation source SO shown in FIG. 1 is of a type that may be referred to as a laser produced plasma (LPP) source. The laser 1, which may be, for example, a CO ₂ laser, is configured to deposit energy via a laser beam 2 into a fuel, such as tin (Sn), provided from a fuel emitter 3. Although tin is mentioned in the following description, any suitable fuel may be used. The fuel may, for example, be in liquid form and may, for example, be a metal or an alloy. The fuel emitter 3 may include a nozzle configured to guide tin, for example in the form of droplets, along a trajectory toward a plasma formation region 4. The laser beam 2 is incident on the tin at the plasma formation region 4. The deposition of the laser energy into the tin generates a plasma 7 at the plasma formation region 4. Radiation including EUV radiation is emitted from the plasma 7 during deexcitation and recombination of ions in the plasma.

EUV radiation is collected and focused by a near normal incidence radiation collector 5 (sometimes more commonly referred to as a normal incidence radiation collector). Collector 5 may have a surface having a multi-layer structure configured to reflect EUV radiation (e.g., EUV radiation having a wavelength such as 13.5 nm). Collector 5 may have an elliptical configuration having two elliptical foci. The first focus may be at the plasma formation region 4, and the second focus may be at the middle focus 6, as discussed below.

Laser 1 may be remote from radiation source SO. In this case, laser beam 2 may be transferred from laser 1 to radiation source SO by means of a beam delivery system (not shown) comprising, for example, suitable guide mirrors and/or beam expanders and/or other optical components. Laser 1 and radiation source SO may be considered together as a radiation system.

The radiation reflected by the collector 5 forms a radiation beam B. The radiation beam B is focused at a point 6 to form an image of the plasma forming region 4, which serves as a virtual radiation source for the illumination system IL. The point 6 at which the radiation beam B is focused may be referred to as the intermediate focus. The radiation source SO is configured so that the intermediate focus 6 is located at or near an opening 8 in the enclosure 9 of the radiation source.

A radiation beam B is transmitted from a radiation source SO to an illumination system IL which is configured to condition the radiation beam. The illumination system IL may include a faceted field mirror device 10 and a faceted pupil mirror device 11. The faceted field mirror device 10 and the faceted pupil mirror device 11 together provide the radiation beam B with a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired angular distribution. The radiation beam B is transmitted from the illumination system IL and is incident on a patterned device MA held by a support structure MT. The patterned device MA reflects and patterns the radiation beam B. In addition to or instead of the faceted field mirror device 10 and the faceted pupil mirror device 11, the illumination system IL may also include other mirrors or devices.

After reflection from the patterned device MA, the patterned radiation beam B enters the projection system PS. The projection system includes a plurality of mirrors 13, 14 configured to project the radiation beam B onto a substrate W held by a substrate table WT. The projection system PS may apply a reduction factor to the radiation beam to form an image with features smaller than the corresponding features on the patterned device MA. For example, a reduction factor of 4 may be applied. Although the projection system PS has two mirrors in FIG. 1 , the projection system may include any number of mirrors (e.g., six mirrors).

The radiation source SO shown in FIG. 1 may include unillustrated components. For example, a spectral filter may be provided in the radiation source. The spectral filter may substantially transmit EUV radiation but substantially block radiation of other wavelengths, such as infrared radiation.

FIG. 2 shows a radiation source SO for use with the lithography system shown in FIG. 1 . The radiation source SO comprises a housing 9 which may be provided in the form of a container. The radiation source SO comprises a detection device 16 which is coupled to or mounted on the container 9. The detection device 16 may be provided in the form of a metrological device or module such as, for example, a fuel droplet imager or camera, and may be referred to hereinafter simply as a device, indicating a detection and/or metrological device. The fuel droplet imager or camera will be referred to as "fuel droplet camera 16" in the following description. The fuel droplet camera 16 may be part of a fuel droplet manipulation system 18, which includes a controller 19 and a fuel emitter 3 and may alternatively be referred to as a fuel droplet manipulation camera, such as a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC). The fuel droplet camera 16 may be provided for determining the position of a fuel droplet D in a container 9, for example relative to a plasma formation region 4. The fuel droplet camera 16 may communicate with the controller 19. The controller 19 may be configured to control the fuel emitter 3. For example, in response to the determination made by the fuel droplet camera 16, the controller 19 may control the fuel emitter 3 to adjust the fuel droplet release time and/or the fuel droplet release direction, thereby controlling the trajectory of the fuel droplet D toward the plasma formation zone 4. The fuel droplet camera 16 may be provided in the form of a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC), which has a large viewing angle and allows coarse adjustment of the position of the fuel droplets in the container 9. Alternatively or in addition, the fuel droplet camera 16 may be provided in the form of a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC), which has a smaller viewing angle than the CDSC and allows fine adjustment of the position of the fuel droplets in the container 9. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the controller may also communicate with the laser system or a portion thereof to adjust the position of the laser beam within the container, for example in response to a determination made by the fuel droplet camera.

The radiation source SO comprises an assembly 20 for coupling the fuel droplet camera 16 to the container 9, which will be described in more detail below.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of the radiation source SO of FIG. 2 . The fuel droplet camera 16 is mounted on the container 9 by a plurality of mechanical parts or fasteners 22, four of which are shown in FIG. 3 . The fasteners 22 may be provided in the form of screws or bolts or the like. FIG. 3 also shows a portion of an assembly 20. As will be described below, the assembly 20 includes a reversible elongated element which may be provided in the form of guide rods 24. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the assembly 20 includes two guide rods 24. However, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the assembly may include more or less than two guide rods. Although the device described in the combined figure is a fuel droplet camera 16, it should be understood that in various embodiments, the principles of the present invention can be applied to any of a variety of other detection, measurement or other devices connected to another component, such as the container 9 illustrated in Figure 3.

FIG. 4A shows an exemplary guide rod 24 for coupling a fuel droplet camera 16 to a container 9 according to one embodiment. The guide rod 24 includes a first portion 26. The first portion 26 includes a first diameter D1. The guide rod 24 includes a second portion 28. The second portion 28 includes a second diameter D2. The first diameter D1 is greater than the second diameter D2. The first portion 26 is configured to engage with a section of the aperture of the fuel droplet camera 16 to support the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or align the fuel droplet camera 16 relative to the container 9, as will be described below. This can help to install the fuel droplet camera 16 on the container 9, reduce the need for a hand-held fuel droplet camera 16, reduce the risk of injury to personnel installing the fuel droplet camera 16, and/or reduce the risk of thread misthreading and/or wear of the fastener 22. This in turn can reduce the risk of damage to the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or the container 9.

As can be seen from FIG. 4A , the first portion 26 is offset from the center C of the guide rod 24 in the axial or longitudinal direction A. The first portion 26 extends between the second portion 28 and an end portion of the guide rod 24. The second portion 28 extends between the first portion 26 and the other end portion of the guide rod 24. The first portion 26 and the second portion 28 of the guide rod 24 are configured to be coaxial. The extension or length L1 of the first portion 26 in the axial or longitudinal direction is less than the extension or length L2 of the second portion 28 in the axial or longitudinal direction. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the extension or length of the first portion is greater than or the same as the extension or length of the second portion. It should also be understood that one or more dimensions of the guide rod 24, such as, for example, the first diameter D1, the second diameter D2, the extension or length L1 of the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24, and/or the extension or length L2 of the second portion 28, can be selected based on one or more dimensions of the hole of the fuel droplet camera 16, such as, for example, one or more diameters, thickness, or width of the hole of the fuel droplet camera 16.

The first portion 26 and/or the second portion 28 may have a circular cross-section. Alternatively, the first portion 26 and/or the second portion 28 may have a cross-section defining a polygon or other shape. The polygonal shape has a circumscribed circle that includes the circumscribed circle radius. The term "circumscribed circle" may be considered to encompass a circle that passes through all vertices of the polygonal shape. The first diameter D1 and/or the second diameter D2 may be considered to encompass twice the radius of the circular shape or twice the circumscribed circle radius of the circumscribed circle. It should be understood that any other portion of the guide rod may have the same or similar cross-section as the first portion and/or the second portion.

The first portion 26 may include a spherical portion of the guide rod 24. This may help fit with a specific section of the hole of the fuel droplet camera 16. The first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 may be considered to be the diameter of the cross section taken at the widest portion of the spherical portion of the guide rod 24.

The first portion 26 and the second portion 28 of the guide rod 4 may define discrete or distinct portions of the guide rod 24. The guide rod 24 includes a first end portion 30 and a second end portion 32. The first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 may be configured for coupling the guide rod 24 to the container 9. In some embodiments, an adapter may be used to couple the guide rod 24 to the container 9. In such embodiments, the guide rod 24 may be configured to connect to the adapter. Each of the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 is configured for mating with the adapter (or portion thereof), as will be described below. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the guide rod may be directly connected to the container without an adapter.

FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 4A. Although the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24 are shown as being substantially the same in FIG. 4A, they may be different in other embodiments. FIG. 4C shows a side view of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 shown in FIG. 4B in a partial cross-sectional view. Referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 each include a concave portion 36. The concave portion 36 includes a hole 36a for receiving a portion of the adapter. The concave portion 36 has a chamfered surface 36b. The chamfered surface 36b may be provided to facilitate inserting the guide rod 24 into the hole of the fuel droplet camera 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 each include a threaded section 36c. The threaded section 36c of the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 can be configured to engage with a threaded section of an adapter, for example to allow the guide rod 24 to be connected to the adapter. Although the first and second end portions are described as each including a concave portion, in other embodiments, the first and/or second end portions may include a convex portion.

The first and second end portions 30, 32 may include a plurality of engagement surfaces 36d, four of which are shown in FIG. 4B. The engagement surfaces 36d may include flat or planar surfaces. The chamfered surfaces 36b may be inserted between the engagement surfaces 36d. The engagement surfaces 36d may be configured to engage with a tool such as a wrench or a screwdriver or the like. The tool may be used to connect the guide rod 24 to the adapter or container 9.

FIG. 4D shows an exemplary adapter 34 for use with the guide rod 24. The adapter 34 may be part of or included in the assembly 20. The adapter 34 may be provided for mounting on the container 9, as will be described below. The adapter 34 may be configured to engage with the guide rod 24 to couple and/or mount the guide rod 24 to the container 9. Using the adapter 34 to couple and/or mount the guide rod 24 to the container 9 may reduce or prevent damage to the hole of the container 9 (e.g., the threaded section of the hole of the container 9).

The adapter 34 is configured to mate with the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24. In this embodiment, the adapter 34 includes a first male portion 34a for inserting into the hole 36a of the female portion 36 of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32. The adapter 34 may include a second male portion 34b for mounting the adapter 34 on the container 9. The first male portion 34a of the adapter 34 includes a threaded section 34c for engaging with the threaded section of the female portion 36 of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24, for example, to allow the guide rod 24 to be connected to the adapter 34. The second convex portion 34b includes a threaded section 34d for engaging with a threaded section of a hole in the container 9, for example to allow the adapter 34 to be connected to the container 9.

The adapter 34 includes a plurality of engagement surfaces 34e, one of which is shown in FIG. 4D. The engagement surface 34e may include a flat or planar surface. The engagement surface 34e may be configured to engage with a tool such as a wrench or a screwdriver or the like. The tool may be used to connect the adapter 34 to the container 9.

5A and 5B show the assembly 20 mounted to the container 9. The assembly 20 includes a guide rod 24 coupled to the container 9 via an adapter 34 mounted on the container 9. The guide rod 24 can be coupled to the container 9 so that the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is close to the container 9, as shown in FIG. 5A. The first end portion 30 of the guide rod 24 is connected to the adapter 34. Alternatively, the guide rod 24 can be coupled to the container so that the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is distal to the container 9, as shown in FIG. 5B. The second end portion 32 is connected to the adapter 34.

FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D show the guide rod 24 received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. In this embodiment, the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 has a first section 40a and a second section 40b. The first section 40a of the hole 40 has a first diameter DB1 and the second section 40b of the hole 40 has a second diameter DB2. The second diameter DB2 of the second section 40b of the hole 40 is smaller than the first diameter DB1 of the first section 40a of the hole 40. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the hole of the fuel droplet camera may have a uniform diameter.

The guide rod 24 can be received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in a first configuration as shown in FIG. 5C . In the first configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is engaged with the first section 40a of the hole 40. In other words, in the first configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 can be engaged with, adjacent to and/or in contact with the first section 40a of the hole 40, for example to support the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or align the fuel droplet camera 16 relative to the container 9. In the first configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is snugly received in the first section 40a of the hole 40, for example to facilitate installation of the fuel droplet camera 16 on the container 9, reduce the risk of injury to personnel installing the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or reduce the risk of thread misthreading and/or wear of the fixing 22. This in turn can reduce the risk of damage to the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or the container 9. In use, when the guide rod 24 is received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in the first configuration, the fuel droplet camera can be initially engaged or attached to the container 9.

As can be seen from FIG. 5C , the first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 corresponds largely to the first diameter DB1 of the first section 40a of the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. In one exemplary embodiment, the first diameter DB1 of the first section 40a of the hole can be approximately 10 mm and the first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 can be approximately 9.38 mm, but other configurations and dimensions are used in other embodiments. There can be a small space or gap between the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 and the first section 40a of the hole 40, but in this first configuration of FIG. 5C , there is a snug or tight fit. In the configuration of FIG. 5C , it can also be seen that the second diameter D2 of the second portion 28 is significantly smaller than the second diameter DB2 of the second section 40b of the hole 40. By configuring the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 so that the first diameter D1 corresponds largely to the first diameter DB1 of the first section 40a of the hole, a tight fit reduces or prevents the fuel droplet camera 16 from sagging relative to the container 9. This in turn can result in improved alignment between the fuel droplet camera 16 and the container 9. Additionally, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 can support the fuel droplet camera 16, which can alleviate the need to manually lift the fuel droplet camera 16.

The guide rod 24 can be configured to be received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in a second configuration such as shown in FIG. 5D. In the second configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is released from the first section 40a of the hole 40. In other words, the guide rod 24 is configured so that the first portion 26 engages with a different portion of the hole 40, i.e., is received in a different portion of the hole 40, i.e., is arranged at a certain distance or space from the first section 40a of the hole and does not touch or abut the first section 40a of the hole 40. In this embodiment, in the second configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is disposed in the second section 40b of the hole 40, the second section 40b being wider than the first section 40a, i.e., the second diameter DB2 of the second section 40b is greater than the first diameter DB1 of the first section 40a. This provides a loose fit. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments the first portion of the guide rod (or a portion thereof) may extend from or protrude from the hole of the fuel droplet camera. In use, when the guide rod 24 is received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in the second configuration, the fuel droplet camera may be fully and finally secured to the container 9, as will be described below. During use of the radiation source SO, the guide rod 24 may remain or be maintained in the second configuration.

As can be seen from FIG. 5D , the second diameter D2 is smaller than the first diameter DB1 of the first section 40a of the hole 40. The second portion 28 can be configured such that the second diameter D2 is smaller than the second diameter DB2 of the second section 40b of the hole 40. In one embodiment, the second diameter D2 of the second portion 28 of the guide rod 24 can be approximately 8 mm. In some embodiments, the second diameter DB2 of the second section 40b of the hole 40 can be approximately 12 mm, but other dimensions can be used in other embodiments. The space or gap between the second portion 28 of the guide rod 24 and the second section 40b of the hole 40 in FIG. 5C is larger than the space or gap between the first portion 26 and the first section 40a of the hole 40, and can be approximately 2 mm. There is also a space or gap between the second portion 28 and the first section 40d of the hole 40 to provide a less constrained loose fit. This can avoid contact between the guide rod 24 and the hole 40, for example when the fuel droplet camera 16 is fully fixed to the container 9. In the second configuration, the guide rod 24 may also not constrain further alignment of the fuel droplet camera 16 relative to the container 9, such as precise alignment.

As can be seen from FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D , the adapter 34 is configured to be mated with the container 9 . In these embodiments, the second convex portion 34b of the adapter 34 is received in the hole 42 of the container 9 and connected to the hole 42 of the container 9 .

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D , a fuel droplet camera 16 is provided as an example of a device that can be coupled to the container 9, and the fuel droplet camera 16 can be a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC). However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, another type of fuel droplet camera or any of a variety of other metrology tools can be additionally or alternatively mounted to the container.

FIG. 6A shows another exemplary guide rod 24 for coupling a device such as a fuel droplet camera 16 to a container such as a container 9. The guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 6A is similar to the guide rod 24 described above with respect to FIGS. 3 to 5D. Thus, any features described above with respect to the guide rod shown in FIGS. 3 to 5D may also be applied to the guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 6A.

In this embodiment, the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 each include a convex portion 44. The convex portion 44 has a chamfered surface 44a. The chamfered surface 44a can be provided to facilitate inserting the guide rod 24 into the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 each include a threaded section 44b, for example, for engaging with a threaded section of an adapter. The threaded sections 44b of the first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 can be configured to allow the guide rod 24 to be connected to the adapter 34, but in other embodiments, the threaded sections 44b can provide direct engagement with the threaded section of the container. The first end portion 30 and the second end portion 32 can include a plurality of engaging surfaces 44c. The engagement surface 44c may include a flat or planar surface. The engagement surface 44c may be configured to engage with a tool such as a wrench or a screwdriver or the like. The tool may be used to connect the guide rod 24 to the adapter 34.

FIG. 6B shows an exemplary adapter 34 for use with the guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 6A. The adapter 34 shown in FIG. 6B is similar to the adapter 34 described above with respect to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5D. Thus, any features described above with respect to the adapter shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5D may also be applied to the adapter 34 shown in FIG. 6B.

In this embodiment, the adapter 34 includes a concave portion 34f for receiving the convex portion 44 of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24. The concave portion 34f is defined by a hole 34g. The hole 34g includes a chamfered section 34h. The chamfered section 34h of the hole 34g can be configured to facilitate the insertion of the convex portion 44 of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24 into the hole 34g of the adapter 34. In other words, the concave portion 34f of the adapter 34 can be configured to facilitate the connection between the guide rod 24 and the adapter 34. The concave portion 34f includes a surface having a threaded section 34i for engaging with the threaded section 44b of the convex portion 44 of the first end portion 30 or the second end portion 32 of the guide rod 24, for example to allow the guide rod 24 to be connected to the adapter 34. The threaded section 34i is disposed in the hole 34g of the concave portion 34f of the adapter 34.

It should be understood that in other embodiments, the guide rod shown in FIG. 6A can be directly connected to the container. For example, the first and second end portions can each be configured to mate with a hole in the container. The first and second end portions can include a threaded section for engaging with a threaded section of the hole, for example to allow the guide rod to be connected to the container.

FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D show an assembly 20 including the guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 6A and the adapter 34 mounted to the container 9 shown in FIG. 6B. FIG. 6C shows the guide rod 24 inserted or received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in a first configuration, as described above with respect to FIG. 5C. FIG. 6D shows the guide rod 24 inserted or received in the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in a second configuration, as described above with respect to FIG. 5D. Thus, any of the features described above, for example with respect to FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D, may also be applied to the embodiments shown in FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show another exemplary guide rod 24 for joining two devices such as a fuel droplet camera 16 and a container 9 together. The guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B is similar to the guide rod 24 described above with respect to FIG. 3 to FIG. 6D. Thus, any features described above with respect to the guide rod shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6D may also be applied to the guide rod 24 shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B , the wider first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is configured to engage with the section 42 a of the hole 42 of the container 9. As can be seen from FIGS. 7A and 7B , the hole 42 of the container 9 has a uniform diameter DV. The guide rod 24 is configured to be received in the hole 42 of the container 9 in a first configuration, which is shown in FIG. 7A . In the first configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 engages with the section 42 a of the hole 42 of the container 9. In other words, in the first configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 may engage, abut and/or contact the section 42a of the hole 42 and be received fairly tightly to support the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or align the fuel droplet camera 16 relative to the container 9. This may facilitate mounting the fuel droplet camera 16 on the container 9, reduce the need for hand-held lifting of the fuel droplet camera 16, reduce the risk of injury to personnel mounting the fuel droplet camera 16, and/or reduce the risk of threading and/or wear of the fastener 22. This, in turn, may reduce the risk of damage to the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or the container 9. In use, when the guide rod 24 is received in the hole 42 of the fuel droplet camera 16 in the first configuration, the fuel droplet camera can be loosely coupled or attached to the container 9.

As mentioned, in FIGS. 7A and 7B , the hole 42 of the container 9 has a uniform diameter DV. In the embodiment of the first configuration of FIG. 7A , the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 is configured so that the first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 largely corresponds to the diameter of the segment 42a, i.e., the uniform diameter DV of the hole 42 of the container 9. In other words, the first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 is approximately the same as the uniform diameter DV of the segment 42a of the hole 42 of the container 9, thereby providing a snug fit. As described above, one or more dimensions of the guide rod 24, such as, for example, the first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 and/or the second diameter D2 of the second portion 28, can be selected based on one or more dimensions of the hole 42 of the container 9, such as the diameter DV, thickness, or width of the hole 42.

The guide rod 24 can be configured to be received in the hole 42 of the container 9 in the second configuration, which is shown in FIG. 7B . In the second configuration, the first portion 26 of the guide rod 24 does not engage with the section 42a of the hole 42 of the container. In this embodiment of the second configuration, the guide rod 24 is configured so that the first portion 26 is only disposed at a certain distance or space from the section 42a of the hole 42 and/or cannot be adjacent to or contact the section 42a of the hole 42 of the container 9. In this embodiment, the first portion 26 is positioned in the second section 40b of the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. In use, when the guide rod 24 is received in the hole 42 of the container in the second configuration, the fuel droplet camera 16 can be completely fixed to the container 9. The guide rod 24 can remain in the second configuration as described above during use of the radiation source SO.

Still referring to FIG. 7B , the narrower second portion 28 of the guide rod 24 is disposed in the hole 42 of the container 9 such that the second diameter D2 is smaller than the first diameter D1 of the first portion 26 and also smaller than the diameter DV of the hole 42 of the container 9 , as shown in FIG. 7B . This provides a looser configuration compared to the configuration of the first configuration of FIG. 7A , and can avoid contact between the guide rod 24 and the hole 42 , for example, when the fuel droplet camera 16 is fully secured to the container 9 . The clearance provided by the looser fit also allows the guide rod 24 to not constrain further alignment, such as precise alignment, of the fuel droplet camera 16 relative to the container 9 .

The guide rod 24 can be configured to be connected to the fuel droplet camera 16. For example, the guide rod 24 can be configured to be received in and/or connected to the first section 40a of the bore 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. In this embodiment, the guide rod 24 includes a third portion 46 configured to connect the guide rod 24 to the fuel droplet camera 16. The third portion 46 is disposed between the first portion 26 and the second portion 28. The third portion 46 includes a third diameter D3 (shown in FIG. 7A ), which corresponds to the diameter DB1 of the first section 40a of the bore 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. The third portion 46 can include a threaded section 46a. The threaded section 46a of the third portion 46 may be configured to engage with the threaded section 40d of the first section 40a of the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16. This may allow the guide rod 24 to be connected to the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16.

As described above, the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 may include a second section 40b. The diameter DB2 of the second section 40b is greater than the diameter DB1 of the first section 40a. In this embodiment, the diameter DB2 of the second section 40b of the hole may be greater than the third diameter D3 of the third portion 46 of the guide rod 24, for example to allow the guide rod 24 to be inserted into the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16 and/or removed from the hole 40 of the fuel droplet camera 16.

FIG8 shows a flow chart outlining the steps of a method for coupling a device to a container. In various embodiments, the device may be a detection or metrology device, and the device may be, for example, a fuel droplet manipulation camera, such as, for example, a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC). In step 105, the method includes providing a reversible guide rod for coupling the device to the container. The guide rod may be provided in the form of any of the guide rods described with respect to FIGS. 4A to 6D.

In step 110, the method includes coupling a guide rod to a container such that, for example, a first portion of the guide rod can engage with a section of the hole when the guide rod is received in a hole of a device. In other words, the guide rod can be coupled to the container such that when the device is configured relative to the container (such as in step 115), the guide rod is received or can be received in the hole of the device in a first configuration as described above. In the first configuration, the guide rod is tightly received in the hole such that the first portion of the guide rod is disposed within a section of the hole, which section may be narrower than another section of the hole and/or may be referred to as a "first section." However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the hole may have a uniform diameter. In such embodiments, the guide rod is tightly received in the hole so that the first portion of the guide rod is disposed within a section of the hole in the first configuration. The step of coupling the guide rod to the container may optionally include providing an adapter and mounting the adapter on the container. As described above, the adapter may be configured to mate with the container (e.g., the hole of the container). The guide rod may then be connected to the adapter, such as so that the first portion of the guide rod is adjacent to the container. In other words, the first end portion of the guide rod may be connected to the adapter. Alternatively, the step of coupling the guide rod to the container may include directly connecting the guide rod to the container, such as so that the first portion of the guide rod is adjacent to the container.

In step 115, the method includes configuring the device relative to the container so that the guide rod is inserted into or received in a hole in the device.

In step 120, the method includes initially engaging the device to the container. One or more mechanical components or fasteners, such as, for example, screws or bolts or the like, may be used to loosely and/or initially engage or attach the device to the container. With the guide rod inserted or received in the hole (as in step 115) and with the first portion of the guide rod snugly received in the first section of the hole, the device is supported by the guide rod and/or the device is aligned relative to the container. This may facilitate mounting of the device on the container, reduce the need for hand-held lifting devices (such as fuel droplet manipulation cameras, for example), reduce the risk of injury to personnel mounting the device and/or reduce the risk of threading and/or wear of fixings. This in turn may reduce the risk of damage to the device and/or container.

In step 125, the method includes removing the guide rod from the bore of the device.

In step 130, the method includes flipping the guide rod. In other words, the guide rod can be rotated. Step 125 of removing the guide rod from the hole of the device and/or step 130 of flipping the guide rod can each occur when the device is initially still connected to the container.

In step 135, the method includes inserting the guide rod back into the hole of the device in the opposite orientation, i.e., such that the first portion of the guide rod does not engage the narrower section of the hole of the device. The guide rod can be inserted into the hole so that the first portion is arranged at a distance or space from the first section of the hole. In other words, the guide rod can be inserted into the hole of the device so that the guide rod is received in the hole of the device in the second configuration (i.e., the looser configuration) as described above. This can provide sufficient clearance or space between the guide rod and the hole to fully secure the device to the container without being constrained. It will be appreciated that the guide rod may be inserted into the hole of the device such that the first portion engages or is received within another section of the hole (e.g., a wider section of the hole), which may be referred to as the second section. Alternatively, the guide rod may be inserted into the hole of the device such that the first portion (or a portion thereof) extends or protrudes from the hole of the device. The method may include connecting the second end portion of the guide rod to the adapter.

In step 140, the method includes fully securing the device to the container. For example, the fixture may be fully secured to secure the device to the container. The guide rod assembly (or a portion thereof) may remain or be maintained in the bore of the device, for example during operation of the radiation source. It should be understood that the metrology or detection device may also be aligned relative to the container, for example due to the gap achieved by the second configuration before fully securing the fuel droplet camera to the container. The guide rod (or a portion thereof) may remain or be maintained in the bore of the fuel droplet camera, for example during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container.

In the method embodiments described above, the hole is in a device such as a fuel droplet camera (such as in Figures 5A to 5D), but in other embodiments (such as in Figures 7A and 7B), the hole may be in the container 9.

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart outlining the steps of another method for coupling a device, such as a detection or metrology device, to a container. In step 205, the method includes providing a reversible guide rod for coupling the detection or metrology device to the container. In this embodiment, the guide rod may be provided in the form of the guide rod 24 described with respect to FIGS. 7A and 7B. The device may be provided in the form of a fuel droplet camera, such as, for example, a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC), although other devices may be used in other embodiments.

In step 210, the method includes connecting the guide rod to the device so that, for example, a first portion of the guide rod can engage with a section of the hole when the guide rod is received in the hole of the container. In other words, the guide rod can be connected to the device so that the guide rod is received or receivable in the hole of the container in a first configuration, as described above in conjunction with Figure 7A. The step of connecting the guide rod to the device may include connecting a third portion of the guide rod to the first section of the hole of the device.

In step 215, the method includes configuring the device relative to the container so that the guide rod is inserted into the hole of the container, such as shown in Figure 7A. This may involve using a thread to configure the device relative to the container so that the guide rod is inserted into the hole of the container, such as the thread of the third portion of Figure 7A.

In step 220, the method includes initially engaging the device to the container. As described above, one or more mechanical components or fasteners, such as, for example, screws or bolts or the like, may be used to loosely and initially engage or attach the device to the container. When the guide rod is received in the bore of the container, a first portion of the guide rod may become fairly tightly engaged with a section of the bore of the container, such as to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container. This may facilitate mounting the device on the container, reduce the need to manually lift the device, reduce the risk of injury to personnel installing the device, and/or reduce the risk of threading and/or wear of the fasteners. This, in turn, may reduce the risk of damage to the device and/or the container.

In step 225, the method includes removing the guide rod from the hole of the container. In some embodiments (such as the embodiment shown in Figure 7A), this may involve unscrewing the guide rod.

In step 230, the method includes flipping the guide rod. In other words, the guide rod can be rotated. Step 225 of removing the guide rod from the hole of the container and/or step 230 of flipping the guide rod can each occur when the device is initially still connected to the container.

In step 235, the method includes inserting the guide rod into the hole of the container such that the first portion is released from a section of the hole of the container. In other words, the guide rod can be inserted into the hole of the container such that the guide rod is received in the hole of the container in a second configuration, such as such that the second portion of the guide rod is disposed in the hole of the container, which hole can have a uniform diameter, as described above in conjunction with Figures 7A and 7B. The step of inserting the guide rod into the hole of the container (230) can include inserting the guide rod into the hole such that the first portion is received in another section (e.g., the second section) of the hole of the device. The step of inserting the guide rod into the hole of the container (230) can also include connecting the third portion of the guide rod to the first section of the hole of the device.

In step 240, the method includes fully securing the detection device to the container. For example, various types of mechanical components or fixtures can be used to fully secure and tighten the device to the container. The method can include, for example, maintaining a guide rod (or a portion thereof) in a bore of the device and/or a bore of the container during the step of fully securing the device to the container. For example, the guide rod can remain connected to the device and/or in the bore of the container during operation of the radiation source. It should be understood that a metrological or detection device such as a fuel droplet camera can also be aligned relative to the container, for example due to the gap achieved by the second configuration before fully securing the device to the container. The guide rod (or a portion thereof) can be maintained or maintained in the bore of the device and/or the bore of the container, for example, during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container.

It should be understood that the method disclosed herein for attaching a detection device to a container is not limited to the steps and/or order of steps described above. It should be understood that in other embodiments, one or more steps of the disclosed method may be used in combination with each other or in isolation from each other.

Although the devices and assemblies are often mentioned above in relation to using guide rods to mount a fuel droplet camera to a container, it should be understood that the guide rods and/or assemblies disclosed herein may be used to mount other devices or devices to another component or portion of a lithography system or to a portion or component of another system.

It will be appreciated that the term "the guide rod is received or inserted into a bore of a device or container" may be considered to cover the guide rod being at least partially or completely inserted or received in a bore of a fuel droplet camera or container.

The term "joining the fuel droplet camera to the container" may be considered to cover mounting the fuel droplet camera on the container. The terms "joining" and "mounting" may be used interchangeably. The terms "mechanical component" and "fastener" may be used interchangeably.

The term "EUV radiation" may be considered to cover electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of 4nm to 20nm, for example in the range of 13nm to 14nm. EUV radiation may have a wavelength less than 10nm, for example, a wavelength in the range of 4nm to 10nm, such as 6.7nm or 6.8nm.

Although FIG1 depicts the radiation source SO as a laser produced plasma LPP source, any suitable source may be used to generate EUV radiation. For example, EUV emitting plasma may be generated by using an electrical discharge to convert a fuel (e.g. tin) into a plasma state. This type of radiation source may be referred to as a discharge produced plasma (DPP) source. The discharge may be generated by a power supply which may form part of the radiation source or may be a separate entity connected to the radiation source SO via electrical connections.

Although specific reference may be made herein to the use of lithography apparatus in IC manufacturing, it should be understood that the lithography apparatus described herein may have other applications. Possible other applications include the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guide and detection patterns for magnetic resonance memory, flat panel displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), thin film magnetic heads, etc.

Other aspects of the invention are described in the following numbered clauses.

1. A reversible elongated element for coupling a device to a container, the elongated element comprising: a first portion having a first diameter; and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter; the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the device or the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; and the device comprising a metrological device and/or a detection device.

2. A reversible elongated element as in clause 1, wherein the first portion is offset from a center of the elongated element in an axial direction.

3. A reversible elongated element as in clause 1 or 2, wherein the elongated element is configured to be received in the hole of the device or the container in a first configuration, and is further configured to be received in the hole of the device or the container in a second configuration, in which the first portion is engageable with the section of the hole, and in which the first portion is configured to be located at a distance from the section of the hole of the device or the container in the second configuration.

4. A reversible elongated element as claimed in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first portion comprises a spherical portion of the elongated element.

5. A reversible elongated element as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the first diameter corresponds to a large extent to a diameter of the section of the hole.

6. A reversible elongated element as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second diameter is smaller than a straight diameter of the section of the hole.

7. A reversible elongated element as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the elongated element comprises a third portion configured to connect the elongated element to the device.

8. A reversible elongated element as claimed in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the elongated element comprises a guide rod.

9. A reversible long element as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein a cross-section of the first portion is a polygon.

10. A reversible elongated element as in any preceding clause, wherein the container is a component of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source and the device is a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC).

11. A reversible elongated element as in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the elongated element comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, each of the first end portion and the second end portion being configured to mate with an adapter or the hole of the device or the container.

12. A reversible elongated element as in clause 11, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion each comprise a threaded section.

13. An assembly for connecting a detection or measurement device to a container, the assembly comprising: a reversible elongated element as in any one of clauses 1 to 10, and an adapter for coupling the elongated element to the container.

14. The assembly of clause 13, wherein the adapter is configured to mate with a first end or a second end portion of the elongated element and to mate with the container.

15. A container for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source, comprising: a device coupled to the container; and a reversible elongated element as claimed in any one of clauses 1 to 9.

16. A container as claimed in clause 15, wherein the device comprises a fuel droplet imager or camera for determining a position of a fuel droplet in the container.

17. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein the device comprises a detection device for the hole.

18. A lithography system comprising: an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source; and a lithography apparatus, wherein the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source comprises a container and a device coupled to the container, the device being a detection device and/or a metrology tool; and a reversible elongated element as in any one of clauses 1 to 12.

19. A lithography system as in clause 18, wherein the reversible elongated element couples the container to the device.

20. A method for coupling a device to a container, the method comprising: providing a reversible elongated member comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the device to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; coupling the elongated member to the container such that when the elongated member is received in the hole of the device, the first portion of the elongated member can engage with a section of the hole; the section engages; configuring the device relative to the container so that the elongated element is received in the hole of the device and the first portion of the elongated element is disposed at the section of the hole; initially engaging the device to the container using a mechanical component; removing the elongated element from the hole of the device; flipping the elongated element; inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device so that the first portion does not engage with the section of the hole of the device; and fully securing the device to the container, wherein the device is a detection device and/or a metrological device.

21. The method of clause 20, wherein the step of removing the elongated element from the hole of the device and the step of flipping the elongated element each occur while the device is initially still coupled to the container.

22. A method according to clause 20 or 21, wherein the container is part of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source.

23. The method of any one of clauses 20 to 22, wherein the step of coupling the elongated element to the container comprises directly connecting the elongated element to the container.

24. The method of any one of clauses 20 to 22, wherein the step of coupling the elongated element to the container comprises: providing an adapter, mounting the adapter on the container, and connecting the elongated element to the adapter.

25. The method of any one of clauses 20 to 24, wherein the step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device comprises inserting the elongated element into the hole such that the first portion is arranged to be located at a certain space or distance from the section of the hole.

26. The method of clause 25, wherein the step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device comprises inserting the elongated element into the hole so that the first portion is at least one of: engaged with or received in another section of the hole; or protrudes or extends from the hole.

27. A method according to any one of clauses 20 to 26, wherein the method comprises further aligning the device relative to the container before the step of fully securing the device to the container.

28. The method of clause 27, wherein the method comprises maintaining the elongated element in the hole of the device during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container.

29. A method for coupling a device to a container, the method comprising: providing a reversible elongated member comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; coupling the elongated member to the device such that when the elongated member is received in the hole of the container, the first portion of the elongated member can engage with a section of the hole of the container; the section engages; configuring the device relative to the container so that the elongated element is received in the hole of the container and the first portion of the elongated element is disposed at the section of the hole; initially engaging the detection device to the container using a mechanical component; removing the elongated element from the hole of the container; flipping the elongated element; inserting the elongated element into the hole of the container so that the first portion does not engage with the section of the hole of the container; and fully securing the detection device to the container, wherein the device is a detection device and/or a metrological device.

30. The method of clause 29, wherein the container is part of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source.

31. The method of clause 29 or 30, wherein the step of removing the elongated element from the hole in the container and the step of flipping the elongated element each occur while the device is initially still coupled to the container.

32. A method as claimed in any one of clauses 29 to 31, wherein the elongated element comprises a threaded third portion configured to connect the elongated element to the device.

33. The method of clause 32, wherein the step of connecting the elongated element to the device and/or the step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the container comprises connecting the threaded third portion of the elongated element to a section of a hole of the device.

34. A method as claimed in any one of clauses 29 to 33, wherein the method comprises further aligning the device relative to the container before the step of fully securing the device to the container.

35. The method of clause 34, wherein the method comprises maintaining the elongated member in the hole during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that the present invention may be practiced in other ways than those described. The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the present invention as described without departing from the scope of the claims set forth below.

9: Shell/Container

20: Assembly

24: Guide rod

26: Part 1

28: Part 2

30: First terminal part

32: Second terminal part

34: Adapter

34e: Engagement surface

Claims (25)

A reversible elongate element for coupling a device to a container, the elongate element comprising: a first portion having a first diameter; and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter; the first portion being configured for engagement with a section of a hole in the device or the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; and the device comprising a metrological device and/or a detection device. A reversible long element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first portion is offset from a center of the long element in an axial direction. A reversible elongated element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated element is configured to be received in the hole of the device or the container in a first configuration, and is further configured to be received in the hole of the device or the container in a second configuration, in which the first portion can be engaged with the section of the hole, and in which the first portion is configured to be located at a certain distance from the section of the hole of the device or the container in the second configuration. A reversible long element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first portion includes a bulbous portion of the long element. A reversible elongated element as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first diameter corresponds to a large extent to a diameter of the section of the hole. A reversible long element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second diameter is smaller than a straight diameter of the section of the hole. A reversible elongated element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated element includes a third portion configured to connect the elongated element to the device. As in claim 1, the reversible long element, wherein the cross-section of the first portion is a polygon. A reversible elongated element as claimed in claim 3, wherein the container is a component of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source and the device is a fine droplet manipulation camera (FDSC) or a coarse droplet manipulation camera (CDSC). A reversible elongated element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated element comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, each of the first end portion and the second end portion being configured to be matched with the hole of an adapter or the device or the container. A reversible long element as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion each include a threaded section. A container for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source, comprising: a device coupled to the container; and a reversible elongated element for coupling the device to the container, the elongated element comprising: a first portion having a first diameter; and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter; the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the device or the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; and the device comprising a metrology device and/or a detection device. A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device includes a fuel droplet imager or camera for determining a position of a fuel droplet in the container. A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device includes a detection device for the hole. A lithography system, comprising: an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source; and a lithography device, wherein the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source comprises a container and an additional device coupled to the container, the additional device being a detection device and/or a metrology tool; and a reversible elongated element for coupling the additional device to the container, the elongated element comprising: a first portion having a first diameter; and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter; The first portion is configured to engage with a section of a hole of the device or the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container, wherein the reversible elongated element couples the container to the device. A method for coupling a device to a container, the method comprising: providing a reversible elongated element comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole of the device to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; coupling the elongated element to the container such that when the elongated element is received in the hole of the device, the first portion of the elongated element can engage with the section of the hole; relative to the container Configuring the device so that the elongated element is received in the hole of the device and the first portion of the elongated element is disposed at the section of the hole; initially engaging the device to the container using a mechanical component; removing the elongated element from the hole of the device; reversing the elongated element; inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device so that the first portion does not engage the section of the hole of the device; and fully securing the device to the container, wherein the device is a detection device and/or a metrological device. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of removing the elongated element from the hole of the device and the step of flipping the elongated element each occur while the device is initially still coupled to the container. The method of claim 17, wherein the container is part of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of coupling the elongated element to the container comprises: providing an adapter, mounting the adapter on the container, and connecting the elongated element to the adapter. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device comprises: inserting the elongated element into the hole so that the first portion is configured to be at a certain space or distance from the section of the hole. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the device comprises: inserting the elongated element into the hole so that the first portion is at least one of: engaged with or received in another section of the hole; or protruding or extending from the hole. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises: before the step of fully securing the device to the container, further aligning the device relative to the container; and during the step of further aligning the device relative to the container, maintaining the elongated element in the hole of the device. A method for coupling a device to a container, the method comprising: providing a reversible elongated element comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter, the first diameter being larger than the second diameter, the first portion being configured to engage with a section of a hole in the container to support the device and/or align the device relative to the container; connecting the elongated element to the device so that when the elongated element is received in the hole of the container, the first portion of the elongated element can engage with the section of the hole of the container; relative to The device is configured by placing the device in a container such that the elongated element is received in the hole of the container and the first portion of the elongated element is disposed at the section of the hole; initially engaging the device to the container using a mechanical component; removing the elongated element from the hole of the container; flipping the elongated element; inserting the elongated element into the hole of the container such that the first portion does not engage the section of the hole of the container; and fully securing the device to the container, wherein the device is a detection device and/or a metrological device and the container is part of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source. The method of claim 23, wherein the elongated element includes a threaded third portion configured to connect the elongated element to the device. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of connecting the elongated element to the device and/or the step of inserting the elongated element into the hole of the container comprises: connecting the threaded third portion of the elongated element to a section of a hole of the device.