Cymer, Inc.

Tui Laser Ag

Tobias Pflanz

Claus Strowitzki

Stephan Geiger

William N Partlo

Palash P Das

Stuart L Anderson

Helmut Schillinger

Brett D Smith

Jennan Yu

Claudia A Hartmann

Thomas Petracek

Martin Kappels

Ansgar Matern

Andreas Goertler

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

The invention relates to a gas discharge laser including a discharge tube ( ), in which a gas is present and which has at least one aperture ( ) through which a laser beam emerges or at which a laser beam is reflected. For withdrawing a partial amount of the gas contained in the discharge tube ( ), at least one gas withdrawal point ( ) is present, from which the withdrawn gas is supplied to a sintered filter ( ) for being cleaned. The cleaned gas may be led in via at least one gas inlet point ( ) in the zone of the aperture ( ). The invention further relates to a method of operating a gas discharge laser, and the use of a sintered filter for cleaning gas withdrawn from a discharge tube ( ) of a gas discharge laser.

Gas discharge laser, method of operating a gas discharge laser, and use of a sintered filter

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 F gas mixture, each with an approximate buffer gas, producing 248 nm, 197 nm or 157 nm ultraviolet light pulses.

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Munich, Germany

Tobias Pflanz