Komatsu Corporation

Katsutomo Terashima

Osamu Wakabayashi

Akira Sumitani

Hakaru Mizoguchi

Tsukasa Hori

Kiwamu Takehisa

Tatsuo Enami

Eiji Sunaka

Burst and spike characteristics in an excimer laser output in a burst operation are efficiently improved. Xenon gas is added from a compact Xe gas cylinder to gases for excimer laser in a chamber supplied from an Ar/Ne gas cylinder and an Ar/F2/Ne gas cylinder, a ratio of the xenon gas is detected by an Xe gas sensor, and the supply of the xenon gas from the Xe gas cylinder to the chamber is controlled by a gas controller.

Excimer laser device and gas for excimer laser

A buffer gas contained in a laser gas used for an ArF excimer laser mainly consists of He, and Xe is preferably added to the laser gas. Mixture piping divided by valves is disposed on piping running from a chamber to an excimer laser gas cylinder, the mixture piping and a Xe gas cylinder are connected, gas exhaust by a gas exhaust module and opening and closing of the valves are controlled by a gas controller to add a trace quantity of xenon gas to the excimer laser gas. Thus, to remedy a burst characteristic and a spike characteristic of the ultraviolet laser device by adding a trace quantity of xenon gas, the xenon gas can be supplied efficiently into the chamber without modifying existing laser gas supply equipment.

Arf excimer laser device, scanning type exposure device and ultraviolet laser device

Xenon gas is added from a small-sized Xe gas cylinder ( ) to the excimer laser gas inside a chamber ( ) supplied from an Ar/Ne gas cylinder ( ) and an Ar/Ne/F gas cylinder ( ), the xenon gas proportion is detected by an Xe gas sensor ( ), and the supply of the xenon gas supplied to the chamber ( ) from the Xe gas cylinder ( ) is controlled by a gas controller ( ).

Ultraviolet laser apparatus and gas for ultraviolet laser

Growing community of inventors

Oyama, Japan

Katsutomo Terashima