NEG (non evaporable getter) pumps for organic compounds and water removal in EUVL tools

A. Conte; P. Manini; S. Raimondi

doi:10.1117/12.776061

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3 April 2008 NEG (non evaporable getter) pumps for organic compounds and water removal in EUVL tools

A. Conte, P. Manini, S. Raimondi

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Proceedings Volume 6921, Emerging Lithographic Technologies XII; 692138 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776061
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2008, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

One of present EUVL challenges is to reduce as much as possible the organic compounds and water partial pressures during the lithographic process. These gases can in fact interact with sensitive surfaces and, in the presence of EUV radiation, decompose to generate carbon-based films and oxides, which are detrimental to the optics, reducing its performance, lifetime and significantly increasing the equipment total cost of ownership. With this respect, use of Non Evaporable Getter (NEG) pumps seems particularly attractive. Getter pumps are very clean, vibration-free, compact, able to deliver large pumping speed for all active gases, including water and hydrogen. In the present paper, we report for the first time the results of specific tests aimed at measuring the pumping speed for some selected organic compounds, namely toluene and decane (n-decane). The study shows that getter pumps can effectively sorb these large organic molecules with high speed and capacity. Speed and capacity increases when operating the getter cartridge at moderate temperature (e.g. 150-200°C), however remarkable sorption is achieved, even at room temperature, without any power applied. When coupled with turbo-molecular pumps NEG pumps have therefore the potential to improve the ultimate vacuum and mitigate the carbon/oxygen contamination in a UHV lithographic system.

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A. Conte, P. Manini, and S. Raimondi "NEG (non evaporable getter) pumps for organic compounds and water removal in EUVL tools", Proc. SPIE 6921, Emerging Lithographic Technologies XII, 692138 (3 April 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.776061

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