Abstract:
A narrow-band laser comprising: a laser generating section having laser activity and capable of generating laser beam; band narrowing means which is provided on one end side of the laser generating section on the optical axis of the laser beam generated in the laser generating section to narrow the band of the laser beam by means of at least one angle-dispersion wavelength selection element, fold back the laser beam in the narrowed band and output the folded laser beam toward the laser generating section; beam folding means which is provided on the other end of the laser generating section on the optical axis of the laser beam generated in the laser generating section to fold back the input laser beam and reflect the folded laser beam into the laser generating section; and a laser branching optical unit which is provided between the laser generating section and the band narrowing means to permit part of the laser beam input from the laser generating section to pass therethrough into the band narrowing means while deflecting the remaining part of the laser beam and drawing out the same as an output beam. The laser is constructed so that the light which has passed straight through the laser branching optical unit is input into the band narrowing means, thereby stabilizing a resonance system to eliminate multiwavelength oscillation accompanying the vibration.
Abstract:
A wavelength detector in which reference light (31) generated in a reference light source (30) and light (11) to be detected are directed to an etalon (62), and the light that has transmitted through the etalon is detected by light detecting means (64). The front focal surface (50) of a collimator lens (61) is irradiated with the reference light and the light to be detected. These lights are converted into parallel rays through the collimator lens and fall on the etalon. The reference light and the light to be detected that have passed through the etalon are focused by focusing lens means (63) on the detecting surface of light detecting means to form thereon interference fringes that correspond to the reference light and the light to be detected. Based on the interference fringes, relative wavelength of the light to be detected to the reference light, i.e., the absolute wavelength of the light to be detected, is measured.
Abstract:
A device for controlling the output of an excimer laser adapted for use as a source of light particularly for a reduction projection exposure device in which at least two etalons with a large diameter are arranged between a rear mirror and a laser chamber, and the superposition of transmission wavelengths of the etalons is so controlled as to narrow the band of the output laser beam yet maintaining the number of spatial transverse modes. The superposition is controlled by a superposition control device and the intensity for exciting the laser gas is controlled by an excitation intensity control device, while partial exchange of gas is controlled by a gas control device all maintaining predetermined timings.
Abstract:
According to this invention, the center wavelength in the main peak of a laser beam and the power at either the side band or the center wavelength are detected, and the selectivity of a wavelength selector arranged between a laser chamber and a rear mirror is controlled so that the detected center wavelength will be within a desired allowable range and that the detected power will be either a minimum or a maximum.
Abstract:
The specifications of an etalon are selected to satisfy the following equation, the etalon being provided for a multi-mode narrow-band oscillation excimer laser that is used as a source of light exposure in photolithography: flambdaWlambdaRlambda(u, v)dlambda alpha where alpha represents an OTF necessary for sensitizing a resist according to a reticule pattern (OTF: Optical Transfer Function), Rlambda(u, v) represents a monochromatic light OTF of the illumination system and a contracting projection lens, and Wlambda represents the weight of a spectral waveform at a given wavelength lambda in a power spectrum of the oscillation laser beam. When the etalon having the above specifications is provided between a rear mirror and a chamber, the angle of inclination of the etalon in the direction of the normal is selected to be, > tan-1 S/2A where S represents the size of a beam on the emission mirror, and A represents a distance between the etalon and the emission mirror, and the oscillation line width K is given by formula (I), where lambdaO denotes a wavelength that is selectted when the beam is incident on the etalon at right angles thereto, and ' denotes the angle of expansion of the beam, and where K X where X denotes a permissible line width of an exposure apparatus using the excimer laser as a source of light.
Abstract:
A MOPA laser apparatus 3 including a master oscillator 110 configured to output a pulsed laser beam, at least one amplifier 130i provided on the path of the pulsed laser beam output from the master oscillator, and at least one first optical beam shutter 120i (also called here isolator) provided on the path of the pulsed laser beam, said first optical beam shutter (also called here isolator) including two polarisation splitters and a Pockels cell located in- between including an electro-optical crystal being one of a GaAs crystal and a CdTe crystal.
Abstract:
An amplifier may include a plurality of discharge tubes arranged in a designed path of a seed laser beam and an optical system arranged to steer the seed laser beam to travel along the designed path.
Abstract:
A laser apparatus (300) includes at least one oscillator (301) configured to output a first laser beam (L1); a filter device (310-1 through 310-n) provided in a beam path of the first laser beam, the filter device including either an optical element having transmittance properties dependant of a polarization direction and a wavelength and a filter device including a wavelength dispersive element; and at least one first amplifier (320-1 through 320-n) configured to amplify a second laser beam (L2) from the filter device and output as a third laser beam (31).
Abstract:
An alignment system for a laser apparatus includes a guide laser device outputting a guide laser beam, an adjusting mechanism adjusting travel directions of the guide laser beam and a laser beam from the laser apparatus, a beam path combiner controlling travel directions of the laser beam and the guide laser beam to substantially coincide with each other, a first optical detection unit provided from the beam path combiner detecting the laser and guide laser beams, a first controller controlling the adjusting mechanism based on a first optical detection unit detection result, a beam steering unit downstream from the beam path combiner controlling travel directions of the laser and guide laser beams, a second optical detection unit downstream from the beam steering unit detecting the guide laser beam, and a second controller controlling the beam steering unit based on a second optical detection unit detection result.
Abstract:
An apparatus used with a laser apparatus may include a chamber, a target supply for supplying a target material to a region inside the chamber, a laser beam focusing optical system for focusing a laser beam from the laser apparatus in the region, and an optical system for controlling a beam intensity distribution of the laser beam.