Cymer, Inc.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Tcz Pte. Ltd.

Cymer Laser Technologies

Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik Gmbh

Advanced Pulse Power Technologies, Inc.

Tom A. Watson

Igor V. Fomenkov

Palash P. Das

Donald G. Larson

Anthony J. Deruyter

William N. Partlo

Palash P Das

Richard L Sandstrom

Igor Vladimirovich Fomenkov

William N Partlo

Alexander Igorevich Ershov

Herve A Besaucele

Thomas Hofmann

Richard M Ness

Richard C Ujazdowski

Tom A Watson

Jesse D Buck

Eckehard D Onkels

Stuart L Anderson

Daniel J W Brown

John Martin Algots

David S Knowles

Frederick G Erie

Gamaralalage G Padmabandu

Donald G Larson

David Wayne Myers

Russell M Hudyma

Michael Thomas

Thomas Patrick Duffey

Yezheng Tao

William G Hulburd

Alexander Anthony Schafgans

Scot T Smith

Daniel John William Brown

Armen Kroyan

Jeffrey Oicles

Brian C Klene

Richard G Morton

Peter Clarke Newman

R Kyle Webb

Xiaojiang Jason Pan

Toshihiko Ishihara

Daniel Anthony Rothweil

Robert G Ozarski

Paolo Zambon

George J Everage

Mengxiong Gong

Khurshid Ahmed

Scott T Smith

Ivan Lalovic

Anthony John De Ruyter

Helmut Schillinger

Raymond F Cybulski

Claus Strowitzki

Brett D Smith

Shahryar Rokni

William N Partio

Jason R Carlesi

Stephan Geiger

Tobias Pflanz

Jennan Yu

Claudia A Hartmann

Steve Grove

Michael C Binder

Jesse D Davis

Tibor Juhasz

Daniel L Birx

David J Warkentin

Holger Muenz

Kurt Brenner

Vitaliy Shklover

Paul C Melcher

Guenter Grupp

John T Melchior

Paul S Thompson

I Roger Oliver

Ronald L Spangler

Alex P Ivaschenko

Jean-Marc Hueber

Alexei Lukashev

Holger K Glatzel

Robert B Saethre

Kamal Sarkar

Berthold Matzkovits

Curtiss Lynn Mixon

Leonard Lublin

James H Azzola

Laura S Casas

Muljadi Tantra

David J Tammadge

Gang Lei

Joerg Walther

Gregory Francis

David W Meyers

Danilo K Richardson

Albert P Cefalo

Frederic G Erie

Christopher A Marchi

Daniel G Patterson

James D Payne

Richard A Eis

Otto Boucky

Ernst Stump

Michael Hoell

Jeremy Tyler

Bruce E Bolliger

An optical source for a photolithography tool includes a source configured to emit a first beam of light and a second beam of light, the first beam of light having a first wavelength, and the second beam of light having a second wavelength, the first and second wavelengths being different; an amplifier configured to amplify the first beam of light and the second beam of light to produce, respectively, a first amplified light beam and a second amplified light beam; and an optical isolator between the source and the amplifier, the optical isolator including: a plurality of dichroic optical elements, and an optical modulator between two of the dichroic optical elements.

Optical isolation module

A laser crystallization apparatus and method are disclosed for selectively melting a film such as amorphous silicon that is deposited on a substrate. The apparatus may comprise an optical system for producing stretched laser pulses for use in melting the film. In still another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a system and method are provided for stretching a laser pulse. In another aspect, a system is provided for maintaining a divergence of a pulsed laser beam (stretched or non-stretched) at a location along a beam path within a predetermined range. In another aspect, a system may be provided for maintaining the energy density at a film within a predetermined range during an interaction of the film with a shaped line beam.

Systems and methods for implementing an interaction between a laser shaped as line beam and a film deposited on a substrate

A high energy, high repetition rate workpiece surface heating apparatus is disclosed which comprise a XeF laser producing a laser output light pulse beam, an optical system narrowing the laser output light pulse beam in the short axis of the laser output light pulse beam and expanding the laser output light pulse beam to form in a long axis of the beam a workpiece covering extent of the long axis, the optical system focuses the laser output light pulse beam at a field stop with a magnification sufficient to maintain an intensity profile that has sufficiently steep sidewalls to allow the field stop to maintain a sufficiently steep beam profile at the workpiece.

Laser thin film poly-silicon annealing optical system

A high, energy, high repetition rate workpiece surface heating apparatus is disclosed which comprise a XeF laser producing a laser output light pulse beam, an optical system narrowing the laser output light pulse beam in the short axis of the laser output light pulse beam and expanding the laser output light pulse beam to form in a long axis of the beam a workpiece covering extent of the long axis, the optical system focuses the laser output light pulse beam at a field stop with a magnification sufficient to maintain an intensity profile that has sufficiently steep sidewalls to allow the field stop to maintain a sufficiently steep beam profile at the workpiece.

An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output light pulse beam pulse produced by said gas discharge laser system by controlling the timing of the occurrence of the gas discharge between the first pair of electrodes and the occurrence of the gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes.

Very narrow band, two chamber, high rep-rate gas discharge laser system

Systems and methods are disclosed for shaping a laser beam for interaction with a film in which the laser beam travels along a beam path and defines a short-axis and a long-axis. In one aspect, the system may include a first short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, d, along the beam path from the film and a second short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, d, along the beam path from the film, with d&#x3c;d. An optic may be positioned along the beam path between the second element and the film for focusing the beam in the short-axis for interaction with the film. In another aspect, a system may be provided having a mechanism operative to selectively adjust the curvature of one or both of the edges of the short-axis element.

Systems and methods for generating laser light shaped as a line beam

A gas discharge laser system producing a laser output pulse and a method of operating such a system is disclosed which may comprise a pulse stretcher which may comprise a laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic directing a portion of the laser output pulse along a laser system output pulse optical axis and diverting a portion of the output pulse into an optical delay having an optical delay path and which may comprise a plurality of confocal resonators in series aligned to deliver an output of the optical delay to the laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic; an optical axis alignment mechanism comprising an radial mirror positioning mechanism operable to position the output of the optical delay to the align with the portion of the laser output pulse transmitted along the optical axis of the portion of the laser system output pulse transmitted by the laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic.

Confocal pulse stretcher

Systems and methods are disclosed for focusing a beam for an interaction with a film deposited on a substrate wherein the focused beam defines a short axis and a long axis. In one aspect, the system may include a detecting system to analyze light reflected from the film on an image plane to determine whether the beam is focused in the short axis at the film. In still another aspect, a system may be provided for positioning a film (having an imperfect, non-planar surface) for interaction with a shaped line beam.

Systems and methods for implementing an interaction between a laser shaped as a line beam and a film deposited on a substrate

A beam delivery unit and method of delivering a laser beam from a laser light source for excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser systems in the DUV and smaller wavelengths is disclosed, which may comprise: a beam delivery enclosure defining an output laser light pulse beam delivery pat from an output of a gas discharge laser to an input of a working apparatus employing the light contained in the output laser light pulse beam; a purge mechanism operatively connected to the beam delivery enclosure; an in-situ beam parameter monitor and adjustment mechanism within the enclosure, comprising a retractable bean redirecting optic; a beam analysis mechanism external to the enclosure; and, a retraction mechanism within the enclosure and operable from outside the enclosure and operative to move the retractable beam redirecting optic from a retracted position out of the beam path to an operative position in the beam path. The BDU may also include a beam attenuator unit contained within the enclosure adjustably mounted within the enclosure for positioning within the beam delivery pat. The BDU may have at least two enclosure isolation mechanisms comprising a first enclosure isolation mechanism on a first side of the enclosure from the at least one optic module and a second enclosure isolation mechanism on a second side of the enclosure from the at least one optic module, each respective enclosure isolation mechanism comprising a flapper valve having a metal to metal seating mechanism and a locking pin assembly. A precision offset ratchet driver operative to manipulate actuator mechanisms in difficult to reach locations may be provided. An external kinematic alignment tool may be provided. A method of contamination control for a BDU is disclosed comprising selection of allowable materials and fabrication processes.

Gas discharge laser light source beam delivery unit

A gas discharge laser crystallization apparatus and method for performing a transformation of a crystal makeup or orientation in the substrate of a workpiece is disclosed which may comprise, a multichamber laser system comprising, a first laser unit comprising, a first and second gas discharge chamber; each with a pair of elongated spaced apart opposing electrodes contained within the chamber, forming an elongated gas discharge region; a laser gas contained within the chamber comprising a halogen and a noble gas selected to produce laser light at a center wavelength optimized to the crystallization process to be earned out on the workpiece; a power supply module comprising, a DC power source; a first and a second pulse compression and voltage step up circuit connected to the DC power source and connected to the respective electrodes, comprising a multistage fractional step up transformer having a plurality of primary windings connected in series and a single secondary winding passing through each of the plurality of primary windings, and a solid state trigger switch; and a laser timing and control module operative to time the closing of the respective solid state switch based upon operating parameters of the respective first and second pulse compression and voltage step up circuit to effect operation of the first and second laser units as either a POPA configured laser system or a POPO configured laser system to produce a single output laser light pulse beam. As a POPA laser system relay optics may be operative to direct a first output laser light pulse beam from the first laser unit into the second gas discharge chamber; and, the timing and control module operates to create a gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes while the first output laser light pulse beam is transiting the second discharge region, within plus or minusns and as a POPO, combining optics combine the output beams, and timing creates pulse separation in the combined output a preselected time plus or minus 3 ns.

Very high energy, high stability gas discharge laser surface treatment system

A high repetition rate, compact, modular gas discharge, ultraviolet laser. The laser is useful as a light source for very rapid inspections of wafers in an integrated circuit fabrication process. It is also useful for reticle writing at very rapid rates. A preferred embodiment operates at pulse repetition rates of 1000 to 4000 Hz and is designed for round-the-clock production line operation. This preferred embodiment comprises a pulse control unit which controls the timing of pulses to an accuracy of less than 4 nanoseconds. Preferred embodiments of this gas discharge laser can be configured to operate with a KrF gas mixture, an ArF gas mixture or an Fgas mixture, each with an approximate buffer gas, producing 248 nm, 197 nm or 157 nm ultraviolet light pulses.

High repetition rate gas discharge laser with precise pulse timing control

Growing community of inventors

Vista, CA, United States of America

Palash P Das