公开(公告)号：US06381257B1

公开(公告)日：2002-04-30

申请号：US09473795

申请日：1999-12-28

申请人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  Eckehard D. Onkels ,  Palash P. Das ,  William N. Partlo ,  Thomas Hofmann

发明人： Alexander I. Ershov ,  Eckehard D. Onkels ,  Palash P. Das ,  William N. Partlo ,  Thomas Hofmann

IPC分类号： H01S322

CPC分类号： H01S3/10092 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70483 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/0943 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/09705 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2308 ,  H01S3/2325 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2366

摘要： A tunable injection seeded very narrow band F2 lithography laser. The laser combines modular design features of prior art long life reliable lithography lasers with special techniques to produce a seed beam operated in a first gain medium which beam is used to stimulate narrow band lasing in a second gain medium to produce a very narrow band laser beam useful for integrated circuit lithography. In a preferred embodiment, two tunable etalon output couplers are used to narrow band an F2 laser and the output of the seed laser is amplified in an F2 amplifier.

摘要翻译： 可调式注入种子非常窄的F2光刻激光。 激光器将现有技术的长寿命可靠光刻激光器的模块化设计特征与特殊技术相结合，以产生在第一增益介质中操作的种子束，该光束用于在第二增益介质中刺激窄带激光，以产生非常窄的带状激光束 适用于集成电路光刻。 在优选实施例中，使用两个可调谐的标准具输出耦合器来使F2激光器窄带化，种子激光器的输出在F2放大器中被放大。

公开(公告)号：US5991324A

公开(公告)日：1999-11-23

申请号：US41474

申请日：1998-03-11

申请人： David S. Knowles ,  James H. Azzola ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  Palash P. Das ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Tibor Juhasz ,  Robert G. Ozarski ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel A. Rothweil ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Richard C. Ujazdowski ,  Tom A. Watson ,  Richard M. Ness

发明人： David S. Knowles ,  James H. Azzola ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  Palash P. Das ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Tibor Juhasz ,  Robert G. Ozarski ,  William N. Partlo ,  Daniel A. Rothweil ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Richard C. Ujazdowski ,  Tom A. Watson ,  Richard M. Ness

IPC分类号： H01S3/038 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/22

CPC分类号： G01J9/0246 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70358 ,  G03F7/70558 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/1392

摘要： A reliable, modular, production quality narrow-band KrF excimer laser capable of producing 10 mJ laser pulses at 1000 Hz with a bandwidth of about 0.6 pm or less. The present invention is especially suited to long-term round-the-clock operation in the lithographic production of integrated circuits. Improvements over prior art lasers include a single upstream preionizer tube and acoustic baffles. A preferred embodiment includes reduced fluorine concentration, an anode support bar shaped to reduce aerodynamic reaction forces on blower bearings, a modified pulse power system providing faster pulse rise time, an output coupler with substantially increased reflectivity, a line narrowing module with CaF prism beam expanders, a more accurate wavemeter, a laser computer controller programmed with new and improved pulse energy control algorithm.

摘要翻译： 一种可靠，模块化，生产质量好的窄带KrF准分子激光器，能够以1000Hz的频率产生10mJ的激光脉冲，带宽约为0.6μm或更小。 本发明特别适用于集成电路的平版印刷生产中的长期全天候操作。 现有技术的激光器的改进包括单个上游预分解器管和声学挡板。 优选的实施例包括减少的氟浓度，阳极支撑杆形状以减小鼓风机轴承上的空气动力反作用力，改进的脉冲电源系统提供更快的脉冲上升时间，输出耦合器具有显着增加的反射率，具有CaF棱镜扩束器的线窄化模块 ，更准确的波长计，激光计算机控制器编程，具有新的改进的脉冲能量控制算法。

公开(公告)号：US5748656A

公开(公告)日：1998-05-05

申请号：US583302

申请日：1996-01-05

申请人： Tom A. Watson ,  William N. Partlo ,  Donald G. Larson ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Anthony J. de Ruyter ,  Palash P. Das

发明人： Tom A. Watson ,  William N. Partlo ,  Donald G. Larson ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Anthony J. de Ruyter ,  Palash P. Das

IPC分类号： H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/04 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/045

CPC分类号： H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/04 ,  H01S3/041 ,  F28D2021/0077 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： Disclosed is a laser useful in, e.g., photolithography or medical surgery. In one embodiment, the laser comprises a discharge chamber and heat-generating electronics that are enclosed in a baffled enclosure that requires less cooling air to reliably cool the components in the enclosure than previous unbaffled enclosures. A method of reducing the amount of conditioned air is also provided. In a further embodiment, the laser has a heat-exchange system that acts quickly in response to changes in laser gas temperature by adjusting a flow-proportioning valve regulating water flow through a heat exchanger, thereby providing a continuously variable rate of heat exchange through the heat exchanger to maintain the lasing gas temperature constant. Methods of providing a laser beam and of improving the uniformity of a laser beam are disclosed, as are photolithography methods utilizing a laser and method of this invention.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种可用于例如光刻或医疗手术中的激光。 在一个实施例中，激光器包括放电室和发热电子器件，其封闭在挡板外壳中，其需要较少的冷却空气以可靠地冷却外壳中的部件比先前的未封闭的外壳。 还提供了减少调节空气量的方法。 在另一个实施例中，激光器具有热交换系统，其响应于激光气体温度的变化而快速作用，通过调节调节通过热交换器的水流的流量比例阀，由此通过所述热交换系统提供连续可变的热交换速率 热交换器保持激光温度恒定。 公开了提供激光束并提高激光束的均匀性的方法，以及利用激光的光刻方法和本发明的方法。

公开(公告)号：US07139301B2

公开(公告)日：2006-11-21

申请号：US10701280

申请日：2003-11-03

申请人： Armen Kroyan ,  Ivan Lalovic ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Palash P. Das ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  John M. Algots ,  Khurshid Ahmed

发明人： Armen Kroyan ,  Ivan Lalovic ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Palash P. Das ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  John M. Algots ,  Khurshid Ahmed

IPC分类号： H01S3/22

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70333 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  G03F7/70933 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/0404 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/08036 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/1024 ,  H01S3/104 ,  H01S3/105 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/13 ,  H01S3/1305 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2256 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2308

摘要： An integrated circuit lithography technique called spectral engineering by Applicants, for bandwidth control of an electric discharge laser. In a preferred process, a computer model is used to model lithographic parameters to determine a desired laser spectrum needed to produce a desired lithographic result. A fast responding tuning mechanism is then used to adjust center wavelength of laser pulses in a burst of pulses to achieve an integrated spectrum for the burst of pulses approximating the desired laser spectrum. The laser beam bandwidth is controlled to produce an effective beam spectrum having at least two spectral peaks in order to produce improved pattern resolution in photo resist film. Line narrowing equipment is provided having at least one piezoelectric drive and a fast bandwidth detection control system having a time response of less than about 2.0 millisecond. In a preferred embodiment, a wavelength tuning mirror is dithered at dither rates of more than 500 dithers per second in phase with the repetition rate of the laser. In one case, the piezoelectric drive was driven with a square wave signal and in a second case it was driven with a sine wave signal. In another embodiment, the maximum displacement was matched on a one-to-one basis with the laser pulses in order to produce a desired average spectrum with two peaks for a series of laser pulses. Other preferred embodiments utilize three separate wavelength tuning positions producing a spectrum with three separate peaks.

公开(公告)号：US07016388B2

公开(公告)日：2006-03-21

申请号：US10712688

申请日：2003-11-12

申请人： Brian Klene ,  Palash P. Das ,  Steve Grove ,  Alexander Ershov ,  Scot Smith ,  Xiaojiang Pan ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

发明人： Brian Klene ,  Palash P. Das ,  Steve Grove ,  Alexander Ershov ,  Scot Smith ,  Xiaojiang Pan ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

IPC分类号： H01S3/22

CPC分类号： G03F7/7055 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2366

摘要： The present invention provides a modular high repetition rate ultraviolet gas discharge laser light source for a production line machine. The system includes an enclosed and purged beam path for delivery the laser beam to a desired location such as the entrance port of the production line machine. In preferred embodiments, the production line machine is a lithography machine and 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. This MOPA system is capable of output pulse energies approximately double the comparable single chamber laser system with greatly improved beam quality. A pulse stretcher more than doubles the output pulse length resulting in a reduction in pulse power (mJ/ns) as compared to prior art laser systems. This preferred embodiment is capable of providing illumination at a lithography system wafer plane which is approximately constant throughout the operating life of the lithography system, despite substantial degradation of optical components.

公开(公告)号：US06693939B2

公开(公告)日：2004-02-17

申请号：US10141216

申请日：2002-05-07

申请人： Brian Klene ,  Palash P. Das ,  Steve Grove ,  Alexander Ershov ,  Scot Smith ,  Xiaojiang Pan ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

发明人： Brian Klene ,  Palash P. Das ,  Steve Grove ,  Alexander Ershov ,  Scot Smith ,  Xiaojiang Pan ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

IPC分类号： H01S322

CPC分类号： G03F7/70933 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/0071 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/0404 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/0943 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/09705 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/104 ,  H01S3/105 ,  H01S3/11 ,  H01S3/1305 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2256 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2366

摘要： The present invention provides a modular high repetition rate ultraviolet gas discharge laser light source for a production line machine. The system includes an enclosed and purged beam path for delivery the laser beam to a desired location such as the entrance port of the production line machine. In preferred embodiments, the production line machine is a lithography machine and 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. This MOPA system is capable of output pulse energies approximately double the comparable single chamber laser system with greatly improved beam quality. A pulse stretcher more than doubles the output pulse length resulting in a reduction in pulse power (mJ/ns) as compared to prior art laser systems. This preferred embodiment is capable of providing illumination at a lithography system wafer plane which is approximately constant throughout the operating life of the lithography system, despite substantial degradation of optical components.

摘要翻译： 本发明提供一种用于生产线机器的模块化高重复率紫外线气体放电激光源。 该系统包括用于将激光束传送到期望位置（例如生产线机器的入口）的封闭和清除的光束路径。 在优选实施例中，生产线机器是光刻机，并且提供两个单独的放电室，其中之一是主振荡器的一部分，其产生在第二放电室中放大的非常窄的带状晶体束。 该MOPA系统能够以大大提高的光束质量将输出脉冲能量大约增加到相当的单室激光器系统的两倍。 与现有技术的激光系统相比，脉冲放大器使输出脉冲长度加倍，导致脉冲功率（mJ / ns）的降低。 该优选实施例能够在光刻系统晶片平面处提供照明，其在光刻系统的整个使用寿命期间大致恒定，尽管光学部件的实质性劣化。

公开(公告)号：US6028880A

公开(公告)日：2000-02-22

申请号：US109596

申请日：1998-07-02

申请人： Jason R. Carlesi ,  Shahryar Rokni ,  Mengxiong Gong ,  Tom A. Watson ,  Palash P. Das ,  Michael C. Binder ,  Muljadi Tantra ,  David J. Tammadge ,  Daniel G. Patterson

发明人： Jason R. Carlesi ,  Shahryar Rokni ,  Mengxiong Gong ,  Tom A. Watson ,  Palash P. Das ,  Michael C. Binder ,  Muljadi Tantra ,  David J. Tammadge ,  Daniel G. Patterson

IPC分类号： G03F7/20 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/225

CPC分类号： G03F7/70558 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： An excimer laser system with a fluorine control having a fixed volume inject bottle in which fluorine is injected prior to it being injected into the laser chamber. A manifold and feedback control system is provided to permit precise injection at rates approaching continuous fluorine injection. The system permits the laser to be operated in a small sweet spot as measured by a narrow range of charging voltage.

摘要翻译： 具有氟控制的准分子激光系统具有固定体积的注射瓶，其中在注入氟注入激光室之前注入氟。 提供歧管和反馈控制系统以允许以接近连续氟注入的速率进行精确喷射。 该系统允许激光器在小范围的充电电压测量的小甜点中操作。

公开(公告)号：US6021150A

公开(公告)日：2000-02-01

申请号：US41832

申请日：1998-03-12

申请人： William N. Partio ,  Donald G. Larson ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Anthony J. de Ruyter ,  Palash P. Das

发明人： William N. Partio ,  Donald G. Larson ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Anthony J. de Ruyter ,  Palash P. Das

IPC分类号： H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/04 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/22

CPC分类号： H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/04 ,  H01S3/041 ,  F28D2021/0077 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： Disclosed is a laser useful in, e.g., photolithography or medical surgery. In one embodiment, the laser comprises a discharge chamber and heat-generating electronics that are enclosed in a baffled enclosure that requires less cooling air to reliably cool the components in the enclosure than previous unbaffled enclosures. A method of reducing the amount of conditioned air is also provided. In a further embodiment, the laser has a heat-exchange system that acts quickly in response to changes in laser gas temperature by adjusting a flow-proportioning valve regulating water flow through a heat exchanger, thereby providing a continuously variable rate of heat exchange through the heat exchanger to maintain the lasing gas temperature constant. Methods of providing a laser beam and of improving the uniformity of a laser beam are disclosed, as are photolithography methods utilizing a laser and method of this invention.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种可用于例如光刻或医疗手术中的激光。 在一个实施例中，激光器包括放电室和发热电子器件，其封闭在挡板外壳中，其需要较少的冷却空气以可靠地冷却外壳中的部件比先前的未封闭的外壳。 还提供了减少调节空气量的方法。 在另一个实施例中，激光器具有热交换系统，其响应于激光气体温度的变化而快速作用，通过调节调节通过热交换器的水流的流量比例阀，由此通过所述热交换系统提供连续可变的热交换速率 热交换器保持激光温度恒定。 公开了提供激光束并提高激光束的均匀性的方法，以及利用激光的光刻方法和本发明的方法。

公开(公告)号：US07277188B2

公开(公告)日：2007-10-02

申请号：US11138175

申请日：2005-05-26

申请人： Palash P. Das ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Otto Boucky ,  Ernst Stump ,  Berthold Matzkovits ,  Michael Hoell ,  Joerg Walther ,  Kurt Brenner ,  Guenter Grupp

发明人： Palash P. Das ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Otto Boucky ,  Ernst Stump ,  Berthold Matzkovits ,  Michael Hoell ,  Joerg Walther ,  Kurt Brenner ,  Guenter Grupp

IPC分类号： G01B11/14

CPC分类号： B23K26/03 ,  B23K26/0006 ,  B23K26/032 ,  B23K26/04 ,  B23K26/043 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/0665 ,  B23K26/0738 ,  B23K26/083 ,  B23K26/352 ,  B23K37/0408 ,  B23K37/047 ,  B23K2101/18 ,  B23K2101/38 ,  B23K2103/56 ,  C30B13/22 ,  C30B29/06 ,  G01B21/00 ,  G03F7/70383 ,  G03F7/70583 ,  H01L27/1296

摘要： Systems and methods are disclosed for focusing a beam for an interaction with a film deposited on a substrate wherein the focused beam defines a short axis and a long axis. In one aspect, the system may include a detecting system to analyze light reflected from the film on an image plane to determine whether the beam is focused in the short axis at the film. In still another aspect, a system may be provided for positioning a film (having an imperfect, non-planar surface) for interaction with a shaped line beam.

摘要翻译： 公开的系统和方法用于聚焦用于与沉积在基板上的膜相互作用的光束，其中聚焦光束限定短轴和长轴。 在一个方面，系统可以包括检测系统，以分析在图像平面上从胶片反射的光，以确定光束是否在胶片的短轴中聚焦。 在另一方面，可以提供一种用于定位用于与成形线束相互作用的胶片（具有不完美的非平面表面）的系统。

公开(公告)号：US07167499B2

公开(公告)日：2007-01-23

申请号：US10781251

申请日：2004-02-18

申请人： Palash P. Das ,  Bruce E. Bolliger ,  Partiv S. Patel ,  Brian C. Klene ,  Paul C. Melcher ,  Robert B. Saethre

发明人： Palash P. Das ,  Bruce E. Bolliger ,  Partiv S. Patel ,  Brian C. Klene ,  Paul C. Melcher ,  Robert B. Saethre

IPC分类号： H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/03

CPC分类号： H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/005 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2256 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2366

摘要： A gas discharge laser crystallization apparatus and method for performing a transformation of a crystal makeup or orientation in the substrate of a workpiece is disclosed which may comprise, a multichamber laser system comprising, a first laser unit comprising, a first and second gas discharge chamber; each with a pair of elongated spaced apart opposing electrodes contained within the chamber, forming an elongated gas discharge region; a laser gas contained within the chamber comprising a halogen and a noble gas selected to produce laser light at a center wavelength optimized to the crystallization process to be earned out on the workpiece; a power supply module comprising, a DC power source; a first and a second pulse compression and voltage step up circuit connected to the DC power source and connected to the respective electrodes, comprising a multistage fractional step up transformer having a plurality of primary windings connected in series and a single secondary winding passing through each of the plurality of primary windings, and a solid state trigger switch; and a laser timing and control module operative to time the closing of the respective solid state switch based upon operating parameters of the respective first and second pulse compression and voltage step up circuit to effect operation of the first and second laser units as either a POPA configured laser system or a POPO configured laser system to produce a single output laser light pulse beam. As a POPA laser system relay optics may be operative to direct a first output laser light pulse beam from the first laser unit into the second gas discharge chamber; and, the timing and control module operates to create a gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes while the first output laser light pulse beam is transiting the second discharge region, within plus or minus 3 ns and as a POPO, combining optics combine the output beams, and timing creates pulse separation in the combined output a preselected time plus or minus 3 ns.