Influence of dual purging jets on interferometric measurement of optical path difference

Practical extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources yield the desired 13.5 nm radiation but also generate debris, significantly limiting the lifespan of the collector mirror in lithography. In this study, we explore the role of buffer gas in transporting debris particles within an EUV source vessel using direct numerical simulations. Our study involves a 2 × 1 × 1m3 rectangular cavity with an injecting jet flow subjected to sideward outlet. Debris particles are introduced into the cavity with specified initial velocities, simulating a spherical radiating pattern with particle diameters ranging from 0.1 to 1 μm. Varying the inflow velocity (from 1 to 50 m/s) of the buffer gas reveals a morphological transition in the flow field. At low inflow velocities, the flow remains steady, whereas higher inflow velocities induce the formation of clustered corner rolls. Upon reaching sufficiently high inflow velocities, the jet flow can penetrate the entire cavity, impacting the end wall. Interestingly, the resulting recirculation flow leads to the spontaneous formation of spiraling outflow. The distinct flow structures at various inflow velocities lead to distinct patterns of particle transport. For low-speed gas, it is efficient in expelling all particles smaller than 0.4 μm, while for high-speed gas, those fine particles accumulate near the end wall and are challenging to be extracted. Our findings highlight the significance of controlling flow conditions for effective debris particle transport and clearance in diverse applications especially in EUV source vessels.

Simulation of flow and debris migration in extreme ultraviolet source vessel

Meng,

Zhao,

et al. 2024

Unsteady flow behaviors and flow-induced noise characteristics in a closed branch T-junction

Zhang,

Wang,

Liu

et al. 2024

In the present study, dynamic delayed detached eddy simulation is utilized to explore turbulent flow in T-junctions at a Reynolds number of ReD = 2.0 × 104. Three systems with varying corner cavity depth-to-diameter ratios (Ld/D = 1, 2, and 4) are examined to elucidate the interplay between unsteady flow and flow-induced noise. The analysis employs Lighthill's acoustic analogy to scrutinize surface dipole acoustic sources and their noise propagation characteristics. Coherent flow structures, characterized as wavepackets, are identified through spectral proper orthogonal decomposition, demonstrating consistent dominance in modes and dipole distributions across the systems. In the system with Ld/D = 1, wavepackets originating from the downstream region of the junction exhibit a pronounced flapping behavior attributed to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Most dissipate with the mainstream flow, whereas a portion interacts with the wall, forming dipole acoustic sources. For systems with Ld/D = 2 and 4, the dominant mode transitions to the junction adjacent to the corner cavity, expanding continuously after separation until obliquely colliding with the wall, resulting in expanded dipole distributions. Mechanisms underlying flow-induced noise generation are unveiled by extracting transient vorticity fields within oscillation cycles. For shallow corner cavity depths (Ld/D = 1), periodic oscillatory vorticity shedding from the junction's sidewall significantly contributes to far-field sound pressure. As the cavity is deep enough to support one or more full recirculations of the fluid (Ld/D = 2 and 4), periodic vorticity shedding from the trailing edge directly impacts the wall above the junction, simultaneously suppressing flapping behavior at the leading edge and weakening overall dipole acoustic source intensity.

Vortical structures and passive scalar transport in starting process of annular purging jet

Cao,

Wang,

Liu

et al. 2024

The evolution of vortical structures and passive scalar transport in the starting process of annular purging jets are numerically investigated by large eddy simulation. Three flow configurations with different nozzle-to-plate distances at a fixed radius ratio of 0.71 and the Reynolds number of 13 750 are simulated. The numerical results are validated against documented experimental data. Three stages during the evolution are proposed based on instantaneous flow visualizations and assessed by calculating the circulation changes of the annular jets and vortex rings. The vortical structures are identified to understand the three-dimensional characteristics. The entrainment process is analyzed focusing on the passive scalar transport in the flow fields and is correlated with the cleaning performance of annular purging jets. The flow structures dominate the process of scalar mixing, especially the inner and outer vortex rings. The large-scale motions of trailing jets cause the intermittent events of scalar transport. During the starting process, the cleaning performance is better with a smaller nozzle-to-plate distance, while the cleaning efficiency may reach the optimum at a moderate distance. The cleaning process is limited by the scalar diffusion and entrainment process. These findings highlight the significance of flow structures for effective cleanness of temperature and contaminations in the purging systems.