公开(公告)号：US07075963B2

公开(公告)日：2006-07-11

申请号：US09771366

申请日：2001-01-25

申请人： Dirk Basting ,  Wolfgang Zschocke ,  Thomas Schröeder ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Matthias Kramer ,  Uwe Stamm

发明人： Dirk Basting ,  Wolfgang Zschocke ,  Thomas Schröeder ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Matthias Kramer ,  Uwe Stamm

IPC分类号： H01S3/22

CPC分类号： H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/106 ,  H01S3/1062 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A line-narrowing module for a laser includes a prism beam expander and a grating preferably attached to a heat sink. A pressure-controlled enclosure filled with an inert gas seals the grating and/or other elements of the line-narrowing module. The pressure in the enclosure is adjusted for tuning the wavelength. Preferably, the pressure is controlled by controlling the flow of an inert gas through the enclosure. A pump may be used, or an overpressure flow may be used. Alternatively, a prism of the beam expander or an etalon may be rotatable for tuning the wavelength.

公开(公告)号：US07006541B2

公开(公告)日：2006-02-28

申请号：US10354945

申请日：2003-01-29

申请人： Peter Lokai ,  Thomas Schroeder ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Uwe Stamm ,  Klaus Wolfgang Vogler

发明人： Peter Lokai ,  Thomas Schroeder ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Uwe Stamm ,  Klaus Wolfgang Vogler

IPC分类号： H01S3/13

CPC分类号： H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/1392

摘要： A tunable laser system includes a gain medium and an optical resonator for generating a laser beam, and a spectral narrowing and tuning unit within the resonator. A detection and control unit controls a relative wavelength of the laser system. A wavelength calibration module calibrates the detection and control unit. The module contains more than one species each having an optical transition line within the tuning spectrum of the laser. A beam portion of the narrowed emission from the laser is directed through the wavelength calibration module and a beam portion is directed through the detection and control unit when the laser beam is scanned through the optical transition line of each of the species within the module. The detection and control unit is monitored and calibrated during the scanning.

公开(公告)号：US06856638B2

公开(公告)日：2005-02-15

申请号：US10035351

申请日：2001-10-19

申请人： Konstantin Aab ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Peter Lokai ,  Matthias Ulrich

发明人： Konstantin Aab ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Peter Lokai ,  Matthias Ulrich

IPC分类号： H01S3/081 ,  H01S3/106 ,  H01S3/13 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/136 ,  H01S3/137 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/22

CPC分类号： H01S3/0811 ,  H01S3/106 ,  H01S3/1305 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/136 ,  H01S3/137 ,  H01S3/223 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A line-narrowed excimer or molecular fluorine laser system includes a discharge chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including molecular fluorine and a buffer gas, multiple electrodes within the discharge chamber connected to a discharge circuit for energizing the gas mixture, a resonator including a pair of resonator reflecting surfaces disposed on either side of the discharge chamber for generating a laser beam, and a line-narrowing/selection unit within the resonator for narrowing the bandwidth of the laser beam. The resonator further includes a third reflecting surface which is deformable and disposed between the pair of resonator reflecting surfaces. The line-narrowing/selection unit preferably includes a beam expander and a dispersive element, wherein the deformable third reflecting surface is disposed between the beam expander and the dispersive element.

摘要翻译： 线狭窄的准分子或分子氟激光系统包括填充有至少包括分子氟和缓冲气体的气体混合物的放电室，放电室内的多个电极连接到用于激励气体混合物的放电电路，包括 一对谐振器反射表面，设置在用于产生激光束的放电室的任一侧上;以及在谐振器内的线窄选择单元，用于使激光束的带宽变窄。 谐振器还包括可变形并设置在该对谐振器反射表面之间的第三反射表面。 线条变窄/选择单元优选地包括光束扩展器和分散元件，其中可变形的第三反射表面设置在光束扩展器和色散元件之间。

公开(公告)号：US20040252740A1

公开(公告)日：2004-12-16

申请号：US10338779

申请日：2003-01-06

申请人： Lambda Physik AG.

发明人： Hans-Stephan Albrecht ,  Klaus Wolfgang Vogler ,  Juergen Kleinschmidt ,  Thomas Schroeder ,  Igor Bragin ,  Vadim Berger ,  Uwe Stamm ,  Wolfgang Zschocke ,  Sergei Govorkov

IPC分类号： H01S003/22 ,  H01S003/223

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G02B5/1814 ,  G02B5/1838 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/08031 ,  H01S3/08045 ,  H01S3/0971 ,  H01S3/1055 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A method and apparatus is provided for stabilizing output beam parameters of a gas discharge laser by maintaining a molecular fluorine component of the laser gas mixture at a predetermined partial pressure using a gas supply unit and a processor. The molecular fluorine is provided at an initial partial pressure and is subject to depletion within the laser discharge chamber. Injections of gas including molecular fluorine are performed each to increase the partial pressure of molecular fluorine by a selected amount in the laser chamber preferably less than 0.2 mbar per injection, or 7% of an amount of F2 already within the laser chamber. A number of successive injections may be performed at selected intervals to maintain the constituent gas substantially at the initial partial pressure for maintaining stable output beam parameters. The amount per injection and/or the interval between injections may be varied based on the measured value of the driving voltage and/or a calculated amount of the molecular fluorine in the discharge chamber. The driving voltage is preferably determined to be in one of multiple driving voltage ranges that are adjusted based on the aging of the system. Within each range, gas injections and gas replacements are preferably performed based on total applied electrical energy to the discharge and/or alternatively, on time and/or pulse count.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种用于通过使用气体供应单元和处理器将激光气体混合物的分子氟成分维持在预定分压来稳定气体放电激光器的输出光束参数的方法和装置。 分子氟以初始分压提供，并在激光放电室内耗尽。 每次喷射包括分子氟的气体，以在激光室中选择的量增加分子氟的分压，优选每次注射小于0.2mbar，或已经在激光室内的F2的量的7％。 可以以选定的间隔执行多次连续喷射，以维持构成气体基本处于初始分压，以维持稳定的输出光束参数。 每次注射量和/或注射间隔可以基于驱动电压的测量值和/或放电室中分子氟的计算量而变化。 驱动电压优选地被确定为基于系统的老化而被调整的多个驱动电压范围之一。 在每个范围内，气体注入和气体替换优选地基于对放电的总施加的电能和/或在时间和/或脉冲计数上进行。

公开(公告)号：US20030161374A1

公开(公告)日：2003-08-28

申请号：US10293906

申请日：2002-11-12

申请人： Lambda Physik AG

发明人： Peter Lokai

IPC分类号： H01S003/22 ,  H01S003/223

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/005

摘要： A spectrometer based on a high-resolution confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer for detection of wavelength, FWHM and/or 95% bandwidth of a laser beam of a narrow band tunable excimer or molecular fluorine lithography laser, or EUV generating source, preferably includes a reduction telescope for reducing the laser beam, a diffusor to homogenize the incident excimer or molecular fluorine lithography laser beam, a housing for mounting the confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer between windows in a sealed and temperature-stabilized housing, imaging optics for bringing the incident beam to focus at approximately a center of the interferometer, interferometer fringe imaging optics, and a photoelectric detector of the interferometer fringe image.

摘要翻译： 基于用于检测窄带可调谐准分子或分子氟光刻激光器或EUV产生源的激光束的波长，FWHM和/或95％带宽的基于高分辨率共焦法布里 - 珀罗干涉仪的光谱仪优选包括还原 用于减小激光束的望远镜，用于使入射的准分子或分子氟光刻激光束均匀化的扩散器，用于在密封和温度稳定的壳体中的窗口之间安装共焦法布里 - 珀罗干涉仪的壳体，用于将入射光束 聚焦在干涉仪的大约中心，干涉仪条纹成像光学器件和干涉仪条纹图像的光电检测器。

公开(公告)号：US20020131468A1

公开(公告)日：2002-09-19

申请号：US10112493

申请日：2002-03-28

申请人： Lambda Physik AG.

发明人： Hans-Stephan Albrecht ,  Peter Heist ,  Klaus Wolfgang Volger

IPC分类号： H01S003/22 ,  H01S003/223

CPC分类号： H01S3/08036 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/08081 ,  H01S3/1305 ,  H01S3/139 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： An apparatus and method are provided for bandwidth narrowing of an excimer laser to nullnullnull6 pm or less with high spectral purity and minimized output power loss. Output stability with respect to pulse energy, beam pointing, beam size and beam output location is also provided. The excimer laser includes an active laser medium for generating a spectral beam at an original wavelength, means for selecting and narrowing the broadband output spectrum of the excimer laser, a resonator having at least one highly reflecting surface, and an output coupler. Means for adapting a divergence of the resonating band within the resonator is further included in the apparatus of the invention. The divergence adapting causes the spectral purity to improve by between 20% and 50% and the output power to reduce by less than 10%. A method according to the invention includes selecting and aligning the divergence adapting means.

公开(公告)号：US20020110174A1

公开(公告)日：2002-08-15

申请号：US10121292

申请日：2002-04-12

申请人： Lambda Physik AG

发明人： Hans-Stephan Albrecht ,  Klaus Wolfgang Vogler ,  Thomas Schroeder

IPC分类号： H01S003/223

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A method and apparatus is provided for stabilizing output beam parameters of a gas discharge laser by maintaining a constituent gas of the laser gas mixture at a predetermined partial pressure using a gas supply unit and a processor. The constituent gas of the laser gas mixture is provided at an initial partial pressure and the constituent gas is subject to depletion within the laser discharge chamber. Injections of the constituent gas are performed each to increase the partial pressure by a selected amount in the discharge chamber preferably less than 0.2 mbar per injection. A number of successive injections is performed at selected intervals to maintain the constituent gas substantially at the initial partial pressure for maintaining stable output beam parameters. The amount per injection and/or the interval between injections may be varied based on the measured value of the driving voltage and/or a calculated amount of the constituent gas in the discharge chamber. The driving voltage is determined to be in one of multiple driving voltage ranges that are adjusted based on the aging of the system. Within each range, gas injections and gas replacements are preferably performed based on total applied electrical energy to the discharge and/or alternatively, on time and/or pulse count.

公开(公告)号：US20020101901A1

公开(公告)日：2002-08-01

申请号：US10114184

申请日：2002-04-01

申请人： Lambda Physik AG

发明人： Hans-Stephan Albrecht ,  Klaus Wolfgang Vogler ,  Thomas Schroeder

IPC分类号： H01S003/223

CPC分类号： G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/70575 ,  H01S3/036 ,  H01S3/134 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A method and apparatus is provided for stabilizing output beam parameters of a gas discharge laser by maintaining a constituent gas of the laser gas mixture at a predetermined partial pressure using a gas supply unit and a processor. The constituent gas of the laser gas mixture is provided at an initial partial pressure and the constituent gas is subject to depletion within the laser discharge chamber. Injections of the constituent gas are performed each to increase the partial pressure by a selected amount in the discharge chamber preferably less than 0.2 mbar per injection. A number of successive injections is performed at selected intervals to maintain the constituent gas substantially at the initial partial pressure for maintaining stable output beam parameters. The amount per injection and/or the interval between injections may be varied based on the measured value of the driving voltage and/or a calculated amount of the constituent gas in the discharge chamber. The driving voltage is determined to be in one of multiple driving voltage ranges that are adjusted based on the aging of the system. Within each range, gas injections and gas replacements are preferably performed based on total applied electrical energy to the discharge and/or alternatively, on time and/or pulse count.

公开(公告)号：US20020041616A1

公开(公告)日：2002-04-11

申请号：US09925041

申请日：2001-08-07

申请人： Lambda Physik AG.

发明人： Jurgen Kleinschmidt ,  Peter Heist ,  Frank Voss ,  Andreas Gortler

IPC分类号： H01S003/22 ,  H01S003/223

CPC分类号： H01S3/225 ,  H01S3/08004 ,  H01S3/08009 ,  H01S3/1062

摘要： An F2-excimer laser has multiple closely-spaced spectral lines of interest around 157 nm, and one of the lines is selected by wavelength selection optics. The wavelength selection optics of a first preferred embodiment include a birefringent Brewster window enclosing the laser gas volume of the discharge chamber. The window preferably comprises MgF2 and is located at one end of the discharge chamber. One line is selected of the two when the optical thickness of the window is selected in coordination with rotatably adjustable, orthogonal refractive indices of the window. The transmissivity of the window is dependent on the orthogonal refractive indices and the optical thickness of the window. The wavelength selection optics of a second preferred embodiment include are at least partially within the laser active volume. In this way, line selection is performed in a manner which optimizes the combination of optical and discharge efficiency, resonator size and cost. The wavelength selection unit preferably includes a prism having a front surface oriented at Brewster's angle and a back surface oriented to receive and reflect an ordinary refracted ray travelling within the prism at a right angle to the back surface. The back surface also preferably includes a highly reflective coating to serve as the highly reflective surface of the resonator. The wavelength selection unit preferably further comprises an adjustment component for adjusting the orientation of the prism and for enclosing the other end of the housing, opposite the outcoupling end.

公开(公告)号：US20020041615A1

公开(公告)日：2002-04-11

申请号：US09922241

申请日：2001-08-02

申请人： Lambda Physik AG.

发明人： Vladimir Mikhailovich Borisov ,  Alexander Yurivich Vinokhodov ,  Vladimir Alexeevich Vodchits

IPC分类号： H01S003/22 ,  H01S003/223

CPC分类号： H01S3/038 ,  H01S3/0384 ,  H01S3/0975 ,  H01S3/0977 ,  H01S3/225

摘要： A device for use with a repetitively pulsed gas laser provides self-initiated UV preliminary ionization of the active volume of a laser, which has extended high-voltage and grounded electrodes disposed parallel to one another, to which peaking capacitors distributed along the length of the electrodes are connected in a low-inductance manner. The low-voltage contacts of the peaking capacitors are either connected directly to the grounded electrode or, if this connection is interrupted, dielectric plates are inserted that are disposed either on one side or on both sides of the grounded electrode. If the capacitors are charged rapidly, a surface discharge which effects UV pre-ionization of the volume of the main discharge and is uniformly distributed over the whole surface of the dielectric plates is produced on the surface of the dielectric plates. The device provides improved output parameters of the laser and increased service life both of the gas mixture and of structural components of the electric discharge system.

摘要翻译： 与重复脉冲气体激光器一起使用的装置提供激光器的有源体积的自发UV预电离，激光器的有源体积具有扩展的彼此平行设置的高电压和接地电极，峰值电容器沿着 电极以低电感方式连接。 峰值电容器的低电压触点直接连接到接地电极，或者如果连接中断，则插入布置在接地电极的一侧或两侧的电介质板。 如果电容器被快速充电，则在电介质板的表面上产生在主放电体积上实现UV预电离并均匀分布在电介质板的整个表面上的表面放电。 该装置提供了改进的激光输出参数，并且提高了气体混合物和放电系统的结构部件的使用寿命。