Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110069733 | REGENERATIVE RING RESONATOR - 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. | 03-24-2011 |
20110205512 | Active Spectral Control of Optical Source - A method of controlling a spectral property of a light beam includes directing a light beam to a lithography exposure apparatus configured to create a pattern on a wafer; receiving information representative of a spectral property of the light beam; receiving information representative of an optical imaging condition of the lithography exposure apparatus; estimating a characteristic value of the light beam based on the received spectral property information and the received optical imaging condition information; determining whether the estimated light beam characteristic value matches a target light beam characteristic value; and if it is determined that the estimated light beam characteristic value does not match the target light beam characteristic value, adjusting the spectral property of the light beam. | 08-25-2011 |
20140028988 | Intracavity Loss Element for Power Amplifier - A regenerative ring resonator in the path of a light beam includes a discharge chamber having electrodes and a gain medium between the electrodes; an optical coupler that is partially reflective so that at least a portion of a light beam impinging on the optical coupler from the discharge chamber is reflected back through the discharge chamber and at least a portion of the light beam impinging on the optical coupler from the discharge chamber is transmitted through the optical coupler; and an attenuation optical system in the path of the light beam within the resonator, the attenuation optical system having a plurality of distinct attenuation states, with each attenuation state defining a distinct attenuation factor applied to the light beam to provide adjustment of an energy of the light beam. | 01-30-2014 |
20140233005 | System and Method for Adjusting Seed Laser Pulse Width to Control EUV Output Energy - A method and apparatus for controlling the seed laser in a laser produced plasma (LPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a seed laser generates both pre-pulses and main pulses which are amplified and irradiate a target material. The widths of the main pulses are adjusted, for example by the use of an EOM or other optical switch, without adjusting the widths of the pre-pulses, to keep the EUV output energy at a desired level. Only if the main pulse widths are longer or shorter than a desired range is the duty cycle of the laser amplifier adjusted, to keep the main pulse widths in the desired range. Adjusting the main pulse widths in this way before adjusting the pump RF duty cycle allows for less adjustment of the duty cycle, thus causing less adjustment to the pre-pulses. | 08-21-2014 |
20140264087 | TARGET FOR LASER PRODUCED PLASMA EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT SOURCE - Techniques for generating EUV light include directing a first pulse of radiation toward a target material droplet to form a modified droplet, the first pulse of radiation having an energy sufficient to alter a shape of the target material droplet; directing a second pulse of radiation toward the modified droplet to form an absorption material, the second pulse of radiation having an energy sufficient to change a property of the modified droplet, the property being related to absorption of radiation; and directing an amplified light beam toward the absorption material, the amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to convert at least a portion of the absorption material into extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. | 09-18-2014 |
20140264090 | TARGET FOR LASER PRODUCED PLASMA EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT SOURCE - Techniques for generating EUV light include directing a first pulse of radiation toward a target material droplet to form a modified droplet, the first pulse of radiation having an energy sufficient to alter a shape of the target material droplet; directing a second pulse of radiation toward the modified droplet to form an absorption material, the second pulse of radiation having an energy sufficient to change a property of the modified droplet, the property being related to absorption of radiation; and directing an amplified light beam toward the absorption material, the amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to convert at least a portion of the absorption material into extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. | 09-18-2014 |
20140299791 | TARGET FOR EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT SOURCE - Techniques for forming a target and for producing extreme ultraviolet light include releasing an initial target material toward a target location, the target material including a material that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light when converted to plasma; directing a first amplified light beam toward the initial target material, the first amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to form a collection of pieces of target material from the initial target material, each of the pieces being smaller than the initial target material and being spatially distributed throughout a hemisphere shaped volume; and directing a second amplified light beam toward the collection of pieces to convert the pieces of target material to plasma that emits EUV light. | 10-09-2014 |
20150076374 | TARGET FOR EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT SOURCE - Techniques for forming a target and for producing extreme ultraviolet light include releasing an initial target material toward a target location, the target material including a material that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light when converted to plasma; directing a first amplified light beam toward the initial target material, the first amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to form a collection of pieces of target material from the initial target material, each of the pieces being smaller than the initial target material and being spatially distributed throughout a hemisphere shaped volume; and directing a second amplified light beam toward the collection of pieces to convert the pieces of target material to plasma that emits EUV light. | 03-19-2015 |