公开(公告)号：US07822092B2

公开(公告)日：2010-10-26

申请号：US11981014

申请日：2007-10-30

申请人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel J. W. Brown ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Robert A. Bergstedt

发明人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel J. W. Brown ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Robert A. Bergstedt

IPC分类号： H01S3/22

CPC分类号： H01S3/225 ,  G03F7/70583 ,  H01S3/005 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/034 ,  H01S3/08036 ,  H01S3/08059 ,  H01S3/10092 ,  H01S3/105 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2333

摘要： A method and apparatus may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage.

摘要翻译： 一种方法和装置可以包括线变窄的脉冲准分子或分子氟气放电激光系统，其可以包括种子激光振荡器，其产生包括可以包括第一气体放电准分子或分子氟激光室的脉冲的激光输出光束的输出; 第一振荡器腔内的线窄模块; 在第二气体放电准分子或分子氟激光室中包含放大增益介质的激光放大级，其接收种子激光振荡器的输出并放大种子激光振荡器的输出，以形成激光系统输出，其包括激光输出光束 脉冲，其可以包括环形功率放大级。

公开(公告)号：US07778302B2

公开(公告)日：2010-08-17

申请号：US11981290

申请日：2007-10-30

申请人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel J. W. Brown ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Robert A. Bergstedt

发明人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel J. W. Brown ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Robert A. Bergstedt

IPC分类号： H01S3/22

CPC分类号： H01S3/10092 ,  G03F7/70583 ,  H01S3/005 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/08059 ,  H01S3/0835 ,  H01S3/121 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/235 ,  H01S3/2383

摘要： A method/apparatus may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output which may comprise: a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator which may comprise: a ring power amplification stage; a coherence busting mechanism intermediate the seed laser oscillator and the ring power amplification stage which may comprise a beam splitter separating the seed laser output into a main beam and a beam entering an optical delay path which may have a delay length longer than the coherence length of a pulse in the seed laser output and may have a beam angular offset mechanism offsetting a delayed beam and the main beam.

摘要翻译： 一种方法/装置可以包括产生输出的种子激光振荡器，该输出可以包括：第一气体放电准分子或分子氟激光室; 第一振荡器腔内的线窄模块; 接收种子激光振荡器的输出的激光放大级，其可以包括：环形功率放大级; 种子激光振荡器和环形功率放大级之间的相干破坏机构，其可以包括将种子激光器输出分离成主波束的分束器和进入光学延迟路径的波束，该光束延迟路径可以具有比相干长度长的延迟长度 种子激光器中的脉冲输出并且可以具有抵消延迟的光束和主光束的光束角偏移机构。

公开(公告)号：US06801560B2

公开(公告)日：2004-10-05

申请号：US10056619

申请日：2002-01-23

申请人： David S. Knowles ,  Daniel J. W. Brown ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  German E. Rylov ,  Eckehard D. Onkels ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  David W. Myers ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Richard C. Ujazdowski ,  Richard M. Ness ,  Scott T. Smith ,  William G. Hulburd

发明人： David S. Knowles ,  Daniel J. W. Brown ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  German E. Rylov ,  Eckehard D. Onkels ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  David W. Myers ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Richard C. Ujazdowski ,  Richard M. Ness ,  Scott T. Smith ,  William G. Hulburd

IPC分类号： H01S322

CPC分类号： H01S3/2366 ,  G01J9/00 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  G03F7/70933 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/0071 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/0387 ,  H01S3/0404 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/08036 ,  H01S3/0943 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/09702 ,  H01S3/09705 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/104 ,  H01S3/105 ,  H01S3/1305 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2256 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2333

摘要： An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses. The master oscillator is equipped with a line selection package for selecting the strongest F2 spectral line.

公开(公告)号：US09516730B2

公开(公告)日：2016-12-06

申请号：US13156188

申请日：2011-06-08

申请人： Vladimir B. Fleurov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Alexander I. Ershov

发明人： Vladimir B. Fleurov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Alexander I. Ershov

IPC分类号： G21K5/00 ,  H05G2/00

CPC分类号： H05G2/005 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source comprising an optic, a target material, and a laser beam passing through said optic along a beam path to irradiate said target material. The EUV light source further includes a system generating a gas flow directed toward said target material along said beam path, said system having a tapering member surrounding a volume and a plurality of gas lines, each gas line outputting a gas stream into said volume.

摘要翻译： 一种极紫外（EUV）光源，包括光学元件，目标材料和沿着光束路径通过所述光学元件以照射所述目标材料的激光束。 EUV光源还包括沿着所述光束路径产生朝向所述目标材料的气流的系统，所述系统具有包围体积和多条气体管线的锥形构件，每条气体管线将气流输送到所述体积中。

公开(公告)号：US08075732B2

公开(公告)日：2011-12-13

申请号：US10979945

申请日：2004-11-01

申请人： William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  William Oldham ,  William F. Marx ,  Oscar Hemberg

发明人： William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  William Oldham ,  William F. Marx ,  Oscar Hemberg

IPC分类号： C23F1/00

CPC分类号： B08B7/00

摘要： A method and apparatus that may comprise an EUV light producing mechanism utilizing an EUV plasma source material comprising a material that will form an etching compound, which plasma source material produces EUV light in a band around a selected center wavelength comprising: an EUV plasma generation chamber; an EUV light collector contained within the chamber having a reflective surface containing at least one layer comprising a material that does not form an etching compound and/or forms a compound layer that does not significantly reduce the reflectivity of the reflective surface in the band; an etchant source gas contained within the chamber comprising an etchant source material with which the plasma source material forms an etching compound, which etching compound has a vapor pressure that will allow etching of the etching compound from the reflective surface. The etchant source material may comprises a halogen or halogen compound. The etchant source material may be selected based upon the etching being stimulated in the presence of photons of EUV light and/or DUV light and/or any excited energetic photons with sufficient energy to stimulate the etching of the plasma source material. The apparatus may further comprise an etching stimulation plasma generator providing an etching stimulation plasma in the working vicinity of the reflective surface; and the etchant source material may be selected based upon the etching being stimulated by an etching stimulation plasma. There may also be an ion accelerator accelerating ions toward the reflective surface. The ions may comprise etchant source material. The apparatus and method may comprise a part of an EUV production subsystem with an optical element to be etched of plasma source material.

摘要翻译： 可以包括使用EUV等离子体源材料的EUV发光机构的方法和装置，所述EUV等离子体源材料包括将形成蚀刻化合物的材料，所述等离子体源材料在所选择的中心波长周围的带内产生EUV光，包括：EUV等离子体产生室 ; 包含在室内的EUV光收集器具有反射表面，该反射表面包含至少一层，该层包含不形成蚀刻化合物的材料和/或形成不显着降低该带中的反射表面的反射率的化合物层; 包含在腔室内的蚀刻剂源气体包括蚀刻剂源材料，等离子体源材料与蚀刻剂源材料形成蚀刻化合物，该蚀刻化合物具有允许从反射表面蚀刻蚀刻化合物的蒸气压。 蚀刻剂源材料可以包含卤素或卤素化合物。 蚀刻剂源材料可以基于在存在EUV光和/或DUV光的光子和/或具有足够能量以激发等离子体源材料的蚀刻的任何激发能量光子的情况下被激发的蚀刻来选择。 该装置还可以包括在反射表面的工作附近提供蚀刻刺激等离子体的蚀刻刺激等离子体发生器; 并且蚀刻剂源材料可以基于通过蚀刻刺激等离子体刺激的蚀刻来选择。 还可以存在离子加速剂将离子朝向反射表面加速。 离子可以包括蚀刻剂源材料。 该装置和方法可以包括具有待蚀刻的等离子体源材料的光学元件的EUV生产子系统的一部分。

公开(公告)号：US20080165337A1

公开(公告)日：2008-07-10

申请号：US11981450

申请日：2007-10-30

申请人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel J.W. Brown ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Robert A. Bergstedt ,  Ivan Lalovic

发明人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel J.W. Brown ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Robert A. Bergstedt ,  Ivan Lalovic

IPC分类号： G03B27/54 ,  G03F7/26

CPC分类号： G03F7/70625 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70583 ,  G03F7/70616 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08059 ,  H01S3/10092 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2308

摘要： A method and apparatus may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage.

摘要翻译： 一种方法和装置可以包括线变窄的脉冲准分子或分子氟气放电激光系统，其可以包括种子激光振荡器，其产生包括可以包括第一气体放电准分子或分子氟激光室的脉冲的激光输出光束的输出; 第一振荡器腔内的线窄模块; 在第二气体放电准分子或分子氟激光室中包含放大增益介质的激光放大级，其接收种子激光振荡器的输出并放大种子激光振荡器的输出，以形成激光系统输出，其包括激光输出光束 脉冲，其可以包括环形功率放大级。

公开(公告)号：US20070291350A1

公开(公告)日：2007-12-20

申请号：US11452558

申请日：2006-06-14

申请人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  Alexander N. Bykanov ,  Jerzy R. Hoffman ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  William N. Partlo

发明人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  Alexander N. Bykanov ,  Jerzy R. Hoffman ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  William N. Partlo

IPC分类号： H01S3/00

CPC分类号： H01S3/2316 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/11 ,  H01S3/2232 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H05G1/54 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： A laser light source is disclosed having a laser oscillator producing an output beam; a first amplifier amplifying the output beam to produce a first amplified beam, and a second amplifier amplifying the first amplified beam to produce a second amplified beam. For the source, the first amplifier may have a gain medium characterized by a saturation energy (Es, 1) and a small signal gain (go, 1); and the second amplifier may have a gain medium characterized by a saturation energy (Es, 2) and a small signal gain (go, 2), with (go, 1)>(go, 2) and (Es, 2)>(Es, 1). In another aspect, a laser oscillator of a laser light source may be a cavity dumped laser oscillator, e.g. a mode-locked laser oscillator, q-switched laser oscillator and may further comprising a temporal pulse stretcher.

摘要翻译： 公开了具有产生输出光束的激光振荡器的激光源; 放大所述输出光束以产生第一放大光束的第一放大器，以及放大所述第一放大光束以产生第二放大光束的第二放大器。 对于源极，第一放大器可以具有以饱和能量（E S，S 1）和小信号增益（g 1，...）为特征的增益介质; 并且第二放大器可以具有特征在于饱和能量（E SUB，2 N）和小信号增益（g 0，o 2）的增益介质，其中（g < （o，SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB >）。 在另一方面，激光光源的激光振荡器可以是空腔倾覆的激光振荡器，例如。 模式锁定激光振荡器，q切换激光振荡器，并且还可以包括时间脉冲展开器。

公开(公告)号：US07288777B2

公开(公告)日：2007-10-30

申请号：US11603471

申请日：2006-11-21

申请人： William N. Partlo ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Igor V. Fomenkov

发明人： William N. Partlo ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Igor V. Fomenkov

IPC分类号： H01J35/20

CPC分类号： H05G2/001 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  G03F7/70175 ,  G03F7/70916 ,  G21K1/062

摘要： An apparatus/method is disclosed that may comprise an EUV light source which may comprise a collector which may comprise an elliptical collector mirror having a first focus at a plasma initiation point and a second focus at an intermediate focus of the EUV light source; a debris shield intermediate the plasma initiation point and the elliptical collector mirror comprising a plurality of radially extending channels extending from the first focus and aligned to the second focus and in symmetry about an axis of rotation passing through the first focus and aligned to a longitudinal axis of the elliptical collector mirror. The plurality of channels may be formed between a plurality of generally planer foils extending radially from the first focus and aligned to the second focus and in symmetry about an axis of rotation passing through the first focus and aligned to a longitudinal axis of the collector mirror.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种可以包括EUV光源的装置/方法，该EUV光源可以包括收集器，该收集器可以包括在EUV光源的中间焦点处具有等离子体起始点的第一焦点和第二焦点的椭圆形收集器反射镜; 位于等离子体起始点之间的碎片屏蔽和椭圆形收集器镜，其包括从第一焦点延伸并对准到第二焦点并围绕穿过第一焦点的旋转轴对称的多个径向延伸的通道，并且对准纵向轴线 的椭圆收集镜。 多个通道可以形成在从第一焦点径向延伸并与第二焦点对准的多个大致平面的箔片之间并且围绕穿过第一焦点的旋转轴线对称并且与收集器反射镜的纵向轴线对准。

公开(公告)号：US06778584B1

公开(公告)日：2004-08-17

申请号：US09716041

申请日：2000-11-17

申请人： William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Raymond F. Cybulski ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Alexander I. Ershov

发明人： William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Raymond F. Cybulski ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Alexander I. Ershov

IPC分类号： H01S310

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  G03F7/70933 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/0401 ,  H01S3/0404 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A helium purge for a grating based line narrowing device for minimizing thermal distortions in line narrowed lasers producing high energy laser beams at high repetition rates. Applicants have shown substantial improvement in performance with the uses of helium purge as compared to prior art nitrogen purges. In preferred embodiments a stream of helium gas is directed across the face of the grating. In other embodiments the purge gas pressure is reduced to reduce the optical effects of the hot gas layer.

摘要翻译： 用于基于光栅的线窄化装置的氦气吹扫，用于最大限度地减少线性窄激光器中的热失真，以高重复率产生高能激光束。 与现有技术的氮气吹扫相比，申请人已经显示出使用氦吹扫的性能方面的显着改进。在优选实施例中，氦气流被引导穿过光栅的表面。 在其它实施例中，减少吹扫气体压力以减少热气体层的光学效应。

公开(公告)号：US6128323A

公开(公告)日：2000-10-03

申请号：US157067

申请日：1998-09-18

申请人： David W. Myers ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  Palash P. Das ,  Thomas P. Duffey ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Richard G. Morton ,  Richard M. Ness ,  Peter C. Newman ,  Robert G. Ozarski ,  Gamaralalage G. Padmabandu ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel A. Rothweil ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Paul S. Thompson ,  Richard C. Ujazdowski ,  Tom A. Watson ,  R. Kyle Webb ,  Paolo Zambon

发明人： David W. Myers ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  Palash P. Das ,  Thomas P. Duffey ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Richard G. Morton ,  Richard M. Ness ,  Peter C. Newman ,  Robert G. Ozarski ,  Gamaralalage G. Padmabandu ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel A. Rothweil ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Paul S. Thompson ,  Richard C. Ujazdowski ,  Tom A. Watson ,  R. Kyle Webb ,  Paolo Zambon

IPC分类号： G03F7/20 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/081 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H03K3/57 ,  H03K17/80 ,  H01S3/00

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70358 ,  G03F7/70558 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H03K17/80 ,  H03K3/57 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/0812 ,  H01S3/1392 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2256

摘要： The present invention provides a reliable modular production quality excimer laser capable of producing 10 mJ laser pulses at 2000 Hz with a full width half, maximum bandwidth of about 0.6 pm or less. Replaceable modules include a laser chamber; a pulse power system comprised of three modules; an optical resonator comprised of a line narrowing module and an output coupler module; a wavemeter module, an electrical control module, a cooling water module and a gas control module. Improvements in the laser chamber permitting the higher pulse rates and improved bandwidth performance include a single upstream preionizer tube and a high efficiency chamber. The chamber is designed for operation at lower fluorine concentration. Important improvements have been provided in the pulse power unit to produce faster rise time and improved pulse energy control. These improvements include an increased capacity high voltage power supply with a voltage bleed-down circuit for precise voltage trimming, an improved commutation module that generates a high voltage pulse from the capacitors charged by the high voltage power supply and amplifies the pulse voltage 23 times with a very fast voltage transformer having a secondary winding consisting of a single four-segment stainless steel rod. A novel design for the compression head saturable inductor greatly reduces the quantity of transformer oil required and virtually eliminates the possibility of oil leakage which in the past has posed a hazard.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供了一种可靠的模块化生产质量准分子激光器，其能够在2000Hz下产生10mJ激光脉冲，全宽度为一半，最大带宽为约0.6μm或更小。 可更换模块包括激光室; 由三个模块组成的脉冲电源系统; 光学谐振器，包括线窄模块和输出耦合器模块; 波形计模块，电气控制模块，冷却水模块和气体控制模块。 允许更高脉冲速率和改进的带宽性能的激光室的改进包括单个上游预分解器管和高效室。 该室设计用于在较低的氟浓度下运行。 在脉冲功率单元中已经提供了重要的改进，以产生更快的上升时间和改进的脉冲能量控制。 这些改进包括增加容量的高压电源，具有用于精确电压调整的电压降低电路，改进的换向模块，其从由高压电源充电的电容器产生高电压脉冲，并用脉冲电压放大23次 具有由单个四段不锈钢棒组成的次级绕组的非常快速的电压互感器。 用于压缩头可饱和电感器的新颖设计大大减少了所需的变压器油的数量，并且几乎消除了过去漏油的可能性。