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:
A lithograph quality optimization process for controlling laser beam parameters when changing operating modes. The laser is programmed to automatically conduct an optimization procedure preferably in less than one minute to adjust laser operating parameters such as blower speed, total gas pressure and F2 partial pressure in order to optimize beam quality parameters.
摘要:
An excimer laser system with an automatic fluorine control system to permit precise control of the fluorine concentration within an F2 “sweet spot” in a gas discharge laser chamber. This is done with a computer control system which monitors laser parameters, determines &Dgr;E/&Dgr;V, the change of pulse energy with voltage, and automatically and precisely controls the fluorine concentration based on &Dgr;E/&Dgr;V without the need to actually measure the fluorine concentration. The present invention is especially useful in lithography environments in which photo resist having a wide range of sensitivity are used. The present invention permits operation of the laser at substantially maximum efficiency over a wide range of pulse energy outputs.
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:
A compact high resolution grating spectrometer. A beam of expanding light from a light source is collimated and the collimated beam is expanded with a beam expander before illuminating a reflecting grating. The expansion of the beam permits high resolution in a small package. In preferred embodiments mirror arrangements are provided to produce double reflections off the reflecting grating to further improve the resolution of the spectrometer.
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:
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:
A high voltage pulse power generating circuit capable of providing energy recovery is disclosed. The energy efficient pulse generating circuit source comprises a high voltage charge storing element which is periodically discharged into a compressor circuit. An energy recovery circuit coupled to the compressor circuit reverses the polarity of energy dissipated by the pulse power generating circuit and transfers the waste energy back to the power source. In a preferred embodiment, the pulse power generating circuit of the present invention utilizes an SCR switch for periodically discharging the charge storing element. This embodiment of the present invention provides pulses consistently and will not provide even a single missed pulse.
摘要:
An excimer laser system with a real time fluorine monitor and an automatic fluorine control system to permit precise control of the fluorine concentration within the laser chamber. Cleaned laser gas is extracted from the laser chamber and directed through an F2 sample cell prior to returning to the chamber through one of the chamber window housings. A UV light beam is directed through the F2 sample cell and the amount of absorption of the light is measured. In preferred embodiments the absorption is measured by detecting with a photo detector the amount of light which passes through the cell. The photo detector provides a feedback signal which is used by a laser controller to automatically control fluorine concentration in the chamber to within desired ranges. In another preferred embodiment an acoustic detector detects acoustic signals resulting from absorbed light pulses. This invention provides a substantially real time measurement of fluorine concentration.
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.