| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| RE40343 |
Control circuit with automatic DC offset |
May 27, 2008 |
| An automatic gain control circuit in the feedback path for a laser wavelength control circuit is described herein. This gain control circuit automatically adjusts the amplification of the analog signals output from a photodetector array, where the array detects a fringe pattern created |
| RE38054 |
Reliable, modular, production quality narrow-band high rep rate F2 laser |
April 1, 2003 |
| The present invention provides a reliable modular production quality excimer laser capable of producing 10 mJ laser pulses in the range of 1000 Hz to 2000 Hz or greater. Replaceable modules include a laser chamber; a pulse power system comprised of three modules; an optical resonator |
| 7598509 |
Laser produced plasma EUV light source |
October 6, 2009 |
| An EUV light source is disclosed that may include a laser source, e.g. CO.sub.2 laser, a plasma chamber, and a beam delivery system for passing a laser beam from the laser source into the plasma chamber. Embodiments are disclosed which may include one or more of the following; a bypass |
| 7596164 |
Control system for a two chamber gas discharge laser |
September 29, 2009 |
| 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 amplifie |
| 7589337 |
LPP EUV plasma source material target delivery system |
September 15, 2009 |
| An EUV light generation system and method is disclosed that may comprise a droplet generator producing plasma source material target droplets traveling toward the vicinity of a plasma source material target irradiation site; a drive laser; a drive laser focusing optical element havin |
| 7567607 |
Very narrow band, two chamber, high rep-rate gas discharge laser system |
July 28, 2009 |
| An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge r |
| 7564888 |
High power excimer laser with a pulse stretcher |
July 21, 2009 |
| An apparatus and method is disclosed which may comprise a high power excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser DUV light source system which may comprise: a pulse stretcher which may comprise: an optical delay path mirror, an optical delay path mirror gas purging assembly whi |
| 7542502 |
Thermal-expansion tolerant, preionizer electrode for a gas discharge laser |
June 2, 2009 |
| A corona-discharge type, preionizer assembly for a gas discharge laser is disclosed. The assembly may include an electrode and a hollow, dielectric tube that defines a tube bore. In one aspect, the electrode may include a first elongated 0o conductive member having a first end disposed i |
| 7535948 |
Cathodes for fluorine gas discharge lasers |
May 19, 2009 |
| A fluorine gas discharge laser electrode for a gas discharge laser having a laser gas containing fluorine is disclosed which may comprise a copper and copper alloy cathode body having an upper curved region containing the discharge footprint for the cathode comprising copper and a lower |
| 7525111 |
High repetition rate laser produced plasma EUV light source |
April 28, 2009 |
| An EUV light source and method include a magnetic plasma confinement mechanism creating a magnetic field in the vicinity of a target ignition site to confine the plasma to the vicinity of the target ignition site, which is controlled using outputs from a target tacking system. |
| 7522650 |
Gas discharge laser chamber improvements |
April 21, 2009 |
| A method and apparatus if disclosed which may comprise a high power high repetition rate gas discharge laser UV light source which may comprise: a gas discharge chamber comprising an interior wall comprising a vertical wall and an adjacent bottom wall; a gas circulation fan creating a ga |
| 7518787 |
Drive laser for EUV light source |
April 14, 2009 |
| A laser light source is disclosed having a laser oscillator producing an output beam; a first amplifier amplifying the output beam to produce a first amplified beam, and a second amplifier amplifying the first amplified beam to produce a second amplified beam. For the source, the fir |
| 7491954 |
Drive laser delivery systems for EUV light source |
February 17, 2009 |
| An LPP EUV light source is disclosed having an optic positioned in the plasma chamber for reflecting EUV light generated therein and a laser input window. For this aspect, the EUV light source may be configured to expose the optic to a gaseous etchant pressure for optic cleaning while |
| 7482609 |
LPP EUV light source drive laser system |
January 27, 2009 |
| An apparatus and method is disclosed which may comprise a laser produced plasma EUV system which may comprise a drive laser producing a drive laser beam; a drive laser beam first path having a first axis; a drive laser redirecting mechanism transferring the drive laser beam from the |
| 7476887 |
EUV light source optical elements |
January 13, 2009 |
| Apparatus and methods are disclosed for forming plasma generated EUV light source optical elements, e.g., reflectors comprising MLM stacks employing various binary layer materials and capping layer(s) including single and binary capping layers for utilization in plasma generated EUV ligh |
| 7476886 |
Source material collection unit for a laser produced plasma EUV light source |
January 13, 2009 |
| An EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise a laser source generating a laser beam and a source material, e.g. tin, SnBr.sub.4, SnBr.sub.2, SnH.sub.4, tin-gallium alloys, tin-indium alloys, tin-indium-gallium alloys or combinations thereof, that is irradiated by the laser bea |
| 7471708 |
Gas discharge laser output light beam parameter control |
December 30, 2008 |
| A line narrowed gas discharge laser system and method of operation are disclosed which may comprise: an oscillator cavity; a laser chamber comprising a chamber housing containing a lasing medium gas; at least one peaking capacitor electrically connected to the chamber housing and to a |
| 7471455 |
Systems and methods for generating laser light shaped as a line beam |
December 30, 2008 |
| Systems and methods are disclosed for shaping a laser beam for interaction with a film in which the laser beam travels along a beam path and defines a short-axis and a long-axis. In one aspect, the system may include a first short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, |
| 7465946 |
Alternative fuels for EUV light source |
December 16, 2008 |
| An EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise at least one optical element having a surface, such as a multi-layer collector mirror; a laser source generating a laser beam; and a source material irradiated by the laser beam to form a plasma and emit EUV light. In one aspect, the so |
| 7453077 |
EUV light source |
November 18, 2008 |
| An EUV light source and method of operating same is disclosed which may comprise: an EUV plasma production chamber comprising a chamber wall comprising an exit opening for the passage of produced EUV light focused to a focus point; a first EUV exit sleeve comprising a terminal end co |
| 7449704 |
EUV light source |
November 11, 2008 |
| An EUV light source apparatus and method for producing EUV light, which includes a plasma generation chamber for generating EUV plasma; an EUV light collector having a reflective portion irradiated by EUV light produced in the EUV plasma; a target sample having reflective portion com |
| 7449703 |
Method and apparatus for EUV plasma source target delivery target material handling |
November 11, 2008 |
| An EUV target delivery system and method are disclosed which may comprise: a target material purification system connected to deliver liquid target material comprising: a first container and a second container in fluid contact with the target material reservoir; a filter intermediate the |
| 7439530 |
LPP EUV light source drive laser system |
October 21, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method is disclosed which may comprise a laser produced plasma EUV system which may comprise a drive laser producing a drive laser beam; a drive laser beam first path having a first axis; a drive laser redirecting mechanism transferring the drive laser beam from the |
| 7433372 |
Device and method to stabilize beam shape and symmetry for high energy pulsed laser applications |
October 7, 2008 |
| A beam mixer for increasing intensity symmetry along a selected axis of a beam (wherein the beam extends from a first edge to a second edge along the axis) is disclosed and may include a plurality of mirrors establishing a spatially inverting path. For the beam mixer, the inverting p |
| 7415056 |
Confocal pulse stretcher |
August 19, 2008 |
| A gas discharge laser system producing a laser output pulse and a method of operating such a system is disclosed which may comprise a pulse stretcher which may comprise a laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic directing a portion of the laser output pulse along a laser sys |
| 7411686 |
Methods and apparatus for aligning an etalon with a photodiode array |
August 12, 2008 |
| A method and apparatus are disclosed for measuring a characteristic, e.g. spectral bandwidth, of a light beam. The apparatus may comprise an etalon for generating an interference pattern having at least one light cone, an arrangement of detector elements, the arrangement receiving a port |
| 7411203 |
EUV light source |
August 12, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method for EUV light production is disclosed which may comprise a laser produced plasma ("LPP") extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light source control system comprising a target delivery system adapted to deliver moving plasma initiation targets and an EUV light collection |
| 7405416 |
Method and apparatus for EUV plasma source target delivery |
July 29, 2008 |
| An EUV plasma formation target delivery system and method is disclosed which may comprise: a target droplet formation mechanism comprising a magneto-restrictive or electro-restrictive material, a liquid plasma source material passageway terminating in an output orifice; a charging me |
| 7402825 |
LPP EUV drive laser input system |
July 22, 2008 |
| A laser produced plasma ("LPP") extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light source and method of operating same is disclosed which may comprise an EUV plasma production chamber having a chamber wall; a drive laser entrance window in the chamber wall; a drive laser entrance enclosure intermediate |
| 7394083 |
Systems and methods for EUV light source metrology |
July 1, 2008 |
| Systems and methods for EUV Light Source metrology are disclosed. In a first aspect, a system for measuring an EUV light source power output may include a photoelectron source material disposed along an EUV light pathway to expose the material and generate a quantity of photoelectrons. |
| 7388220 |
EUV light source |
June 17, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method for EUV light production is disclosed which may comprise a laser produced plasma ("LPP") extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light source comprising a target delivery system adapted to deliver moving plasma initiation targets and an EUV light collection optic having a |
| 7382815 |
Laser spectral engineering for lithographic process |
June 3, 2008 |
| An integrated circuit lithography technique called spectral engineering by Applicants, for bandwidth control of an electric discharge laser. In a preferred process, a computer model is used to model lithographic parameters to determine a desired laser spectrum needed to produce a des |
| 7378673 |
Source material dispenser for EUV light source |
May 27, 2008 |
| A source material dispenser for an EUV light source is disclosed that comprises a source material reservoir, e.g. tube, that has a wall and is formed with an orifice. The dispenser may comprise an electro-actuatable element, e.g. PZT material, that is spaced from the wall and operable to |
| 7372056 |
LPP EUV plasma source material target delivery system |
May 13, 2008 |
| An EUV light generation system and method is disclosed that may comprise a droplet generator producing plasma source material target droplets traveling toward the vicinity of a plasma source material target irradiation site; a drive laser; a drive laser focusing optical element havin |
| 7369597 |
Laser output light pulse stretcher |
May 6, 2008 |
| Providing a high peak power short pulse duration gas discharge laser output pulse comprises a pulse stretcher a laser output pulse optical delay initiating optic diverting a portion of the output laser pulse into an optical delay having an optical delay path and comprising a plurality |
| 7369596 |
Chamber for a high energy excimer laser source |
May 6, 2008 |
| A chamber for a gas discharge laser is disclosed and may include a chamber housing having a wall, the wall having an inside surface surrounding a chamber volume and an outside surface, the wall also being formed with an orifice. For the chamber, at least one electrical conductor may exte |
| 7368741 |
Extreme ultraviolet light source |
May 6, 2008 |
| The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extr |
| 7366219 |
Line narrowing module |
April 29, 2008 |
| A line narrowing method and module for a narrow band DUV high power high repetition rate gas discharge laser producing output laser light pulse beam pulses in bursts of pulses, the module having a nominal optical path are disclosed which may comprise: a dispersive center wavelength s |
| 7365351 |
Systems for protecting internal components of a EUV light source from plasma-generated debris |
April 29, 2008 |
| Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting an EUV light source plasma production chamber optical element surface from debris generated by plasma formation. In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a shield is disclosed which comprises at least one hollow tube po |
| 7365349 |
EUV light source collector lifetime improvements |
April 29, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method for cleaning a plasma source material compound from a plasma produced EUV light source collector optic which may comprise reacting the plasma source material compound with hydrogen to form a hydride of the plasma source material from the plasma source material |
| 7361918 |
High repetition rate laser produced plasma EUV light source |
April 22, 2008 |
| An EUV light source apparatus and method are disclosed, which may comprise a pulsed laser providing laser pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate focused at a desired target ignition site; a target formation system providing discrete targets at a selected interval coordinated with the |
| 7355191 |
Systems and methods for cleaning a chamber window of an EUV light source |
April 8, 2008 |
| Systems and methods are disclosed for cleaning a chamber window of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source. The window may have an inside surface facing a chamber interior and an opposed outside surface and the light source may generate debris by plasma formation. For the system, a |
| 7346093 |
DUV light source optical element improvements |
March 18, 2008 |
| A high power narrow band, high repetition rate laser light source optical improvement apparatus and methods are disclosed with a fast angularly positionable mirror having a mirror mounting frame, a reflective optic with a coefficient different from that of the mounting frame, at least |
| 7339973 |
Electrodes for fluorine gas discharge lasers |
March 4, 2008 |
| Fluorine gas discharge laser electrodes and electrode systems that may comprise a plurality of current return tangs extending for less than the respective length of the second elongated gas discharge electrode. In addition electrodes may comprise a first discharge shaping magnet mounted |
| 7323703 |
EUV light source |
January 29, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method is described which may comprise a plasma produced extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light source multilayer collector which may comprise a plasma formation chamber; a shell within the plasma formation chamber in the form of a collector shape having a focus; the shell ha |
| 7321607 |
External optics and chamber support system |
January 22, 2008 |
| A gas discharge laser and method of operating same is disclosed which may comprise a gas discharge laser chamber support structure comprising a first support arm attached to a mounting table; a gas discharge laser chamber slideably engaging the first support arm; an first optical ele |
| 7317536 |
Spectral bandwidth metrology for high repetition rate gas discharge lasers |
January 8, 2008 |
| A bandwidth meter apparatus and method for measuring the bandwidth of a spectrum of light emitted from a laser input to the bandwidth meter which may comprise an optical bandwidth monitor providing a first output representative of a first parameter which is indicative of the bandwidth |
| 7317196 |
LPP EUV light source |
January 8, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method is described for effectively and efficiently providing plasma irradiation laser light pulses in an LPP EUV light source which may comprise a laser initial target irradiation pulse generating mechanism irradiating a plasma initiation target with an initial targ |
| 7317179 |
Systems and methods to shape laser light as a homogeneous line beam for interaction with a film |
January 8, 2008 |
| Systems and methods are disclosed for shaping and homogenizing a laser beam for interaction with a film. The shaping and homogenizing system may include a lens array and a lens that is positioned to receive laser light from the lens array and produce a respective elongated image in a pla |
| 7309871 |
Collector for EUV light source |
December 18, 2007 |
| An apparatus/method may comprise, a multi-layer reflecting coating forming an EUV reflective surface which may comprise an inter-diffusion barrier layer which may comprise a carbide selected from the group ZrC and NbC or a boride selected from the group ZrB.sub.2 and NbB.sub.2 or a disil |
