Project contribution

Our key contribution focuses on enabling a future-proof tin supply system for next-generation EUV sources, where increasing droplet generator pressures impose fundamentally new requirements on pressurization technology. Current state-of-the-art systems rely on noble gas pressurization, which becomes increasingly problematic at higher pressures due to escalating safety risks, certification complexity, and limited scalability.

Within this project, we introduce and develop a hydraulic pressurization concept as a fundamentally different approach to controlling liquid tin at elevated pressures. This approach eliminates the dependency on compressible gases and enables more stable, controllable, and scalable pressure generation, thereby directly addressing the limitations of existing systems and avoiding costly field upgrades and downtime in future lithography tools.

The realization of this concept requires solving a set of tightly coupled physical and materials challenges. Liquid tin is highly chemically reactive, severely restricting compatible materials, while the simultaneous requirement for high temperatures and extreme pressures pushes conventional engineering solutions beyond their limits. Our work therefore centers on the development of a robust hydraulic architecture combined with advanced material selection and component design capable of maintaining integrity, stability, and safety under these extreme operating conditions.