Abstract:
A beam splitter apparatus comprises a beam splitter and a plurality of prisms disposed about the beam splitter. The beam splitter apparatus is configured to split an incident laser beam into a plurality of beamlets exhibiting substantially equal energy and traversing substantially equal optical path lengths through the beam splitter apparatus.
Abstract:
Eine optische Anordnung zum Übertragen einer Struktur von einer Maske (4) und entsprechendem Belichten eines Substrates (7) weist einen Bereich zum Aufweiten eines Lichtbündels (13) vor der Maske (4) auf und einen Bereich, nachgeschaltet der Maske (4) zum Bündeln des Lichtes (15). Die Aufweitung des Lichtbündels vor der Maske kann. sowohl mittels einer Linsenanordnung (2, 3) erfolgen wie auch mittels einer Spiegeloptik (31, 32, 33, 51, 52, 53), und analog kann das Bündeln bzw. Zusammenführen des Strahlenbündels mittels einer Linsenanordnung (5, 6) oder einer Spiegeloptik (37, 38, 39, 59) erfolgen. Als Lichtquelle (1) kann eine Laserquelle verwendet werden und als Maske ein Dia oder ein so genannter Shutter.
Abstract:
The present invention provides long life optics for a modular, high repetition rate, ultraviolet gas discharge laser systems (Fig. 1B) producing a high repetition rate high power output beam (38). The invention includes solutions to a surface damage problem discovered by Applicants on CaF 2 optics (4260) (422)(424)(426) located in high pulse intensity sections (10)(26) of the output beam (14C) of prototype laser systems. Embodiments include an enclosed (4) and purged beam path (14C) with beam pointing control (40A) (40B)(6) for beam delivery of billions of output laser pulses (38). Optical components and modules described herein are capable of controlling ultraviolet laser output pulses (14A) with wavelength less than 200nm with average output pulse intensities greater than 1.75×10 6 Watts/cm 2 and with peak intensity or greater 3.5×10 6 Watts/cm 2 for many billions of pulses (14A) as compared to prior art components and modules which failed after only a few minutes in these pulse intensities.
Abstract:
A lithography system and method for cost-effective device manufacture that can employ a new "flash-on-the-fly" mode of operation is disclosed, wherein exposure fields are formed with single pulses of radiation. The system includes a pulsed radiation source (14), an illumination system (24), a mask (M), a projection lens (40) an a workpiece stage (50) that supports a workpiece (W) having an image-bearing surface (WS). A radiation source controller (16) and a workpiece stage position system (60), which includes a metrology device (62), are used to coordinate and control the exposure of the mask with radiation pulses so that adjacent radiation pulses form adjacent exposure fields (EF). Where pulse-to-pulse uniformity from the radiation source is lacking, a pulse stabilization system (18) may be optionally used to attain the desired pulse-to-pulse uniformity in exposure dose. The rapidity at which exposures can be made using a single radiation pulse allows for a very high throughput, which in turn allows for a small-image- field projection lens to be utilized in a cost-effective manner in the manufacture of devices such as semiconductor integrated circuits and the like. The system can also be used in the conventional "step-and-repeat" mode of operation, so that the system owner can decide the most cost-effective mode of operation for any given application.
Abstract:
A beam-splitting apparatus arranged to receive an input radiation beam and split the input radiation beam into a plurality of output radiation beams. The beam-splitting apparatus comprising a plurality of reflective diffraction gratings arranged to receive a radiation beam and configured to form a diffraction pattern comprising a plurality of diffraction orders, at least some of the reflective diffraction gratings being arranged to receive a 0 th diffraction order formed at another of the reflective diffraction gratings. The reflective diffraction gratings are arranged such that the optical path of each output radiation beam includes no more than one instance of a diffraction order which is not a 0 th diffraction order.
Abstract:
A method of patterning lithographic substrates, the method comprising using a free electron laser (FEL) to generate EUV radiation and delivering the EUV radiation to a lithographic apparatus (LA) which projects the EUV radiation onto lithographic substrates, wherein the method further comprises reducing fluctuations in the power of EUV radiation delivered to the lithographic substrates by using a feedback-based control loop (CT) to monitor the free electron laser and adjust operation of the free electron laser accordingly.
Abstract:
An assembly is provided for blocking a beam of radiation. The assembly has a pipe (1) arranged to transmit at least part of the beam of radiation. The pipe has an inner surface (2) provided with an ablation material and encloses a volume (9). The assembly further has an ablation generation device (3). The ablation generation device is arranged to ablate at least a portion of the ablation material upon reception of a blocking signal. The assembly has a control unit, which is arranged to control the ablation generation device.
Abstract:
An optical system comprises a beam splitter apparatus capable of producing a plurality of laser beamlets that have substantially equal energy and substantially equal optical path lengths. In one application, the beamlets of the optical system may be directed at a multiphoton curable photoreactive resin to fabricate a plurality of substantially equal sized voxels in parallel.
Abstract:
A gas discharge laser system producing a laser output pulse and a method of operating such a system is disclosed which may comprise a pulse stretcher which may comprise a laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic directing a portion of the laser output pulse along a laser system output pulse optical axis and diverting a portion of the output pulse into an optical delay having an optical delay path and which may comprise a plurality of confocal resonators in series aligned to deliver an output of the optical delay to the laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic; an optical axis alignment mechanism comprising an radial mirror positioning mechanism operable to position the output of the optical delay to the align with the portion of the laser output pulse transmitted along the optical axis of the portion of the laser system output pulse transmitted by the laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic.