Cymer, Inc.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Daniel J W Brown

William N Partlo

Igor Vladimirovich Fomenkov

Richard L Sandstrom

Alexander Igorevich Ershov

Robert Jay Rafac

Richard M Ness

Richard C Ujazdowski

Herve A Besaucele

Eckehard D Onkels

David Wayne Myers

Robert A Bergstedt

David S Knowles

William G Hulburd

Palash P Das

Yezheng Tao

Stuart L Anderson

Scott T Smith

German E Rylov

Robert N Jacques

Daniel James Golich

Jeffrey Oicles

Ivan Lalovic

Scot T Smith

Kai-Chung Hou

Hong Ye

Thomas Patrick Duffey

Xiaojiang Jason Pan

John Martin Algots

Thomas A Yager

Matthew Graham

Vladimir B Fleurov

Bryan George Moosman

Rostislav Rokitski

Robert P Akins

Alexander Anthony Schafgans

Rajasekhar Rao

Ronald L Spangler

Yoshiho Amada

Frederick A Palenschat

Kevin Weimin Zhang

George J Everage

James J Ferrell

Laura S Casas

Slava Rokitski

Tae H Chung

Christian J Wittak

Patrick L Nelissen

Michael David Caudill

Terance Hilsabeck

John Fitzgerald

Ed Danielewicz

Robin Swain

Thomas Hoffmann

Edward Arriola

Michael Wyatt

Jason D Robinson

Walter Crosby

Craig W Unick

Plash P Das

David W Meyers

David W Myers

A device is disclosed herein which may comprise a droplet generator producing droplets of target material; a sensor providing an intercept time signal when a droplet reaches a preselected location; a delay circuit coupled with said sensor, the delay circuit generating a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time signal; a laser source responsive to a trigger signal to produce a laser pulse; and a system controlling said delay circuit to provide a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a first delay time to generate a light pulse that is focused on a droplet and a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a second delay time to generate a light pulse which is not focused on a droplet.

EUV light source with subsystem(s) for maintaining LPP drive laser output during EUV non-output periods

A system for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source includes an optical amplifier including a gain medium positioned on a beam path, the optical amplifier configured to receive a light beam at an input and to emit an output light beam for an EUV light source at an output; a feedback system that measures a property of the output light beam and produces a feedback signal based on the measured property; and an adaptive optic positioned in the beam path and configured to receive the feedback signal and to adjust a property of the output light beam in response to the feedback signal.

Adaptive laser system for an extreme ultraviolet light source

A laser includes a regenerative ring resonator that includes a discharge chamber having electrodes and a gain medium between the electrodes for producing a laser beam; a partially-reflective optical coupler, and a beam modification optical system in the path of the laser beam. The beam modification optical system transversely expands a profile of the laser beam such that the near field laser beam profile uniformly fills each aperture within the laser and such that the regenerative ring resonator remains either conditionally stable or marginally unstable when operating the laser at powers that induce thermal lenses in optical elements inside the regenerative ring resonator.

Regenerative ring resonator

Techniques for forming a target and for producing extreme ultraviolet light include releasing an initial target material toward a target location, the target material including a material that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light when converted to plasma; directing a first amplified light beam toward the initial target material, the first amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to form a collection of pieces of target material from the initial target material, each of the pieces being smaller than the initial target material and being spatially distributed throughout a hemisphere shaped volume; and directing a second amplified light beam toward the collection of pieces to convert the pieces of target material to plasma that emits EUV light.

Target for extreme ultraviolet light source

An apparatus and method of operation for a high power broad band elongated thin beam laser annealing light source, which may comprise a gas discharge seed laser oscillator having a resonance cavity, providing a seed laser output pulse; a gas discharge amplifier laser amplifying the seed laser output pulse to provide an amplified seed laser pulse output; a divergence correcting multi-optical element optical assembly intermediate the seed laser and the amplifier laser. The divergence correcting optical assembly may adjust the size and/or shape of the seed laser output pulse within a discharge region of the amplifier laser in order to adjust an output parameter of the amplified seed laser pulse output. The divergence correcting optical assembly may comprise a telescope with an adjustable focus. The adjustable telescope may comprise an active feedback-controlled actuator based upon a sensed parameter of the amplified seed laser output from the amplifier laser.

High power seed/amplifier laser system with beam shaping intermediate the seed and amplifier

A device is described herein which may comprise an optical amplifier having a gain band including wavelengths &#x3bb;and &#x3bb;, with &#x3bb;&#x2260;&#x3bb;; a pre-pulse seed laser having a tuning module for tuning a pre-pulse output to wavelength &#x3bb;; a main pulse seed laser generating a laser output having wavelength, &#x3bb;; and a beam combiner for directing the pre-pulse output and the main pulse output on a common path through the optical amplifier.

Master oscillator&#x2014;power amplifier drive laser with pre-pulse for EUV light source

A method and apparatus may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage.

Laser system

Techniques are described that enhance power from an extreme ultraviolet light source with feedback from a target material that has been modified prior to entering a target location into a spatially-extended target distribution or expanded target. The feedback from the spatially-extended target distribution provides a nonresonant optical cavity because the geometry of the path over which feedback occurs, such as the round-trip length and direction, can change in time, or the shape of the spatially-extended target distribution may not provide a smooth enough reflectance. However, it may be possible that the feedback from the spatially-extended target distribution provides a resonant and coherent optical cavity if the geometric and physical constraints noted above are overcome. In any case, the feedback can be generated using spontaneously emitted light that is produced from a non-oscillator gain medium.

Extreme ultraviolet light source

Master oscillator-power amplifier drive laser with pre-pulse for EUV light source

As disclosed herein, in a first aspect, a device may comprise: an oscillator producing a light output on a beam path; a target material for interaction with light on the beam path at an irradiation site; a beam delay on the beam path the beam delay having a beam folding optical arrangement; and a switch positioned along the beam path and interposed between the oscillator and the beam delay; the switch closable to divert at least a portion of light on the beam path from the beam path, the switch having close time, tand the beam path having a length, L, along the path from the switch to the irradiation site; with t&#x3c;cL, where c is the speed of light on the path, to protect the oscillator.

Oscillator-amplifier drive laser with seed protection for an EUV light source

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Daniel J W Brown