Illinois, Oregon Inventors Develop Plasma Formation Method
US Fed News -- US Fed News , March 1, 2007 Thursday 12:06 AM EST
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 1 -- Ahmed Hassanein of Naperville, Ill., Isak Konkashbaev of Bolingbrook, Ill., and Bryan Rice of Hillsboro, Ore., have developed a method for plasma formation for extreme ultraviolet lithography-theta pinch.
According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the invention relates to a “device and method for generating extremely short-wave ultraviolet electromagnetic wave, utilizing a theta pinch plasma generator to produce electromagnetic radiation in the range of 10 to 20 nanometer.”
An abstract of the invention, released by the Patent Office, said: “The device comprises: an axially aligned open-ended pinch chamber defining a plasma zone adapted to contain a plasma generating gas within the plasma zone; a means for generating a magnetic field radially outward of the open-ended pinch chamber to produce a discharge plasma from the plasma generating gas, thereby producing a electromagnetic wave in the extreme ultraviolet range; a collecting means in optical communication with the pinch chamber to collect the electromagnetic radiation; and focusing means in optical communication with the collecting means to concentrate the electromagnetic radiation.”
The inventors were issued U.S. Patent No. 7,180,082 on Feb. 20.
The patent has been assigned to U.S. Department of Energy, Washington.
The original application was filed on Feb. 22, 2005, and is available at: .
For more information about US Fed News federal patent awards please contact: Myron Struck, Managing Editor/US Bureau, US Fed News, Direct: 703/866-4708, Cell: 703/304-1897.
ARTICLE SOURCE
http://www.reed-electronics.com/semiconductor/articleXml/LN578811239.html