Nikon Corporation

Nidek Co., Ltd.

Yasutoshi Takada

Akira Tokuhisa

Kenichi Hayashi

Tsuyoshi Yamada

Yoshinori Oshita

Yutaka Hamamura

Kiyoshi Kadomatsu

Yoshiro Tani

A laser device includes: a laser light output unit that outputs a fundamental wave laser light; a wavelength conversion unit that performs wavelength conversion of the fundamental wave laser light and outputs a converted laser light; an output detector that detects a power of the converted laser light; a power feedback circuit that controls the power of the fundamental wave laser light such that the power of the converted laser light is in constant; a phase matching adjustment configuration that adjusts a quantity of state at the wavelength conversion optical element; and a phase matching control circuit that controls an operation the phase matching adjustment configuration, wherein in a state that the power of the converted laser light is controlled in constant, the phase matching control circuit adjust the quantity of state in a predetermined range such that the power of the fundamental wave laser light is minimized.

Laser device, and exposure device and inspection device provided with laser device

A laser device includes: a signal light source that outputs seed light; an electro-optic modulator that chops a portion of the seed light outputted from the signal light source and outputs signal light; an optical amplifier that amplifies the signal light outputted from the electro-optic modulator; a wavelength conversion optical element that wavelength converts the signal light amplified by the optical amplifier; a converted light detector that detects the signal light that has been wavelength converted by the wavelength conversion optical element; and an EU control unit that controls the operation of the electro-optic modulator, wherein the EU control unit is adapted, in the state in which the seed light is being outputted, to adjust bias voltage of the electro-optic modulator on the basis of the applied voltage when the intensity of the signal light after wavelength conversion detected by the converted light detector becomes substantially maximum.

Method for adjusting electro-optic modulator in laser device, and laser device

The present invention greatly reduces the likelihood that fiber fusion will occur. A laser apparatus comprises an excitation light source and an optical amplifier unit, which optically amplifies by receiving excitation light that is output from the excitation light source and that transits an optical fiber. A monitor unit monitors the power level of the excitation light transmitted from the excitation light source to the optical amplifier unit side via the optical fiber. At the initial start of the output of the excitation light from the excitation light source, once the excitation light is being output at the prescribed power level by the excitation light source, the control unit performs control such that the excitation light at a power level higher than the prescribed power level is output if the power level monitored by the monitor unit is greater than or equal to a prescribed value when the excitation light at the prescribed power level is being output from the excitation light source and such that the output of the excitation light is stopped if the power level monitored by the monitor unit is less than the prescribed value when the excitation light at the prescribed power level is being output from the excitation light source.

Laser apparatus, light therapy apparatus, exposure apparatus, device manufacturing method, and object inspection apparatus

A fundamental wavelength light generating unit generates light of a fundamental wavelength in accordance with an output wavelength instruction signal. An optical amplifier unit amplifies the light of the fundamental wavelength. A wavelength converting part includes nonlinear optical crystals that each perform wavelength conversion and temperature regulators that each regulate the temperature of the corresponding nonlinear optical crystal, wherein the wavelength converting part converts the light amplified by the optical amplifier unit to light of the wavelength indicated by the output wavelength instruction signal. A storage unit stores correspondence information that indicates a correspondence relationship between the wavelength of the output light and the temperature of each of the nonlinear optical crystals based on the corresponding wavelength. A control unit controls each of the temperature regulators such that the temperature of the corresponding nonlinear optical crystal reaches the temperature to be set in accordance with the output wavelength instruction signal.

Grooves () for containing an optical fiber and five recesses () for containing the optical components for an optical fiber amplifier are provided in the surface of a substrate (). An optical fiber fitted in a groove () for containing the optical fiber and introduced to the substrate () is passed through a groove () for containing the optical fiber and fitted in a groove () for containing the optical fiber, thence passed through a groove () for containing the optical fiber and introduced to the outside of the substrate (). In the recess () for containing the optical component for an optical fiber amplifier, an optical component such as a photocoupler is fitted and coupled with the optical fiber. Light such as pumping light is passed through an optical fiber contained in the groove () for containing the optical fiber and introduced to an optical component such as a photocoupler. When the optical fiber and the optical component for an optical fiber amplifier are contained in such a recess of the cassette, they can be contained orderly.

Cassette for optical fiber amplifier, optical fiber amplifier and light source device

When the laser light source is caused to standby, the temperatures of semiconductor lasers are changed by approximately 3&#xb0; C. from the temperature when the laser light source is always being used. With a temperature change of approximately 3&#xb0; C., the wavelengths of the laser light generated by the semiconductor lasers change approximately 0.3 nm. This change hardly has any effect at all on optical fiber amplifiers, but the conversion efficiencies at the respective wavelength conversion elements of the wavelength conversion optical system change, and, particularly, deep ultraviolet light is hardly generated at all any longer. Therefore, even while the laser light has been made incident to the wavelength conversion optical system, there is no longer damaging of the wavelength conversion elements. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light source standby method that is able to shorten the start up time of the laser light source.

Method for having laser light source in standby status

An optical element that includes a substrate having two surfaces, each of the surfaces having a micro-relief structure that includes numerous fine protrusions, and a film that includes one or more layers including a metal layer and that is formed on one of the micro-relief structures.

Light absorbing optical element having micro-relief structure

When the laser light source is caused to standby, the temperatures of semiconductor laserand semiconductor laserare changed by approximately 3&#xb0; C. from the temperature when the laser light source is always being used. With a temperature change of approximately 3&#xb0; C., the wavelengths of the laser light generated by semiconductor lasersandchange approximately 0.3 nm. This change hardly has any effect at all on optical fiber amplifierand optical fiber amplifier, but the conversion efficiencies at the respective wavelength conversion elements of the wavelength conversion optical system change, and, particularly, deep ultraviolet light is hardly generated at all any longer. Therefore, even while the laser light has been made incident to the wavelength conversion optical system, there is no longer damaging of the wavelength conversion elements. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light source standby method that is able to shorten the start up time of the laser light source.

A laser apparatus capable of emitting laser beams of a plurality of different wavelengths includes: a solid-state laser medium which emits light of a plurality of different peak wavelengths; a resonance optical system which resonates the emitted light of the plurality of different peak wavelengths and converts respective light to oscillate the laser beams of the plurality of different wavelengths; and a &#xbc; wave plate for a wide band, which is placed in the resonance optical system and has a property of providing a uniform phase difference to the light of the plurality of different peak wavelengths to be converted.

Laser apparatus

In a laser apparatus, a rotatable reflection mirror rotatable on or parallel to a resonance optical axis of a laser medium is disposed changeably between a first and second positions by driving of a rotating unit. A first resonance optical system includes a first and second resonant mirrors placed so that the laser medium and the rotatable reflection mirror disposed in the first position are interposed therebetween to resonate light of a first peak wavelength among the peak wavelengths emitted from the laser medium, the first peak wavelength light being to be reflected by the rotatable reflection mirror in the first position between the laser medium and the second resonant mirror, and a first wavelength converting element located between the rotatable reflection mirror disposed in the first position and the second resonant mirror to oscillate second harmonic light of the first peak wavelength light as a first laser beam.

Multi-wavelength laser apparatus with rotatable mirror

A laser apparatus capable of emitting laser beams of a plurality of different wavelengths is disclosed. This apparatus includes an exciting light source, a solid-state laser medium which emits light of a plurality of peak wavelengths by light from the exciting light source, a first resonance optical system including a first and second resonant mirrors placed with the laser medium sandwiched between them to resonate light of a first peak wavelength among the a plurality of peak wavelengths emitted from the laser medium and a first wavelength converting element located between the laser medium and the second mirror to oscillate second harmonic light of the first peak wavelength light as a first laser beam, a movable reflection mirror disposed changeably between a first and second positions with respect to an optical path between the laser medium and the first wavelength converting element so that, when the reflection mirror is disposed in the first position, it constitutes the first resonance optical system, and a second resonance optical system including a third resonant mirror which resonates light of a second peak wavelength emitted from the laser medium in cooperation with the first mirror via the movable mirror disposed in the second position, the light of the second peak wavelength being different in wavelength from the first peak wavelength and a second wavelength converting element located between the third mirror and the movable mirror disposed in the second position to oscillate second harmonic light of the second peak wavelength light as a second laser beam.

An opthalmic apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an eye of a patient, the illumination optical system including a plurality of LEDs which are illumination light sources for emitting beams of light of wavelengths in different regions and a composing optical system for composing optical paths of the beams of light emitted from the LEDs, an observation optical system for observing the patient's eye, and a light quantity control section capable of controlling an illumination light quantity of each of the LEDs to produce substantially white illumination light.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Yasutoshi Takada