Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

TSMC Solid State Lighting Ltd.

Tsinghua University

Epistar Corporation

Chun-Lin Louis Chang

Li-Jui Chen

Po-Chung Cheng

Chi-Ming Yang

Han-Lung Chang

Tzung-Chi Fu

Bo-Tsun Liu

Chin-Hsiang Lin

Chih-Hong Hwang

Nai-Han Cheng

Jen-Hao Yeh

Yen-Shuo Su

Hsin-Hsien Wu

Shang-Chieh Chien

Chyi Shyuan Chern

Heng-Hsin Liu

Jong-I Mou

Zin-Chang Wei

Ting-Ya Cheng

Chih-Ping Yen

Anthony Yen

Chia-Chen Chen

Chieh Hsieh

Tsiao-Chen Wu

Jun-Lin Yeh

Shang-Ying Wu

Keung Hui

Jih-Jse Lin

Po-Wei Wang

Ming-Yu Fan

Jhan-Hong Yeh

Alan Tu

Li-Kai Cheng

Hung-Yi Kuo

Ching-Wen Hsiao

Hsing-Kuo Hsia

Chung-Chieh Lee

Wen-Yu Ku

Feng Yuan Hsu

Chyi-Shyuan Chern

Kuang-Huan Hsu

Jo-Fei Wang

Henry Yee Shian Tong

Jui-Pin Wu

Henry Tong Yee Shian

Chrong-Jung Lin

Ya-Chin King

Jo Fei Wang

Burn-Jeng Lin

Shao-Hua Wang

Che-Chang Hsu

Kai-Fa Ho

Kai-Chieh Chang

Jen-hao Yeh

Wei-Ting Yi

Yee-Shian Henry Tong

Henry Tong Yee-Shian

Chien-Ping Wang

The present disclosure provides a method for aligning a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system. The method includes ramping up a pumping power input into a laser amplifier chain of the MOPA system until the pumping power input reaches an operational pumping power input level; adjusting a seed laser power output of a seed laser of the MOPA system until the seed laser power output is at a first level below an operational seed laser power output level; and performing a first optical alignment process to the MOPA system while the pumping power input is at the operational pumping power input level, the seed laser power output is at the first level, and the MOPA system reaches a steady operational thermal state.

Methods and systems for aligning master oscillator power amplifier systems

An exposure tool is configured to remove contaminants and/or prevent contamination of mirrors and/or other optical components included in the exposure tool. In some implementations, the exposure tool is configured to flush and/or otherwise remove contaminants from an illuminator, a projection optics box, and/or one or more other subsystems of the exposure tool using a heated gas such as ozone (O) or extra clean dry air (XCDA), among other examples. In some implementations, the exposure tool is configured to provide a gas curtain (or gas wall) that includes hydrogen (H) or another type of gas to reduce the likelihood of contaminants reaching the mirrors included in the exposure tool. In this way, the mirrors and one or more other components of the exposure tool are cleaned and maintained in a clean environment in which radiation absorbing contaminants are controlled to increase the performance of the exposure tool.

Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation

An apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors includes a power amplifier to power a laser, a catalyst disposed in the power amplifier, an inlet port, and an exhaust port. The inlet port introduces a mixing gas to an interior of the power amplifier during a cleaning operation so that the mixing gas contacts a surface of the catalyst having a build-up thereon. The mixing gas reacts with and removes the build-up by generating gaseous by-products. The exhaust port removes the gaseous by-products from the power amplifier.

Mitigating long-term energy decay of laser devices

An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation includes a droplet generator configured to generate target droplets. An excitation laser is configured to heat the target droplets using excitation pulses to convert the target droplets to plasma. A deformable mirror is disposed in a path of the excitation laser. A controller is configured to adjust parameters of the excitation laser by controlling the deformable mirror based on a feedback parameter.

Apparatus and method for generating extreme ultraviolet radiation

An extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithography method includes receiving an EUV light by a scanner from an EUV light source, the EUV light passing through an intermediate focus disposed in the scanner and at a junction of the EUV light source and the scanner; directing the EUV light by the scanner to a reticle in the scanner; and deflecting nanoparticles from the EUV light source away from the reticle by generating a gas flow using a gas jet disposed entirely in the scanner and proximate to an interface of the scanner and the intermediate focus such that the gas jet does not block the EUV light.

Method and apparatus for mitigating contamination

A method for monitoring a shock wave in an extreme ultraviolet light source includes irradiating a target droplet in the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus of an extreme ultraviolet lithography tool with ionizing radiation to generate a plasma and to detect a shock wave generated by the plasma. One or more operating parameters of the extreme ultraviolet light source is adjusted based on the detected shock wave.

Shock wave visualization for extreme ultraviolet plasma optimization

A method includes applying a first voltage to a source of a first transistor of a detector unit of a semiconductor detector in a test wafer and applying a second voltage to a gate of the first transistor and a drain of a second transistor of the detector unit. The first transistor is coupled to the second transistor in series, and the first voltage is higher than the second voltage. A pre-exposure reading operation is performed to the detector unit. Light of an exposure apparatus is illuminated to a gate of the second transistor after applying the first and second voltages. A post-exposure reading operation is performed to the detector unit. Data of the pre-exposure reading operation is compared with the post-exposure reading operation. An intensity of the light is adjusted based on the compared data of the pre-exposure reading operation and the post-exposure reading operation.

Detection using semiconductor detector

An extreme ultra violet (EUV) radiation source apparatus includes a collector mirror, a target droplet generator for generating a tin (Sn) droplet, a rotatable debris collection device, one or more coils for generating an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), a gas inlet for providing a source gas for the ICP, and a chamber enclosing at least the collector mirror and the rotatable debris collection device. The gas inlet and the one or more coils are configured such that the ICP is spaced apart from the collector mirror.

EUV light source and apparatus for lithography

A system includes a laser source operable to provide a laser beam, a laser amplifier having a gain medium operable to provide energy to the laser beam when the laser beam passes through the laser amplifier, and a residual gain monitor operable to provide a probe beam and operable to derive a residual gain of the laser amplifier from the probe beam when the probe beam passes through the laser amplifier while being offset from the laser beam in time or in path.

Residual gain monitoring and reduction for EUV drive laser

A method for generating EUV light includes providing a laser beam having a Gaussian distribution. This laser beam can be then modified from a Gaussian distribution to a ring-like distribution. The modified laser beam is provided through an aperture in a collector and interfaces with a moving droplet target, which generates an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength light. The generated EUV wavelength light is provided to the collector away from the aperture. In some embodiments, a mask element may also be used to modify the laser beam to a shape.

EUV radiation generation methods and systems

In order to prevent observed long-term energy decay of power amplifiers and correspondingly increase the lifespan of COlasers employing them, a hydrogen-doped mixing gas is supplied from an external pipeline during operation or periodic maintenance in order to effectively remove solid contaminants that build-up over time on a surface of a catalyst disposed within the power amplifier.

Supersonic gas jets are provided near the immediate focus of a lithography apparatus in order to deflect tin debris generated by the lithography process away from a scanner side and towards a debris collection device. The gas jets can be positioned in a variety of useful orientations, with adjustable gas flow velocity and gas density in order to prevent up to nearly 100% of the tin debris from migrating to the reticle on the scanner side.

A high resistance virtual anode for an electroplating cell includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes a plurality of first holes through the first layer. The second layer is over the first layer and includes a plurality of second holes through the second layer.

High resistance virtual anode for electroplating cell

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Chun-Lin Louis Chang