Hybrid fluid particle-in-cell simulations of extreme-ultraviolet induced discharge

Abstract

Hydrogen plasma interaction with materials in Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems plays a crucial role in determining component longevity and particle behavior. To evaluate material resilience and cleanliness under plasma exposure, experiments are conducted in the EUV Beam Line 2 (EBL2) infrastructure at TNO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek). A comprehensive characterization of the EBL2 plasma environment is essential for understanding its impact on the analyzed sample. This study employs a three-dimensional hybrid Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo (PIC/MC) simulation framework to investigate the spatiotemporal plasma conditions. A notable influence of a negative voltage leakage in the Retarding Field Energy Analyzer (RFEA) sensor is observed on ion flux and energy, that also enhances the agreement between simulations and measurements. The simulations further reveal transient in-beam ion energy flux distribution functions and electron energy distributions in the beam-focus, both of which still remain beyond current diagnostic capabilities.