Cymer, Inc.

John Meisner

William N Partlo

Alexander Igorevich Ershov

Richard M Ness

Robert N Jacques

Paul C Melcher

Toshihiko Ishihara

John A Rule

John P Fallon

Richard L Sandstrom

Jacob P Lipcon

The present invention provides a control system for a modular high repetition rate two discharge chamber ultraviolet gas discharge laser. In preferred embodiments, the laser is a production line machine with a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. Feedback timing control techniques are provided for controlling the relative timing of the discharges in the two chambers with an accuracy in the range of about 2 to 5 billionths of a second even in burst mode operation. This MOPA system is capable of output pulse energies approximately double the comparable single chamber laser system with greatly improved beam quality.

Control system for a two chamber gas discharge laser system

The present invention provides a control system for a modular high repetition rate two discharge chamber ultraviolet gas discharge laser. In preferred embodiments, the laser is a production line machine with a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. Novel control features specially adapted for a two-chamber gas discharge laser system include: (1) pulse energy controls, with nanosecond timing precision (2) precision pulse to pulse wavelength controls with high speed and extreme speed wavelength tuning (3) fast response gas temperature control and (4) Finjection controls with novel learning algorithm.

Control system for a two chamber gas discharge laser

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

John Meisner