Gigaphoton Inc.

Hirokazu Hosoda

Takayuki Yabu

Yoshifumi Ueno

Tamotsu Abe

Yoshiyuki Honda

Takanari Kobayashi

Toru Suzuki

Hideo Hoshino

Tsukasa Hori

Takashi Saito

Takuya Ishii

Kouichiro Kouge

Kouichi Satou

An extreme ultraviolet light generation method includes a target supply step of outputting a droplet target into a chamber, a prepulse laser light irradiation step of irradiating the droplet target with prepulse laser light to generate a diffusion target, and a main pulse laser light irradiation step of irradiating the diffusion target with main pulse laser light to generate extreme ultraviolet light. Here, the main pulse laser light includes first main pulse laser light and second main pulse laser light, and in the main pulse laser light irradiation step, the diffusion target is irradiated with the first main pulse laser light having higher energy density at a central portion than at an outer peripheral portion and the second main pulse laser light having higher energy density at the outer peripheral portion than at the central portion.

Extreme ultraviolet light generation method, extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus, and electronic device manufacturing method

An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include a laser system emitting first prepulse laser light, second prepulse laser light, and main pulse laser light in this order; a chamber including at least one window for introducing, into the chamber, the first prepulse laser light, the second prepulse laser light, and the main pulse laser light; a target supply unit supplying a target to a predetermined region in the chamber; and a processor controlling the laser system to irradiate the target with the first prepulse laser light, irradiate the target, having been irradiated with the first prepulse laser light, with the second prepulse laser light having a pulse time width longer than a pulse time width of the main pulse laser light, and irradiate the target, having been irradiated with the second prepulse laser light, with the main pulse laser light temporally separated from the second prepulse laser light.

Extreme ultraviolet light generation system and electronic device manufacturing method

An extreme ultraviolet light generation system includes: a chamber; a target generation unit; a laser system configured to output a first pre-pulse laser beam, a second pre-pulse laser beam, and a main pulse laser beam so that fluence of the first pre-pulse laser beam is 1.5 J/cmto 16 J/cminclusive at a position where a target is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam; and a control unit configured to control the laser system so that a first delay time from a timing of irradiation of the target with the first pre-pulse laser beam to a timing of irradiation with the second pre-pulse laser beam and a second delay time from the timing of irradiation of the target with the second pre-pulse laser beam to a timing of irradiation with the main pulse laser beam have a following relation:the first delay time&#x3c;the second delay time.

A target image capturing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a delay circuit configured to receive a timing signal from outside and output a first trigger signal at a timing delayed by a first delay time from the reception of the timing signal; an illumination light source configured to emit light based on the first trigger signal; an image capturing unit including a light amplification unit and disposed to capture an image of a shadow of a target to be observed, which is generated when the target is irradiated with the light emitted from the illumination light source; a processing unit configured to perform image processing including processing of measuring a background luminance from the image captured by the image capturing unit; and a control unit configured to perform control to adjust a gain of the light amplification unit based on the background luminance.

Target image capturing device and extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus

A target image capturing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a delay circuit configured to receive a timing signal from outside and output a first trigger signal at a timing delayed by a first delay time from the reception of the timing signal; an illumination light source configured to emit light based on the first trigger signal; an image capturing unit disposed to capture an image of a shadow of a target to be observed, which is generated when the target is irradiated with the light emitted from the illumination light source; a processing unit configured to perform image processing including processing of measuring a background luminance from the image captured by the image capturing unit; and a control unit configured to perform control to adjust the first delay time based on the background luminance.

Target image capturing device and extreme ultraviolet light generation device

The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus may include a chamber having a window through which a pulse laser beam enters, a target supply unit configured to output at least one target toward a predetermined region in the chamber, a target image capturing device configured to capture an image of the at least one target, a first actuator configured to move a focused area focused by the target image capturing device, and a controller configured to control the first actuator based on a signal from an external device.

Extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus

The stability of operations of an EUV light generating apparatus is improved. A droplet detector may include: a light source unit configured to emit illuminating light onto a droplet, which is output into a chamber and generate extreme ultraviolet light when irradiated with a laser beam; a light receiving unit configured to receive the illuminating light and to detect changes in light intensities; and a timing determining circuit configured to output a droplet detection signal that indicates that the droplet has been detected at a predetermined position within the chamber, based on a first timing at which the light intensity of the illuminating light decreases due to the droplet being irradiated therewith and a second timing at which the light intensity of the illuminating light increases.

Droplet detector and extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus

An extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus may include: a chamber, within which extreme ultraviolet light is generated from a droplet which is supplied to a predetermined region therein; an image forming optical system that forms an image of the droplet supplied to the predetermined region; an imaging element that captures an image of the formed image; a stage that moves the image forming optical system and/or the imaging element in an optical axis direction of the image forming optical system; a light energy measuring unit that measures light energy which is generated when the extreme ultraviolet light is generated; and a control unit that controls the stage based on a measured value of the light energy measured by the light energy measuring unit such that an image formation plane of the image of the droplet formed by the image forming optical system matches an imaging surface of the imaging element.

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated from plasma generated by irradiating a target supplied into the chamber with a laser beam; a target generator that supplies the target into the chamber as a droplet; a droplet measurement unit that measures the droplet supplied from the target generator into the chamber; and a shielding member that shields the droplet measurement unit from electromagnetic waves emitted from the plasma, the droplet measurement unit including: a light source that emits continuous light to the droplet; a window provided in the chamber to allow the continuous light to transmit therethrough; and an optical sensor that receives the continuous light via the window. The shielding member includes a shielding body provided on the chamber side with respect to the window and configured to cover an optical path of the continuous light.

Extreme UV light generator

A target image-capture device may be configured to capture an image of a target that is made into plasma when irradiated with laser light and generates extreme-ultraviolet-light. The target image-capture device may include a droplet detector configured to detect passage of a droplet output as the target, and output a detection signal, an illumination light source, an image capturing element, a shutter device, and a controller configured to output, to the image capturing element, an exposure signal allowing the image capturing element to perform image capturing, and output, to the shutter device, a shutter open/close signal allowing a shutter to perform an open and close operation upon input of the detection signal. The controller may output the shutter open/close signal to the shutter device to make the shutter closed during when the droplet is irradiated with the laser light so that the plasma is generated.

Target image-capture device, extreme-ultraviolet-light generation device, and extreme-ultraviolet-light generation system

An extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus, may include: a chamber, in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated by plasma being generated in the interior thereof; a window provided in a wall of the chamber; a light source provided at the exterior of the chamber, configured to output illuminating light to the interior of the chamber via the window; a light sensor, configured to detect the illuminating light which is output to the interior of the chamber via the window; a shielding member having an opening that the illuminating light may pass through, that shields the window from emissions from the plasma, provided in the interior of the chamber; and a mirror provided along an optical path of the illuminating light in the interior of the chamber between the window and the shielding member, having a reflective surface that reflects the illuminating light, constituted by a surface of a metal layer.

An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include a laser system and a controller. The laser system may irradiate the first target with a first pulse laser beam to disperse the first target and produce a mist target, and irradiate the mist target with a second pulse laser beam. The controller may measure a mist diameter of the mist target and control, based on the mist diameter, at least one of time to emit the second pulse laser beam and energy of a first pulse laser beam to be used to irradiate the second target.

Extreme ultraviolet light generation system and method of generating extreme ultraviolet light

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may be configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam outputted from a laser apparatus to generate plasma. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a chamber; a target supply device configured to supply a target to a plasma generation region inside the chamber; a target sensor located between the target supply device and the plasma generation region and configured to detect the target passing through a detection region; and a shield cover disposed between the detection region and the target supply device, having a through-hole that allows the target to pass through, and configured to reduce pressure waves that reach the target supply device from the plasma generation region.

Extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus

A target supply apparatus configured to melt a target and supply a molten target into a chamber, the target generating extreme ultraviolet light when the target is irradiated with a laser beam in the chamber, may include: a pair of electrodes spaced from one another and configured to sandwich the target; and a power source configured to supply a current to a solid target sandwiched between the pair of electrodes via the pair of electrodes to melt the solid target to a core of the solid target.

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Oyama, Japan

Hirokazu Hosoda