公开(公告)号：US07643529B2

公开(公告)日：2010-01-05

申请号：US11982103

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Daniel J. W. Brown ,  William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

发明人： Daniel J. W. Brown ,  William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

IPC分类号： H01S3/22

CPC分类号： G03F7/70341 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/7055 ,  H01S3/005 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/083 ,  H01S3/10092 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2383 ,  H01S2301/02

摘要： An apparatus/method may comprise a line narrowed pulsed lithography laser light source which may comprise: a seed pulse providing laser system which may comprise: a first pulsed seed laser producing seed pulses at a rate of X kHz; a second pulsed seed laser producing seed pulses at a rate of X kHz; an amplification system which may comprise: a first amplifier gain system which may comprise a first and a second pulsed gas discharge amplifier gain medium, each with a nominal center wavelength in the UV range, and each operating at ½ X kHz on output pulses from the first seed laser; a second amplifier gain system which may comprise a first and a second pulsed amplifier gain medium, each with a nominal center wavelength in the UV range, and each operating at ½ X kHz on output pulses from the second seed laser.

摘要翻译： 一种装置/方法可以包括线窄的脉冲光刻激光光源，其可以包括：提供激光系统的种子脉冲，其可以包括：以X kHz的速率产生种子脉冲的第一脉冲种子激光器; 第二脉冲种子激光器以XkHz的速率产生种子脉冲; 放大系统，其可以包括：第一放大器增益系统，其可以包括第一和第二脉冲气体放电放大器增益介质，每个具有在UV范围内的标称中心波长，并且每个在来自 第一种子激光; 第二放大器增益系统，其可以包括第一和第二脉冲放大器增益介质，每个具有在UV范围内的标称中心波长，并且每个在来自第二种子激光器的输出脉冲上以1/2 X kHz工作。

公开(公告)号：US20090256057A1

公开(公告)日：2009-10-15

申请号：US12386771

申请日：2009-04-21

申请人： Palash P. Das ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Jesse D. Davis ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

发明人： Palash P. Das ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Jesse D. Davis ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

IPC分类号： G02B27/40 ,  G01B9/00

CPC分类号： B23K26/043 ,  B23K26/04 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/0738 ,  C30B1/023 ,  C30B13/24

摘要： A laser crystallization apparatus and method are disclosed for selectively melting a film such as amorphous silicon that is deposited on a substrate. The apparatus may comprise an optical system for producing stretched laser pulses for use in melting the film. In still another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a system and method are provided for stretching a laser pulse. In another aspect, a system is provided for maintaining a divergence of a pulsed laser beam (stretched or non-stretched) at a location along a beam path within a predetermined range. In another aspect, a system may be provided for maintaining the energy density at a film within a predetermined range during an interaction of the film with a shaped line beam.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种激光结晶装置和方法，用于选择性地熔融沉积在基底上的诸如非晶硅的膜。 该装置可以包括用于产生用于熔化膜的拉伸激光脉冲的光学系统。 在本发明实施例的另一方面，提供一种用于拉伸激光脉冲的系统和方法。 在另一方面，提供了一种系统，用于在预定范围内沿着光束路径的位置维持脉冲激光束的发散（拉伸或未拉伸）。 在另一方面，可以提供一种系统，用于在膜与成形线束的相互作用期间将膜处的能量密度保持在预定范围内。

公开(公告)号：US20080225904A1

公开(公告)日：2008-09-18

申请号：US11982103

申请日：2007-10-31

申请人： Daniel J.W. Brown ,  William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

发明人： Daniel J.W. Brown ,  William N. Partlo ,  Richard L. Sandstrom

IPC分类号： H01S3/109

CPC分类号： G03F7/70341 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/7055 ,  H01S3/005 ,  H01S3/0057 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/083 ,  H01S3/10092 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2251 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2383 ,  H01S2301/02

摘要： An apparatus/method may comprise a line narrowed pulsed lithography laser light source which may comprise: a seed pulse providing laser system which may comprise: a first pulsed seed laser producing seed pulses at a rate of X kHz; a second pulsed seed laser producing seed pulses at a rate of X kHz; an amplification system which may comprise: a first amplifier gain system which may comprise a first and a second pulsed gas discharge amplifier gain medium, each with a nominal center wavelength in the UV range, and each operating at ½ X kHz on output pulses from the first seed laser; a second amplifier gain system which may comprise a first and a second pulsed amplifier gain medium, each with a nominal center wavelength in the UV range, and each operating at ½ X kHz on output pulses from the second seed laser.

摘要翻译： 一种装置/方法可以包括线窄的脉冲光刻激光光源，其可以包括：提供激光系统的种子脉冲，其可以包括：以X kHz的速率产生种子脉冲的第一脉冲种子激光器; 第二脉冲种子激光器以XkHz的速率产生种子脉冲; 放大系统，其可以包括：第一放大器增益系统，其可以包括第一和第二脉冲气体放电放大器增益介质，每个具有在UV范围内的标称中心波长，并且每个在来自 第一种子激光器 第二放大器增益系统，其可以包括第一和第二脉冲放大器增益介质，每个具有在UV范围内的标称中心波长，并且每个在来自第二种子激光器的输出脉冲上以1/2 X kHz工作。

公开(公告)号：US20080197297A1

公开(公告)日：2008-08-21

申请号：US11471434

申请日：2006-06-20

申请人： Robert P. Akins ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Thomas D. Steiger ,  John Martin Algots ,  Norbert Bowering ,  Robert N. Jacques ,  Frederick Palenschat ,  Jun Song

发明人： Robert P. Akins ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Thomas D. Steiger ,  John Martin Algots ,  Norbert Bowering ,  Robert N. Jacques ,  Frederick Palenschat ,  Jun Song

IPC分类号： G01J3/10

CPC分类号： B82Y10/00 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： An EUV light source apparatus and method are disclosed, which may comprise a pulsed laser providing laser pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate focused at a desired target ignition site; a target formation system providing discrete targets at a selected interval coordinated with the laser pulse repetition rate; a target steering system intermediate the target formation system and the desired target ignition site; and a target tracking system providing information about the movement of target between the target formation system and the target steering system, enabling the target steering system to direct the target to the desired target ignition site. The target tracking system may provide information enabling the creation of a laser firing control signal, and may comprise a droplet detector comprising a collimated light source directed to intersect a point on a projected delivery path of the target, having a respective oppositely disposed light detector detecting the passage of the target through the respective point, or a detector comprising a linear array of a plurality of photo-sensitive elements aligned to a coordinate axis, the light from the light source intersecting a projected delivery path of the target, at least one of the which may comprise a plane-intercept detection device. The droplet detectors may comprise a plurality of droplet detectors each operating at a different light frequency, or a camera having a field of view and a two dimensional array of pixels imaging the field of view. The apparatus and method may comprise an electrostatic plasma containment apparatus providing an electric plasma confinement field at or near a target ignition site at the time of ignition, with the target tracking system providing a signal enabling control of the electrostatic plasma containment apparatus. The apparatus and method may comprise a vessel having and intermediate wall with a low pressure trap allowing passage of EUV light and maintaining a differential pressure across the low pressure trap. The apparatus and method may comprise a magnetic plasma confinement mechanism creating a magnetic field in the vicinity of the target ignition site to confine the plasma to the target ignition site, which may be pulsed and may be controlled using outputs from the target tracking system.

公开(公告)号：US07361918B2

公开(公告)日：2008-04-22

申请号：US11471258

申请日：2006-06-20

申请人： Robert P. Akins ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov

发明人： Robert P. Akins ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov

IPC分类号： H01J35/20

CPC分类号： B82Y10/00 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  H05G2/003 ,  H05G2/008

摘要： An EUV light source apparatus and method are disclosed, which may comprise a pulsed laser providing laser pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate focused at a desired target ignition site; a target formation system providing discrete targets at a selected interval coordinated with the laser pulse repetition rate; a target steering system intermediate the target formation system and the desired target ignition site; and a target tracking system providing information about the movement of target between the target formation system and the target steering system, enabling the target steering system to direct the target to the desired target ignition site. The apparatus and method may comprise a vessel having and intermediate wall with a low pressure trap allowing passage of EUV light and maintaining a differential pressure across the low pressure trap.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种EUV光源装置和方法，其可以包括脉冲激光，其以所选择的脉冲重复频率提供激光脉冲，聚焦在期望的目标点火部位; 目标形成系统，以与激光脉冲重复率配合的选定间隔提供离散目标; 目标转向系统在目标地层系统和期望的目标点火站点之间; 以及目标跟踪系统，其提供关于目标形成系统和目标转向系统之间的目标移动的信息，使得目标转向系统能够将目标定向到期望的目标点火点。 该装置和方法可以包括具有中间壁的容器和具有低压阱的容器，其允许EUV光通过并且保持横跨低压阱的压差。

公开(公告)号：US07079556B2

公开(公告)日：2006-07-18

申请号：US10670406

申请日：2003-09-24

申请人： Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Armen Kroyan ,  Jesse D. Buck ,  Palash P. Das ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Frederick G. Erie ,  John Martin Algots ,  Gamaralalage G. Padmabandu

发明人： Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Armen Kroyan ,  Jesse D. Buck ,  Palash P. Das ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Frederick G. Erie ,  John Martin Algots ,  Gamaralalage G. Padmabandu

IPC分类号： H01S3/09 ,  H01S3/10

CPC分类号： G03F7/70575 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70333 ,  G03F7/70933 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/0404 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/104 ,  H01S3/105 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/13 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A technique for bandwidth control of an electric discharge laser. Line narrowing equipment is provided having at least one piezoelectric drive and a fast bandwidth detection means and a bandwidth control having a time response of less than about 1.0 millisecond. In a preferred embodiment wavelength tuning mirror is dithered at dither rates of more than 500 dithers per second within a very narrow range of pivot angles to cause a dither in nominal wavelength values to produce a desired effective bandwidth of series of laser pulses.

摘要翻译： 一种用于放电激光器带宽控制的技术。 提供线窄设备具有至少一个压电驱动器和快速带宽检测装置以及具有小于约1.0毫秒的时间响应的带宽控制。 在优选实施例中，波长调谐镜在非常窄的转角范围内以每秒超过500次抖动的抖动速率抖动，以使标称波长值的抖动产生期望的一系列激光脉冲的有效带宽。

公开(公告)号：US06765945B2

公开(公告)日：2004-07-20

申请号：US09829475

申请日：2001-04-09

申请人： Richard L. Sandstrom ,  William N. Partlo ,  Eckehard D. Onkels

发明人： Richard L. Sandstrom ,  William N. Partlo ,  Eckehard D. Onkels

IPC分类号： H01S322

CPC分类号： H01S3/10092 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/70483 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/0078 ,  H01S3/03 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0385 ,  H01S3/041 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/08063 ,  H01S3/08068 ,  H01S3/0943 ,  H01S3/097 ,  H01S3/09702 ,  H01S3/09705 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/22 ,  H01S3/2207 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/2258 ,  H01S3/2325 ,  H01S3/2333 ,  H01S3/2366

摘要： A narrow band F2 laser system useful for integrated circuit lithography. An output beam from a first F2 laser gain medium is filtered with a pre-gain filter to produce a seed beam having a bandwidth of about 0.1 pm or less. The seed beam is amplified in a power gain stage which includes a second F2 laser gain medium. The output beam of the system is a pulsed laser beam with a full width half maximum band width of about 0.1 pm or less with pulse energy in excess of about 5 mJ. In a preferred embodiment the pre-gain filter includes a wavelength monitor which permits feedback control over the centerline wavelength so that the pre-gain filter optics can be adjusted to ensure that the desired bandwidth range is injected into the power gain stage.

摘要翻译： 用于集成电路光刻的窄带F2激光系统。 用预增益滤波器对来自第一F2激光增益介质的输出光束进行滤波，以产生具有约0.1μm或更小带宽的种束。 种子束在包括第二F2激光增益介质的功率增益级中被放大。 系统的输出光束是具有约0.1μm或更小的全宽半最大带宽的脉冲激光束，脉冲能量超过约5mJ。 在优选实施例中，预增益滤波器包括允许对中心线波长进行反馈控制的波长监视器，使得可以调整预增益滤波器光学器件，以确保将期望的带宽范围注入功率增益级。

公开(公告)号：US06704339B2

公开(公告)日：2004-03-09

申请号：US10233253

申请日：2002-08-30

申请人： Leonard Lublin ,  David J. Warkentin ,  Palash P. Das ,  Brian C. Klene ,  R. Kyle Webb ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  Ronald L. Spangler ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Shahryar Rokni

发明人： Leonard Lublin ,  David J. Warkentin ,  Palash P. Das ,  Brian C. Klene ,  R. Kyle Webb ,  Herve A. Besaucele ,  Ronald L. Spangler ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Alexander I. Ershov ,  Shahryar Rokni

IPC分类号： H01S3101

CPC分类号： H01S3/005 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70041 ,  G03F7/7055 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  G03F7/70933 ,  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 with beam pointing control 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。 该系统包括具有光束指向控制的封闭和清除的光束路径，用于将激光束传送到期望的位置，例如生产线机器的入口。 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：US06603549B2

公开(公告)日：2003-08-05

申请号：US09931726

申请日：2001-08-16

申请人： Steven F. Haas ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Alexander I. Ershov

发明人： Steven F. Haas ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  Thomas Hofmann ,  Alexander I. Ershov

IPC分类号： G01J318

CPC分类号： G01J3/26 ,  G01J1/4257 ,  G01J3/02 ,  G01J3/027 ,  G01J3/12 ,  G01J3/1809 ,  G01J3/22 ,  G01J3/28 ,  G01J9/02

摘要： A simple, reliable, easy to use method for calculating bandwidth data of very narrow band laser beams based on bandwidth data obtained with a spectrometer in circumstances where the laser bandwidths are not large compared to the slit function of the spectrometer. The slit function of the spectrometer is determined. Spectral data of the laser beam is measured with the spectrometer to produce a measured laser beam spectrum which represents a convolution of the laser beam spectrum and the spectrometer slit function. This measured laser spectrum is then mathematically convolved with the slit function of the spectrometer to produce a doubly convolved spectrum. Bandwidth values representing true laser bandwidths are determined from measured laser spectrum and the doubly convolved spectrum. Preferably the true laser bandwidths are calculated by determining the difference between “twice a measured laser bandwidth” and a corresponding “doubly convolved bandwidth”. This method provides an excellent estimate of the true laser bandwidth because “twice the measured laser bandwidth” represents two laser bandwidths and two spectrometer slit function bandwidths and the “doubly convolved bandwidth” represents one laser bandwidth and two spectrometer slit function bandwidths. Thus, the difference is a representation of the true laser bandwidth. In a preferred embodiment the bandwidth parameters measured are the full width half-maximum bandwidth and the 95% integral bandwidth.

公开(公告)号：US06586757B2

公开(公告)日：2003-07-01

申请号：US09875719

申请日：2001-06-06

申请人： Stephan T. Melnychuk ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Richard M. Ness ,  Daniel L. Birx late of ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  John E. Rauch

发明人： Stephan T. Melnychuk ,  William N. Partlo ,  Igor V. Fomenkov ,  Richard M. Ness ,  Daniel L. Birx late of ,  Richard L. Sandstrom ,  John E. Rauch

IPC分类号： H01J3520

CPC分类号： H05G2/003 ,  B82Y10/00 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  G03F7/70166 ,  G03F7/70908 ,  G03F7/70916 ,  H05G2/005 ,  H05H1/06

摘要： A high energy photon source. A pair of plasma pinch electrodes are located in a vacuum chamber. The chamber contains a working gas which includes a noble buffer gas and an active gas chosen to provide a desired spectral line. A pulse power source provides electrical pulses at repetition rates of 1000 Hz or greater and at voltages high enough to create electrical discharges between the electrodes to produce very high temperature, high density plasma pinches in the working gas providing radiation at the spectral line of the source or active gas. A fourth generation unit is described which produces 20 mJ, 13.5 nm pulses into 2 &pgr; steradians at repetition rates of 2000 Hz with xenon as the active gas. This unit includes a pulse power system having a resonant charger charging a charging capacitor bank, and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer for generating the high voltage electrical pulses at repetition rates of 2000 Hz or greater. Gas flows in the vacuum chamber are controlled to assure desired concentration of active gas in the discharge region and to minimize active gas concentration in the beam path downstream of the pinch region. In a preferred embodiment, active gas is injected downstream of the pinch region and exhausted axially through the center of the anode. In another preferred embodiment a laser beam generates metal vapor at a location close to but downstream of the pinch region and the vapor is exhausted axially through the anode.