Patent ID: 8258485

Claim:
A source-collector module for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system, comprising: a laser that generates a pulsed laser beam; a fold mirror arranged along a source-collector module axis and configured to receive the pulsed laser beam and reflect the pulsed laser beam down the source-collector module axis in a first direction; a Xenon liquid source configured to provide Xenon liquid at an irradiation location where the Xenon liquid is irradiated by the pulsed laser beam, thereby creating a laser-produced plasma (LPP) that generates EUV radiation in a second direction that is generally opposite the first direction; a grazing-incidence collector (GIC) mirror having an input end and an output end and arranged to receive the EUV radiation at the input end and focus the received EUV radiation at an intermediate focus adjacent the output end; a Xenon mass flow system configured to provide a metered flow of Xenon gas through a gas flow conduit; a Xenon liquefier unit fluidly connected to the Xenon mass flow system via the gas flow conduit and configured to liquefy the Xenon gas to form Xenon fluid; and a Xenon recovery unit fluidly connected to the Xenon liquefier unit via a capillary tube that allows for Xenon fluid to flow from the Xenon liquefier unit to the Xenon recovery unit, wherein the capillary tube includes an aperture that allows the laser beam to be incident upon the Xenon fluid at the irradiation location.