Abstract:
Disclosed is an EUV system element having a hydrogen diffusion barrier including a region implanted with species (e.g., ions energetic neutral atoms) of a non-hydrogen gaseous material. Also disclosed is a method of making such a component including the step of implanting species of a non-hydrogen gaseous material to form a hydrogen diffusion barrier and a method of treating an EUV system element including the step of implanting species of a non-hydrogen gaseous material to prevent hydrogen adsorption and diffusion. Also disclosed is subjecting an EUV system element to a flux of non-hydrogen gas ions to displace hydrogen ions in one or more layers of the EUV system element with the non-hydrogen gas species so that the gas ions protect the EUV system element against hydrogen damage.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 62/277,807 filed Jan. 12, 2016 and U.S. patent application No. 62/278,923 filed Jan. 14, 2016. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to elements designed to operate in environments in which they exposed to substances such as hydrogen that can damage the element. An example of such an environment is the vacuum chamber of an apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet (“EUV”) radiation from a plasma created through discharge or laser ablation of a target material. In this application, optical elements are used, for example, to collect and direct the radiation for utilization, e.g., in semiconductor photolithography and inspection. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Extreme ultraviolet radiation, e.g., electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths of around 50 nm or less (also sometimes referred to as soft x-rays), and including radiation at a wavelength of about 13.5 nm, can be used in photolithography processes to produce extremely small features in substrates such as silicon wafers. 
         [0004]    Methods for generating EUV radiation include converting a target material from a liquid state into a plasma state. The target material preferably includes at least one element, e.g., xenon, lithium or tin, with one or more emission lines in the EUV range. The target material can be solid, liquid or gas. In one such method, often termed laser produced plasma (“LPP”), the required plasma can be produced by using a laser beam to irradiate a target material having the required line-emitting element. 
         [0005]    One LPP technique involves generating a stream of target material droplets and irradiating at least some of the droplets with laser radiation pulses. In more theoretical terms, LPP sources generate EUV radiation by depositing laser energy into a target material having at least one EUV emitting element, such as xenon (Xe), tin (Sn), or lithium (Li), creating a highly ionized plasma with electron temperatures of several 10&#39;s of eV. 
         [0006]    The energetic radiation generated during de-excitation and recombination of these ions is emitted from the plasma in all directions. In one common arrangement, a near-normal-incidence mirror (often termed a “collector mirror” or simply a “collector”) is positioned to collect, direct, and, in some arrangements, focus the radiation to an intermediate location. The collected radiation may then be relayed from the intermediate location to a set of optics, a reticle, detectors and ultimately to a wafer. 
         [0007]    In the EUV portion of the spectrum it is generally regarded as necessary to use reflective optics for the optical elements in the system including the collector, illuminator, and projection optics box. These reflective optics may be implemented as normal incidence optics or grazing incidence optics. At the wavelengths involved, the collector is advantageously implemented as a multi-layer mirror (“MLM”). As its name implies, this MLM is generally made up of alternating layers of material (the MLM stack) over a foundation or substrate. System optics may also be configured as a coated optical element even if it is not implemented as an MLM. 
         [0008]    The optical element must be placed within the vacuum chamber with the plasm to collect and redirect the EUV radiation. The environment within the chamber is inimical to the optical element and so limits its useful lifetime, for example, by degrading its reflectivity. An optical element within the environment may be exposed to high energy ions or particles of target material. The particles of target material can contaminate the optical element&#39;s exposed surface. Particles of target material can also cause physical damage and localized heating of the MLM surface. The target materials may be particularly reactive with a material making up at least one layer of the optical element surface, e.g., molybdenum and silicon. Temperature stability, ion-implantation, and diffusion problems may need to be addressed even with less reactive target materials, e.g., tin, indium, or xenon. Blistering of the MLM coating must also be avoided. 
         [0009]    There are techniques which may be employed to increase optical element lifetime despite these harsh conditions. For example, a capping layer may be placed on the optical element to protect the surface of the optical element. To make the capping layer more reflective it may also have multiple layers spaced to increase reflectivity at the wavelength of the radiation to be reflected. Such multilayer capping layers are, however, themselves prone to damage through mechanisms such as hydrogen diffusion and blistering. 
         [0010]    In some systems Hz gas at pressures in the range of 0.5 to 3 mbar is used in the vacuum chamber for debris mitigation. In the absence of a gas, at vacuum pressure, it would be difficult if not impossible to protect the collector adequately from target material debris ejected from the plasma. Hydrogen is relatively transparent to EUV radiation having a wavelength of about 13.5 nm and so is preferred to other candidate gases such as He, Ar, or other gases which exhibit a higher absorption at about 13.5 mm. 
         [0011]    H 2  gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber to slow down the energetic debris (ions, atoms, and clusters) of target material created by the plasma. The debris is slowed down by collisions with the gas molecules. For this purpose a flow of H 2  gas is used which may also be counter to the debris trajectory. This serves to reduce the damage of deposition, implantation, and sputtering target material on the optical coating of the collector. Using this method it is believed possible to slow down energetic particles with energies of several keV to a few tens of eV by the many gas collisions over the distance between the plasma site and the collector surface. 
         [0012]    Another reason for introducing H 2  gas into the vacuum chamber is to facilitate cleaning of the collector surface. The BUY radiation generated by the plasma creates hydrogen radicals by dissociating the H 2  molecules. The hydrogen radicals H* in turn help to clean the collector surface from target material deposits on the collector surface. For example, in the case of tin as the target material, the hydrogen radicals participate in reactions on the collector surface that lead to the formation of volatile gaseous stannane (SnH 4 ) which can be pumped away. For this chemical path to be efficient it is preferred that there is a low H recombination rate (to form back into Hz molecules) on the collector surface so that the hydrogen radicals are available instead for attaching to the Sn to form SnH 4 . Generally, a surface consisting of non-metallic compounds such as nitrides, carbides, borides and oxides has a lower H recombination rate as compared to a surface consisting of pure metals. 
         [0013]    The use of Hz gas, however, can have a negative effect on a coating applied to the collector caused by both the light hydrogen atoms and molecules on the coating. It is believed that the hydrogen atoms are so small that they can easily diffuse several layers deep into a collector configured as a multilayer mirror. Low energy hydrogen can also be implanted near the surface and can diffuse into the collector cap and layers of the multilayer mirror beneath the cap. These phenomena most severely affect outermost layers (e.g., the first 1 μm). 
         [0014]    Once atomic hydrogen invades the body of the multilayer mirror it can bond to Si, get trapped at layer boundaries and interfaces, or both. Hydrogen can diffuse through the MLM stack to the bonding layer below and even to the substrate. The magnitude of these effects depends on the fluence of hydrogen to the surface, the hydrogen dose absorbed, and the concentration of hydrogen in these regions. If the hydrogen concentration is above a certain threshold it can form bubbles of gaseous hydrogen compounds, either recombining to H 2  molecules or perhaps also forming hydrides. This can happen most severely typically underneath the MLM stack or in the substrate layer. When a gas bubble starts to form there is a high probability that it will grow in the presence of additional hydrogen. If such bubbles do form then their internal gas pressure will deform the layer above the bubble, leading to the formation of blisters on the coating of various sizes. The layer may then burst, thus releasing the gas below and material above this, area, resulting in delamination of the coating. 
         [0015]    A blistered coating creates several problems. It has a higher surface area and is more prone to degradation by oxidation and other contaminants and by deposition of target material. Due to higher absorption this generally leads to a reduction of EUV reflectance. A blistered coating also scatters more light due to higher roughness and thus leads to significantly reduced EUV reflectance at desired angles, even though the undamaged layers below still contribute to reflection of EUV light and even if the target material deposits are removed by cleaning. Blisters also cause a change in reflection of out-of-band (OoB) light which can include light generated by the plasma as well as light from the drive laser and the loss of effectiveness of elements such as gratings used to deliberately scatter light from the drive laser. 
         [0016]    Collector blistering due to H* exposure severely limits lifetime and greatly impacts system availability. A current model, for damage is H* adsorption at the surface where defects are present and transport of H atoms to regions within the bulk. A primary indication is that this occurs below the MLM stack in the adherence layer. H* generation scales with EUV power so the problem of EUV MLM optical element blistering can be expected to grow worse as the power of the source increases. 
         [0017]    In addition to these effects, hydrogen uptake and penetration can also lead to embrittlement of metal layers and thus cause layer degradation. 
         [0018]    There thus is a need to exploit the advantages with respect to enhancing the EUV reflectance of using a multilayer optic while at the same time having an optic that is resistant to hydrogen damage such as blistering. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0019]    The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of the embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments and is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor set limits on the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0020]    According to one aspect, what is disclosed is an apparatus comprising a component of a system for generating EUV radiation, the component being exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the component including a hydrogen diffusion barrier comprising a region implanted with species (e.g., ions or energetic neutral atoms) of a non-hydrogen gas. As used here and elsewhere in this description and in the claims “non-hydrogen gas” means a gas which is made up primarily of a gas or gasses other than hydrogen. The non-hydrogen gas comprise helium. The component may comprise at least a portion of a collector mirror, which may be a normal incidence mirror and which may be a multilayer mirror. The component may also be at least a portion of one of a reticle, a detector, a microscope, an inspection system, a pellicle, a vacuum chamber liner, a vacuum chamber vane, and a droplet generator. 
         [0021]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is a multilayer mirror for use in a system for generating EUV radiation, the multilayer mirror being exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the multilayer mirror comprising a substrate, a backing layer on the substrate, and a multilayer coating on the hacking layer, wherein one of the backing layer and the multilayer coating includes a hydrogen diffusion barrier comprising a region implanted with species of a non-hydrogen gas. The non-hydrogen gas may comprise an inert gas, which may be helium. 
         [0022]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is a multilayer mirror for use in a system for generating EUV radiation, the multilayer mirror being exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the multilayer mirror comprising a substrate and a coating on the substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers wherein at least one layer of the plurality of layers is implanted with a species of an inert gas. The non-hydrogen gas may comprise an inert gas, which may be helium. 
         [0023]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is an apparatus for semiconductor photolithography comprising a laser radiation source, a target delivery system for delivering target material to an irradiation region where the target material is irradiated by the laser radiation source to produce extreme ultraviolet radiation, and a reflective optical element arranged to collect the extreme ultraviolet radiation, the reflective optical element comprising a multilayer mirror including a multilayer stack and a backing layer, wherein at least one of the multilayer stack and the backing layer include a hydrogen diffusion barrier comprising a region implanted with species of an inert gas which may be helium. 
         [0024]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is a method of making component of a system for generating EUV radiation, the component being exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the method comprising the step of implanting species of a non-hydrogen gas in at least a portion of the component to form a hydrogen diffusion barrier in the component. The non-hydrogen gas may comprise helium. The implanting step may comprise controlling the implantation energy of the species to control an average depth of the hydrogen diffusion barrier in the component. 
         [0025]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is a method of treating a multilayer mirror for use in a system for generating EUV radiation, the multilayer mirror being exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the method comprising the steps of removing a multilayer coating of the multilayer mirror to expose a backing layer, implanting species of a non-hydrogen gas in the backing layer, and placing a multilayer coating on the backing layer. The non-hydrogen gas may comprise an inert gas, which may comprise helium. The implanting step may comprises controlling the implantation energy of the species to control an average implantation depth of the species in the backing layer 
         [0026]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is a method of treating an EUV optical element for use in a system for generating EU V radiation, the EUV optical element being exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the method comprising the step of implanting species of a non-hydrogen gas in the EUV optical element to prevent hydrogen adsorption and diffusion in the EUV optical element. The non-hydrogen gas may comprise an inert gas which may be helium. The implanting step may comprise controlling the implantation energy of the species to control an average implantation depth of the species in the component. 
         [0027]    According to another aspect, what is disclosed is a method of treating component for use in a system for generating EUV radiation, the component having been exposed to hydrogen ions during operation of the system for generating EUV radiation, the method comprising the step of subjecting the component to a flux of non-hydrogen gas species to displace hydrogen ions in at least a portion of the component with the non-hydrogen gas species so that the non-hydrogen gas species protect the multilayer EUV optical element against hydrogen damage. The non-hydrogen gas may comprise an inert gas which may be helium. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic, not-to-scale view of an overall broad conception for a laser-produced plasma EUV radiation source system according to an aspect of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a schematic, not-to-scale diagram of a cross section of an EUV optical element having a hydrogen transport barrier. 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a schematic, not-to-scale diagram of a system for making an EUV optical element having a hydrogen transport barrier. 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a schematic, not-to-scale diagram of a cross section of an EUV optical element showing very small (nm-μm) scratches and other damage to the surface of the EUV optical element with helium species (e.g., ions or energetic neutrals) being implanted near the surface of the EUV optical element to limit or prevent hydrogen adsorption and diffusion. 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a schematic, not-to-scale diagram of a cross section of an EUV component with helium being implanted near the surface of the EUV optical component to limit or prevent hydrogen adsorption and diffusion. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0033]    Various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to promote a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. It may be evident in some or all instances, however, that any embodiment described below can be practiced without adopting the specific design details described below. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate description of one or more embodiments. 
         [0034]    With initial reference to  FIG. 1  there is shown a schematic view of, an exemplary EUV radiation source, e.g., a laser produced plasma EUV radiation source  20  according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the EUV radiation source  20  may include a pulsed or continuous laser source  22 , which may for example be a pulsed gas discharge CO 2  laser source producing radiation at 10.6 μm or 1 μm. The pulsed gas discharge CO 2  laser source may have DC or RF excitation operating at high power and at a high pulse repetition rate. 
         [0035]    The EUV radiation source  20  also includes a target delivery system  24  for delivering target material in the form of liquid droplets or a continuous liquid stream. In this example, the target material is a liquid, but it could also be a solid or gas. The target material may be made up of tin or a tin compound, although other materials could be used. The target material delivery system  24  introduces the target material into the interior of a vacuum chamber  26  to an irradiation region  28  where the target material may be irradiated to produce plasma. In some cases, an electrical charge is placed on the target material to permit the target material to be steered toward or away from the irradiation region  28 . It should be noted that as used herein an irradiation region is a region where target material irradiation may occur, and is an irradiation region even at times when no irradiation is actually occurring. The vacuum chamber  26  may be provided with a liner  34  and may have a series of vanes  36 . 
         [0036]    The EUV light source  20  may also include an EUV light source controller system  60 , which may also include a laser firing control system  65 , along with, e.g., a laser beam positioning system (not shown). The EUV light source  20  may also include a detector such as a target position detection system which may include one or more droplet imagers  70  that generate an output indicative of the absolute or relative position of a target droplet, e.g., relative to the irradiation region  28 , and provide this output to a target position detection feedback system  62 . The portion of the droplet imager  70  exposed to the interior of the chamber  26  may be provided with a protective pellicle  72 . The target position detection feedback system  62  may use the output of the droplet imager  70  to compute a target position and trajectory, from which a target error can be computed. The target error can be computed on a droplet-by-droplet basis, or on average, or on some other basis. The target error may then be provided as an input to the light source controller  60 . In response, the light source controller  60  can generate a control signal such as a laser position, direction, or timing correction signal and provide this control signal to a laser beam positioning controller (not shown). The laser beam positioning system can use the control signal to control the laser timing circuit and/or to control a laser beam position and shaping system (not shown), e.g., to change the location and/or focal power of the laser beam focal spot within the chamber. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the light source  20  may include a target delivery control system  90 . The target delivery control system  90  is operable in response to a signal, for example, the target error described above, or some quantity derived from the target error provided by the system controller  60 , to correct for errors in positions of the target droplets within the irradiation region  28 . This may be accomplished, for example, by repositioning the point at which the target delivery mechanism  92  releases the target droplets. The target delivery mechanism  92  extends into the chamber  26  and is also externally supplied with target material and a gas source to place the target material in the target delivery mechanism  92  under pressure. 
         [0038]    Continuing with  FIG. 1 , the radiation source  20  may also include one or more optical elements. In the following discussion, a collector  30  is used as an example of such an optical element, but the discussion applies to other optical elements as well. The collector  30  may be a normal incidence reflector, for example, implemented as an MLM, that is, a silicon carbide (Sin substrate coated with a bonding or backing layer and then a molybdenum/silicon (Mo/Si) multilayer stack with additional thin barrier layers, for example B 4 C, ZrC, Si 3 Na 4  or C, deposited at each interface to effectively block thermally-induced interlayer diffusion. Other substrate materials, such as aluminum (Al) or silicon (Si), can also be used. The collector  30  may be in the form of a prolate ellipsoid, with an aperture to allow the laser radiation to pass through and reach the irradiation region  28 . The collector  30  may be, e.g., in the shape of a ellipsoid that has a first focus at the irradiation region  28  and a second focus at a so-called intermediate point  40  (also called the intermediate focus  40 ) where the EU V radiation may be output from the EUV radiation source  20  and input to, e.g., an integrated circuit lithography or inspection tool  50  which uses the radiation, for example, to process a silicon wafer workpiece  52  in a known manner using a reticle or mask  54 . The silicon wafer workpiece  52  is then additionally processed in a known manner to obtain an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit lithography tool  50  may include an inspection system  56  and a microscope  58 . 
         [0039]    An example of an MLM collector  30  is shown in  FIG. 2  which is a cross section though a portion of such a collector. As can be seen there, the collector  30  includes a substrate  100 . A multilayer stack  110  is located on the substrate  100 . The multilayer stack  110  is made up of a stack of alternating layers of material, for example, molybdenum and silicon, in a known fashion. Located on the multilayer coating  110  is a capping layer  120  which is typically made up of an outermost layer and a series of repeating bilayers. There is a bonding or backing layer  130  between the substrate  100  and the multilayer stack  110 . 
         [0040]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the topmost layer of the cap  120  is preferably a nitride or oxide with high resistance to target material deposition. In effect, these are preferably materials having a low recombination rate for atomic hydrogen to enable a high formation rate of stannane. These would typically be materials having a hydrogen recombination coefficient in a range of about 10 −4  to about 10 −3 . Effectively this means the preferred material exhibits a good tin cleaning rate since the H can react with Sn before it recombines to H 2 . As an example, the metal stainless steel has a recombination coefficient of 2.2×10 −3 . A preferred material for the topmost layer  130  of the cap  120  also preferably exhibits good energy reduction for incident ions and low secondary electron yield. Examples of materials having low recombination coefficients, good energy reduction for incident ions, and low secondary electron yield include ZrN, TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , and ZrO 2 . 
         [0041]    Atomic hydrogen adsorbed by the surface of the collector  30  can penetrate the collector  30  through imperfections in its top (outermost) layer. This hydrogen can diffuse through the backing layer  130  of the collector  30  and collect at an interface  140  between backing layer  130  and the substrate  100 . Hydrogen aggregation leads to bubble formation so that gaps may grow in at the interface  140 . These gaps result in surface blisters and discontinuity in the thermal conduction path between collector  30  and a cooling system (not shown) provided to cool the multilayer coating  110  by cooling the substrate  100 . 
         [0042]    In order to prevent blistering and separation of the backing layer  130  from the substrate  100  at the interface  140 , according to one aspect of the invention species (ions or energetic neutrals) of a non-hydrogen gas such as helium are implanted in the backing layer  130  to prevent hydrogen diffusion into the backing layer and the amorphous silicon material of the substrate  100  effectively to prevent the blistering. As used here and elsewhere in this description and in the claims “non-hydrogen gas” means a gas which is made up primarily of a gas or gasses other than hydrogen. Helium is considered to be a good choice for implantation because it is relatively inert and immobile but other inert gases may be used. The implantation of the backing layer  130  creates a hydrogen diffusion barrier through which the diffusion or permeation of hydrogen is slowed or prevented. This hydrogen diffusion barrier may be conceptualized as simply a region of the backing layer into which the species have been implanted, or as a separate layer. The implantation energy and so the implantation depth may be selected so that hydrogen diffusion barrier is created within the backing layer  130  at the interface between the backing layer  130  and the substrate  100 , or the implantation energy may be selected so that the hydrogen diffusion barrier occupies a shallower region of the backing layer  130 . It will be understood that in general implantation will occur over a range of depths and that there will be an average depth for the species and hence for the hydrogen diffusion barrier. 
         [0043]    The following discussion is in terms of helium ions as an example, but other neutral elements may be used. Also, as mentioned, energetic neutral atoms may be used instead of ions. Energetic neutral ions may be created in a number of ways. For example, high energy ions can transported though a gas where a charge exchange collision between than ion and a cold neutral atom creates a cold ion but an energetic neutral atom. In effect, the ion maintains its energy but takes electrons from the neutral atom. For helium, this charge exchange may take the form of an alpha-helium charge exchange: 
         [0000]      He 2+ +He→He+He 2+ 
 
         [0000]    where the left hand side He 2+  is an energetic helium ion and the left hand side He is a cold helium atom and the right hand side He is an energetic neutral helium atom and the right hand side He 2+  is a cold helium ion. The energetic neutral helium atom may then be implanted. 
         [0044]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary arrangement for fabricating an EUV optical element having an implanted backing layer. The following discussion is in terms of implanting helium ions or energetic neutrals but as noted ions or energetic neutrals of other gases may be used. As a process step during fabrication of the EUV optical element as shown, helium ions  150  are implanted into the backing layer  130 . The depth of implantation can be adjusted by altering the He ion energy. He ion fluence can be adjusted by adjusting the exposure time. In addition, the flux (heat load) can be adjusted by controlling the gas density. Also, the process may involve additional steps such as thermal annealing of the substrate  100  and desorption of the substrate  100  before or after introduction of the helium species. 
         [0045]    The desired energy of the helium ions can be determined by a combination of modeling (simulation code, e.g., Stopping Range of Ions in Matter (“SRIM”)/Transport of Ions in Matter (“TRIM”) code) and experimental testing. See “SRIM—The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter”, J. F. Ziegler, M. D. Ziegler, and J. P. Biersack, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Volume 268, Issues 11-12, June 2010, pp. 1818-1823. the entirety of which is incorporated by reference. It is presently preferred to use helium an energy of about 100 eV helium which has a range up to 5.0 nm, with the maximum ion concentration occurring at about 1.0-2.0 nm in materials with density near 5.3 g/cm 3 . This ion energy should cause no surface damage and puts He very near the interface between the backing layer  130  and the substrate  100 . A sample calculation utilizing the TRIM code for this example is shown below. Experimental verification of H, H 2  and He trapping/transport/penetration in materials can be obtained via nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). 

 
         [0046]    This implantation layer can be created, for example, by introduction of He gas from a source  160  to a cathodic source  170  where it is ioniozed. The ion energy is controlled by controlling the voltage gradient (bias) between the cathodic source  170  and the substrate  100  using a bias voltage source  180 . This arrangement allows for large surfaces to be exposed at one time, minimizing the amount of time required to carry out the process. This process could be carried out as part of conventional coating processes. Of course, the above describes just one possible method of ion generation and implantation. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other methods can be used. The MLM stack  110  can be deposited following the implantation process. 
         [0047]    This process described above can be used not only in the fabrication of new EUV optical elements but also as part of the recoating of existing EUV optical elements. This allows reuse and extended lifetime of installed collectors by treatment following MLM removal. The method is applicable to current materials used for the backing layer  130  as well to materials that it is anticipated may be used in the future. Advanced lifecycle testing to optimize the solution can be accomplished using a plasma source where samples can be exposed to a high fluence of H*, H °  and He +  in a relatively short time. For example, a linear plasma device could be used where the plasma is created at one end of the device and transported to the other end of the device. Typically a LaB 6  cathode is heated so that e− are emitted to ionize a gas such as H 2 , Ar, or He. The plasma density can be considerable but the temperature is usually less than 10 eV. A sample can be biased negatively in this plasma to set the net ion energy to the surface. 
         [0048]    The foregoing description is in terms of a process using helium but other relatively inert, immobile gases such as argon or neon may be used as well as non-inert gases. 
         [0049]    The foregoing principles can also be applied to repair or for prophylactic treatment of an EUV optical element using helium exposure implantation. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the EUV optical element may have minute damage (e.g., scratches/damage on a nm-μm scale) to its surface. This damage is depicted in  FIG. 4  as breaks  190  in the top surface of the collector  30 . The collector  30  is described here as an example but the principles described here can be applied to other EUV optical elements as well. Using the principles of the invention He  150  may be implanted near surface of the collector  30  to inhibit or prevent FI adsorption and diffusion. Exposing the collector  30  to He species fluxes from time-to-time (e.g., at set intervals) to drive H out and replace it with He is also possible and can reduce the likelihood of damage caused by hydrogen-driven causes. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4  a capping layer  120  is present and is implanted but if a capping layer  120  is not used then the ion implantation can be directly into the top surface of the MLM stack  110 . 
         [0050]    As mentioned, the principles of the invention can be advantageously applied to EUV optical elements in addition to those implemented as an MLM. For example, the principles of the invention may be applied to grazing incidence minors not implemented as an MLM. It can also be applied before or after exposure to reticles and to protecting EUV masks and to the pellicle used as a protective cover for optics in the chamber  26 . It can also be used in applications where hydrogen diffusion or embrittlement is a problem, such as liners, vanes, and components of droplet generators. This is shown in  FIG. 5 , in which an EUV component  200  is implanted with helium atoms or ions  150 . The EUV component  200  may be an optical element such as a mirror or reticle or may be another component such as a pellicle, liner, vane, or droplet generator component. The EUV component  200  is shown as having a capping layer  120 , a bulk material layer  210 , a backing layer  130 , and a substrate  100 , but the capping layer  120 , backing layer  130 , and substrate  100  may or may not be present depending on the particular type of EUV component involved. If a capping layer  120  is present then helium implantation can occur in the capping layer  120  in addition or as an alternative to helium implantation in the bulk material layer  210 . If a capping layer  120  is not present then helium implantation can occur in the bulk material layer  210 . If a substrate  100  is present then the helium implantation process may involve additional steps such as thermal annealing of the substrate  100  and desorption of the substrate  100  before or after introduction of the helium species. 
         [0051]    As an example, uncoated Cu optics can also be prone to damage by a similar blistering problem. He implantation and/or regular exposure to a He flux may also be used to provide such optics with a longer useful lifetime. An upper surface implanted with ions from a gas such as helium could also replace or supplement coatings that are currently used in EUV optical elements. 
         [0052]    The principles of the invention can also be applied to components of inspection systems such as actinic inspection systems that are exposed to hydrogen and to components of optical instruments such as microscopes used to inspect an EUV mask. 
         [0053]    The above description includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned embodiments, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of various embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the described embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is construed when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, although elements of the described aspects and/or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. Additionally, all or a portion of any aspect and/or embodiment may be utilized with all or a portion of any other aspect and/or embodiment, unless stated otherwise.