Cymer, Inc.

Cymer Laser Technologies

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Other

Carl Zeiss Laser Optics Gmbh

Richard L Sandstrom

William N Partlo

Igor Vladimirovich Fomenkov

Alexander Igorevich Ershov

Daniel J W Brown

Richard M Ness

Palash P Das

Richard C Ujazdowski

Herve A Besaucele

Eckehard D Onkels

John Martin Algots

Stuart L Anderson

Richard G Morton

Peter Clarke Newman

Thomas Patrick Duffey

Thomas Hofmann

Scott T Smith

Donald G Larson

David Wayne Myers

David S Knowles

Robert N Jacques

Tom A Watson

John T Melchior

Xiaojiang Jason Pan

Robert A Bergstedt

Paul C Melcher

Robert Jay Rafac

R Kyle Webb

Toshihiko Ishihara

Ivan Lalovic

Daniel Anthony Rothweil

Daniel L Birx

Thomas A Yager

Oscar Hemberg

Robert G Ozarski

Alexander Bykanov

Georgiy Olegovich Vaschenko

David J Warkentin

Jesse D Buck

Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine

Marco Giovanardi

Tibor Juhasz

Jeroen Jonkers

Norbert R Bowering

Walter Dale Gillespie

Yezheng Tao

Matthew Graham

Armen Kroyan

Robert P Akins

William G Hulburd

German E Rylov

Uday K Sengupta

Raymond F Cybulski

Ronald L Spangler

Kai-Chung Hou

Scot T Smith

John A Rule

Frederick G Erie

Gamaralalage G Padmabandu

J Martin Algots

Alex P Ivaschenko

Jeffrey Oicles

Frederick A Palenschat

Vladimir B Fleurov

Curtis L Rettig

James K Howey

Robert A Shannon

John P Fallon

Shahryar Rokni

John Meisner

Brian C Klene

Vladimir A Kulgeyko

Jacob P Lipcon

Rajasekhar Rao

Jean-Marc Hueber

Hong Ye

Paolo Zambon

Stephan T Melnychuk

Robert B Saethre

James J Ferrell

Thomas D Steiger

Paul S Thompson

Timothy S Dyer

Rostislav Rokitski

Bryan George Moosman

Alexander Anthony Schafgans

I Roger Oliver

Hugo Matthieu Visser

David C Brandt

Daniel John William Brown

Yoshiho Amada

Bernhard Weigl

Holger K Glatzel

Daniel Brown

William G Oldham

Daniel James Golich

William F Marx

Brian Strate

William N Partio

Jun Song

A device is disclosed herein which may comprise a droplet generator producing droplets of target material; a sensor providing an intercept time signal when a droplet reaches a preselected location; a delay circuit coupled with said sensor, the delay circuit generating a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time signal; a laser source responsive to a trigger signal to produce a laser pulse; and a system controlling said delay circuit to provide a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a first delay time to generate a light pulse that is focused on a droplet and a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a second delay time to generate a light pulse which is not focused on a droplet.

EUV light source with subsystem(s) for maintaining LPP drive laser output during EUV non-output periods

A target material is provided at a target location, the target material including a material that emits extreme ultraviolet light when converted to plasma, and the target material extending in a first extent along a first direction and in a second extent along a second direction; an amplified light beam is directed along a direction of propagation toward the target location; and the amplified light beam is focused in a focal plane, where the target location is outside of the focal plane and an interaction between the amplified light beam and the target material converts at least part of the target material to plasma that emits EUV light.

Extreme ultraviolet light source

A system for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source includes an optical amplifier including a gain medium positioned on a beam path, the optical amplifier configured to receive a light beam at an input and to emit an output light beam for an EUV light source at an output; a feedback system that measures a property of the output light beam and produces a feedback signal based on the measured property; and an adaptive optic positioned in the beam path and configured to receive the feedback signal and to adjust a property of the output light beam in response to the feedback signal.

Adaptive laser system for an extreme ultraviolet light source

A laser includes a regenerative ring resonator that includes a discharge chamber having electrodes and a gain medium between the electrodes for producing a laser beam; a partially-reflective optical coupler, and a beam modification optical system in the path of the laser beam. The beam modification optical system transversely expands a profile of the laser beam such that the near field laser beam profile uniformly fills each aperture within the laser and such that the regenerative ring resonator remains either conditionally stable or marginally unstable when operating the laser at powers that induce thermal lenses in optical elements inside the regenerative ring resonator.

Regenerative ring resonator

An apparatus and method of operation for a high power broad band elongated thin beam laser annealing light source, which may comprise a gas discharge seed laser oscillator having a resonance cavity, providing a seed laser output pulse; a gas discharge amplifier laser amplifying the seed laser output pulse to provide an amplified seed laser pulse output; a divergence correcting multi-optical element optical assembly intermediate the seed laser and the amplifier laser. The divergence correcting optical assembly may adjust the size and/or shape of the seed laser output pulse within a discharge region of the amplifier laser in order to adjust an output parameter of the amplified seed laser pulse output. The divergence correcting optical assembly may comprise a telescope with an adjustable focus. The adjustable telescope may comprise an active feedback-controlled actuator based upon a sensed parameter of the amplified seed laser output from the amplifier laser.

High power seed/amplifier laser system with beam shaping intermediate the seed and amplifier

A device is described herein which may comprise an optical amplifier having a gain band including wavelengths &#x3bb;and &#x3bb;, with &#x3bb;&#x2260;&#x3bb;; a pre-pulse seed laser having a tuning module for tuning a pre-pulse output to wavelength &#x3bb;; a main pulse seed laser generating a laser output having wavelength, &#x3bb;; and a beam combiner for directing the pre-pulse output and the main pulse output on a common path through the optical amplifier.

Master oscillator&#x2014;power amplifier drive laser with pre-pulse for EUV light source

A method and apparatus for protecting the seed laser in a laser produced plasma (LPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light system are disclosed in one embodiment, a Bragg AOM is used as a switch on the beam path from the seed laser to other optical components and ultimately to an irradiation site. Power is applied to the Bragg AOM and pulses from the seed laser are thus deflected onto the desired beam path rather than passing straight through the Bragg AOM. Once the pulses have passed through the Bragg AOM, power to the Bragg AOM ceases, so that any reflections from the irradiation site will pass straight through the Bragg AOM and will not be deflected back to the seed laser. Use of the Bragg AOM rather than components previously used results in lower power consumption and better protection for the seed laser.

System and method for protecting a seed laser in an EUV light source with a Bragg AOM

An apparatus includes a first plurality of concave reflecting surfaces; a second plurality of reflecting surfaces facing the first plurality of concave reflecting surfaces such that a region is defined between the first and second pluralities; and an input for an optical beam to enter the region and an output for the optical beam to exit the region. The first and second pluralities of reflecting surfaces are arranged relative to each other so that the optical beam is re-imaged at a reflecting surface of one of the pluralities after only one reflection from a reflecting surface of the other of the pluralities and so that overlap of two or more optical beams on each of the reflecting surfaces is avoided.

Multi-pass optical apparatus

A method and apparatus for stabilizing the seed laser in a laser produced plasma (LPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the cavity length of the laser may be adjusted by means of a movable mirror forming one end of the cavity. The time delay from the release of an output pulse to the lasing threshold next being reached is measured at different mirror positions, and a mirror position selected which results in a cavity mode being aligned with the gain peak of the laser, thus producing a minimum time delay from an output pulse of the laser to the next lasing threshold. A Q-switch in the laser allows for pre-lasing and thus jitter-free timing of output pulses. Feedback loops keep the laser output at maximum gain and efficiency, and the attenuation and timing at a desired operating point.

System and method for seed laser mode stabilization

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

Master oscillator-power amplifier drive laser with pre-pulse for EUV light source

A movable electrode assembly for use in a laser system, includes a first electrode having a first discharge surface, a second electrode having a second discharge surface. The second electrode being arranged opposite from the first electrode. The second discharge surface being spaced apart from the first discharge surface by a discharge gap. A discharge gap adjuster interfaced with at least one of the second electrode or the first electrode, the discharge gap adjuster configured to adjust the discharge gap. A method of adjusting a discharge gap is also disclosed.

Extendable electrode for gas discharge laser

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Encinitas, CA, United States of America

Richard L Sandstrom