Cymer, Inc.

Tcz Pte. Ltd.

Paul C Melcher

Richard M Ness

William N Partlo

Alexander Igorevich Ershov

Richard L Sandstrom

Robert N Jacques

Toshihiko Ishihara

John A Rule

John P Fallon

Robert B Saethre

John Meisner

Daniel L Birx

Daniel Anthony Rothweil

Brett D Smith

Richard C Ujazdowski

Jacob P Lipcon

Curtis L Rettig

Robert A Shannon

Igor Vladimirovich Fomenkov

Thomas Patrick Duffey

John Martin Algots

Scott T Smith

Stuart L Anderson

Ronald L Spangler

Alex P Ivaschenko

Shahryar Rokni

David M Johns

George X Ferguson

Palash P Das

Peter Clarke Newman

Tom A Watson

R Kyle Webb

Thomas Hofmann

Xiaojiang Jason Pan

Thomas D Steiger

Walter Dale Gillespie

Vladimir B Fleurov

Raymond F Cybulski

Gamaralalage G Padmabandu

Paolo Zambon

Frederick A Palenschat

Brian C Klene

Vladimir A Kulgeyko

Mark Branham

Clay C Titus

Christian J Wittak

Jerome A Emilo

Sunjay Phatak

Bruce E Bolliger

Partiv S Patel

Disclosed are methods of and apparatus for extending a useful lifetime of a laser discharge chamber in which a polarity of an electrode positioned at a fixed position within the chamber is caused to be positive with respect to the polarity of a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the first electrode and the first electrode is made of a material that forms an erosion resistant surface when the first electrode is used and an anode. Also disclosed is an arrangement in which a first electrode is positionable with respect a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the second electrode and the position of the first electrode controlled to maintain the width of the gap within a predetermined range.

Method of and apparatus for extending electrode life in a laser chamber

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

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

Apparatus and method for electrically connecting two closely positioned high voltage modules with little or no bend and without any loops in an electrical interconnecting coaxial cable may have a high voltage connector attached to at least a portion of the cable on at least one end of the cable; a push through high voltage connector receptor within one module; and a disconnection mechanism within the one module adapted to move the high voltage connector and at least a portion of cable to which the high voltage connector is attached through the connector receptor from a contact position to a housed position in a direction away from the other module to which high voltage connection is to be made. The connector receptor may have an open cylindrical connector with a contacting surface contained on the interior wall of the cylindrical connector and an interlock mechanism.

Method and apparatus for electronically interconnecting high voltage modules positioned in relatively close proximity

An apparatus and method for providing cooling to a magnetic circuit element having a magnetic core disposed around a centrally located core support member having at least one core support member wall is disclosed which may comprise a core support coolant inlet; a core support coolant outlet; a plurality of interconnected coolant flow passages contained within the core support member wall and interconnected and arranged to pass coolant from one coolant flow passage to the next within the core support member wall along a coolant flow path within at least a substantial portion of the core support member wall from the core support coolant inlet to the core support coolant outlet. The apparatus may also comprise each core support coolant flow passage is in fluid communication with a fluid communication plenum at each end of each respective core support coolant flow passage, with each respective fluid communication plenum forming an outlet plenum for at least a first one of the respective core support coolant flow passages and an inlet plenum for at least a second one of the respective core support coolant flow passages along the coolant flow path from the core support coolant inlet to the core support coolant outlet. The core support member may comprise a flange extending from the core support member, the flange having an inner dimension and an outer dimension, which may also comprise a plurality of interconnected flange coolant flow passages extending alternatively toward the inner dimension and away from the outer dimension and then toward the outer dimension and away from the inner dimension, between the core support coolant inlet and the core support coolant outlet. The core and core support may be contained in a housing which may comprise a housing wall; a housing coolant inlet; a housing coolant outlet; and a plurality of interconnected housing coolant flow passages contained within the housing wall and interconnected and arranged to pass coolant from one coolant flow passage to the next within the housing wall along a coolant flow path within at least a substantial portion of the housing wall from the housing coolant inlet to the housing coolant outlet. The housing and core support may forma a part of at least a portion of an electrical current flow path forming two turns around the magnetic core. In another aspect of the invention buswork may be coated with a thin film of electrically conductive material.

Method and apparatus for cooling magnetic circuit elements

The present invention provides gas discharge laser systems capable of reliable long-term operation in a production line capacity at repetition rates in the range of 6,000 to 10,0000 pulses power second. Preferred embodiments are configured as KrF, ArF and Flasers used for light sources for integrated circuit lithography. Improvements include a modified high voltage power supply capable for charging an initial capacitor of a magnetic compression pulse power system to precise target voltages 6,000 to 10,0000 times per second and a feedback control for monitoring pulse energy and determining the target voltages on a pulse-by-pulse basis. Several techniques are disclosed for removing discharge created debris from the discharge region between the laser electrodes during the intervals between discharges. In one embodiment the width of the discharge region is reduced from about 3 mm to about 1 mm so that a gas circulation system designed for 4,000 Hz operation could be utilized for 10,000 Hz operation. In other embodiments the gas flow between the electrodes is increased sufficiently to permit 10,000 Hz operation with a discharge region width of 3 mm. To provide these substantial increased gas flow rates, Applicants have disclosed preferred embodiments utilize tangential forms of the prior art but with improved and more powerful motors and novel bearing designs. New bearing designs include both ceramic bearings and magnetic bearings. In other embodiments, some or all of the gas circulation power is provided with a blower located outside the laser chamber. The outside blower can be located in the laser cabinet or in separate location.

Six to ten KHz, or greater gas discharge laser system

The present invention provides an excimer laser capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. A preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. An improved wavemeter with special software monitors output beam parameters and controls a very fast PZT driven tuning mirror and the pulse power charging voltage to maintain wavelength and pulse energy within desired limits. In a preferred embodiment two fan motors drive a single tangential fan which provides sufficient gas flow to clear discharge debris from the discharge region during the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.

Four KHz gas discharge laser system

Four KHz gas discharge laser

A high pulse rate pulse power source for supplying controlled high energy electrical pulses at rates of 2000 Hz or greater. The source includes a pulse generating circuit including a charging capacitor, a solid state switch and a current limiting inductor. Pulses generated in the pulse generating circuit are compressed in at least two pulse compression circuits and a step-up pulse transformer increases peak voltage to at least 12,000 volts. A very fast regulated power supply is provided for charging the charging capacitor in less than 400 microseconds and a pulse control system including a programmed processor controls the charging of the charging capacitor to an accuracy of less than about one percent at a rate of at least 4000 charges per second. In a preferred embodiment capable of operating at pulse rates of 2000 to 4000 Hz or greater, water cooling of the saturable inductors is provided.

High pulse rate pulse power system with liquid cooling

A high pulse rate pulse power source for supplying controlled high energy electrical pulses at rates of 2000 Hz or greater. The source includes a pulse generating circuit including a charging capacitor, a solid state switch and a current limiting inductor. Pulses generated in the pulse generating circuit are compressed in at least two pulse compression circuits and a step-up pulse transformer increases peak voltage to at least 12,000 volts. A very fast regulated power supply is provided for charging the charging capacitor in less than 400 microseconds and a pulse control system including a programmed processor controls the charging of the charging capacitor to an accuracy of less than about one percent at a rate of at least 2000 charges per second.

High pulse rate pulse power system with fast rise time and low current

A high pulse rate pulse power source for supplying controlled high energy electrical pulses at rates of 2000 Hz or greater. The source includes a pulse generating circuit including a charging capacitor, a solid state switch and a current limiting inductor. Pulses generated in the pulse generating circuit are compressed in at least two pulse compression circuits and a step-up pulse transformer increases peak voltage to at least 12,000 volts. A very fast regulated resonant power supply is provided for charging the charging capacitor in less than 400 microseconds and a pulse control system including a programmed processor controls the charging of the charging capacitor to an accuracy of less than about one percent at a rate of at least 2000 charges per second.

High pulse rate pulse power system with resonant power supply

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El Cajon, CA, United States of America

Paul C Melcher