| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 7291853 |
Discharge produced plasma EUV light source |
November 6, 2007 |
| An DPP EUV source is disclosed which may comprise a debris mitigation apparatus employing a metal halogen gas producing a metal halide from debris exiting the plasma. The EUV source may have a debris shield that may comprise a plurality of curvilinear shield members having inner and |
| 7288777 |
Collector for EUV light source |
October 30, 2007 |
| An apparatus/method is disclosed that may comprise an EUV light source which may comprise a collector which may comprise an elliptical collector mirror having a first focus at a plasma initiation point and a second focus at an intermediate focus of the EUV light source; a debris shield |
| 7277466 |
High power gas discharge laser with helium purged line narrowing unit |
October 2, 2007 |
| A helium purge for a grating based line narrowing device for minimizing thermal distortions in line narrowed lasers producing high energy laser beams at high repetition rates. Applicants have shown substantial improvement in performance with the use of helium purge as compared to pri |
| 7247870 |
Systems for protecting internal components of an EUV light source from plasma-generated debris |
July 24, 2007 |
| 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 |
| 7218661 |
Line selected F.sub.2 two chamber laser system |
May 15, 2007 |
| An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master osc |
| 7217940 |
Collector for EUV light source |
May 15, 2007 |
| A method and apparatus for debris removal from a reflecting surface of an EUV collector in an EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise the reflecting surface comprises a first material and the debris comprises a second material and/or compounds of the second material, the system |
| 7180083 |
EUV light source collector erosion mitigation |
February 20, 2007 |
| An EUV light source collector erosion mitigation system and method is disclosed which may comprise a collector comprising a multilayered mirror collector comprising a collector outer surface composed of a capping material subject to removal due to a removing interaction with materials |
| 7164144 |
EUV light source |
January 16, 2007 |
| A laser produced plasma ("LPP") extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light source control system comprises a target delivery system adapted to deliver moving plasma initiation targets and an EUV light collection optic having a focus defining a desired plasma initiation site, a target tracking and |
| 7154928 |
Laser output beam wavefront splitter for bandwidth spectrum control |
December 26, 2006 |
| Apparatus/method providing bandwidth control in narrow band short pulse duration gas discharge laser output light pulse beam producing systems, producing a beam comprising pulses at selected pulse repetition races, e.g., comprising a dispersive bandwidth selection optic selecting at |
| 7149234 |
High repetition rate gas discharge laser with precise pulse timing control |
December 12, 2006 |
| 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 |
| 7141806 |
EUV light source collector erosion mitigation |
November 28, 2006 |
| An EUV light source collector erosion mitigation method and apparatus for a collector comprising a multilayered mirror collector comprising a collector outer surface composed of a capping material subject to removal due to a removing interaction with materials created in an EUV light |
| 7109503 |
Systems for protecting internal components of an EUV light source from plasma-generated debris |
September 19, 2006 |
| 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 |
| 7088758 |
Relax gas discharge laser lithography light source |
August 8, 2006 |
| An apparatus and method are disclosed for operating a narrow band short pulse duration gas discharge laser output light pulse beam producing system, producing a beam comprising laser output light pulses at a selected pulse repetition rate, which may comprise: a dispersive center wave |
| 7087914 |
High repetition rate laser produced plasma EUV light source |
August 8, 2006 |
| 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 |
| 7079564 |
Control system for a two chamber gas discharge laser |
July 18, 2006 |
| 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 |
| 7061961 |
Very narrow band, two chamber, high rep-rate gas discharge laser system |
June 13, 2006 |
| 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 |
| 7061959 |
Laser thin film poly-silicon annealing system |
June 13, 2006 |
| A gas discharge laser crystallization apparatus and method for performing a transformation of a crystal makeup or orientation in a film on a workpiece is disclosed, which may comprise a master oscillator power amplifier MOPA or power oscillator power amplifier configured XeF laser sy |
| 7058107 |
Line selected F2 two chamber laser system |
June 6, 2006 |
| An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master osc |
| 7039086 |
Control system for a two chamber gas discharge laser |
May 2, 2006 |
| 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 |
| 7002443 |
Method and apparatus for cooling magnetic circuit elements |
February 21, 2006 |
| An apparatus and method for providing cooling to a magnetic circuit element having a magnetic core disposed around a centrally located core support member having at least one core support member wall is disclosed which may comprise a core support coolant inlet; a core support coolant |
| 6985508 |
Very narrow band, two chamber, high reprate gas discharge laser system |
January 10, 2006 |
| An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master osc |
| 6972421 |
Extreme ultraviolet light source |
December 6, 2005 |
| 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 extreme |
| 6882674 |
Four KHz gas discharge laser system |
April 19, 2005 |
| The present invention provides an excimer laser capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. A preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated cir |
| 6815700 |
Plasma focus light source with improved pulse power system |
November 9, 2004 |
| The present invention provides a high energy photon source. A pair of plasma pinch electrodes are located in a vacuum chamber. The chamber contains a working gas which includes a noble buffer gas and an active gas chosen to provide a desired spectral line. A pulse power source provides |
| 6801560 |
Line selected F2 two chamber laser system |
October 5, 2004 |
| An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master osc |
| 6795474 |
Gas discharge laser with improved beam path |
September 21, 2004 |
| An excimer laser with a purged beam path capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates in excess of 2,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. The entire purged beam path through the laser system is sealed to minimize contamination of the beam path. A |
| 6778584 |
High power gas discharge laser with helium purged line narrowing unit |
August 17, 2004 |
| A helium purge for a grating based line narrowing device for minimizing thermal distortions in line narrowed lasers producing high energy laser beams at high repetition rates. Applicants have shown substantial improvement in performance with the uses of helium purge as compared to pr |
| 6765946 |
Fan for gas discharge laser |
July 20, 2004 |
| An electric discharge laser apparatus having a laser chamber containing a laser gas and two longitudinal electrodes defining a discharge region for producing electrical discharges and a tangential fan for circulating the laser gas and having blade members configured to minimize adverse e |
| 6765945 |
Injection seeded F2 laser with pre-injection filter |
July 20, 2004 |
| A narrow band F.sub.2 laser system useful for integrated circuit lithography. An output beam from a first F.sub.2 laser gain medium is filtered with a pre-gain filter to produce a seed beam having a bandwidth of about 0.1 pm or less. The seed beam is amplified in a power gain stage w |
| 6757316 |
Four KHz gas discharge laser |
June 29, 2004 |
| The present invention provides an excimer laser capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. A preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated cir |
| 6738410 |
Line narrowed laser with bidirection beam expansion |
May 18, 2004 |
| A grating based line narrowing unit with bi-directional beam expansion for line narrowing lasers. In a preferred embodiment a beam from the chamber of the laser is expanded in the horizontal direction with a three-prism beam expander and is expanded in the vertical direction with a singl |
| 6713770 |
High resolution spectral measurement device |
March 30, 2004 |
| A high resolution spectral measurement device. A preferred embodiment presents an extremely narrow slit function in the ultraviolet range and is very useful for measuring bandwidth of narrow-band excimer lasers used for integrated circuit lithography. Light from the laser is focused into |
| 6704340 |
Lithography laser system with in-place alignment tool |
March 9, 2004 |
| The present invention provides a modular high repetition rate ultraviolet gas discharge laser light source for a production line machine. The system includes an enclosed and purged beam path with optical components adjustable from outside of the enclosure without the need to open it. |
| 6661826 |
Laser chamber insulator with sealed electrode feedthrough |
December 9, 2003 |
| A feedthrough structure of a gas discharge laser chamber conducts electric power through the wall of a sealed gas enclosure to a single piece elongated electrode inside the enclosure. The feedthrough structure includes a single piece integrated main insulator larger than the electrod |
