System and method for generating extreme ultraviolet light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10117317-B2
Application number	US-201715832476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Feb 19, 2010
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A system includes a chamber, a laser beam apparatus configured to generate a laser beam to be introduced into the chamber, a laser controller for the laser beam apparatus to control at least a beam intensity and an output timing of the laser beam, and a target supply unit configured to supply a target material into the chamber, the target material being irradiated with the laser beam for generating extreme ultraviolet light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extreme ultraviolet light generation system configured to irradiate a target with a first pulse laser beam and a second pulse laser beam to turn the target into plasma thereby generating extreme ultraviolet light, comprising:
a chamber having at least one aperture configured to introduce the first pulse laser beam and the second pulse laser beam;
a target supply unit configured to supply the target to a predetermined region in the chamber;
a first laser apparatus configured to output the first pulse laser beam with which the target in the chamber is irradiated so as to make the target be diffused in a dome shape; and
a second laser apparatus configured to output the second pulse laser beam with which the target which has been irradiated with the first pulse laser beam is further irradiated.

2. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a fluence of the first pulse laser beam is lower than a fluence of the second pulse laser beam and equal to or higher than 6.5 J/cm 2 .

3. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the target is diffused in the dome shape in a direction opposite to a direction in which the first pulse laser beam travels.

4. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 3 , wherein the target diffused in the dome shape includes an annular shaped portion, a dome-shaped portion, and a portion surrounded by the annular shaped portion and the dome-shaped portion.

5. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 4 , wherein a density of the annular shaped portion is higher than a density of the dome-shaped portion.

6. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 4 , wherein a density of the dome-shaped portion is higher than a density of the portion surrounded by the annular shaped portion and the dome-shaped portion.

7. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a pulse duration of the first pulse laser beam is less than 1 ns.

8. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
a fluence of the first pulse laser beam is lower than a fluence of the second pulse laser beam, and
a beam intensity of the first pulse laser beam is higher than a beam intensity of the second pulse laser beam.

9. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a pulse energy of the first pulse laser beam is 0.25 mJ or higher and 2 mJ or lower.

10. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a delay time from an irradiation of the target with the first pulse laser beam to an irradiation of the target with the second pulse laser beam is 0.5 μs or longer and 1.8 μs or shorter.

11. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a delay time from an irradiation of the target with the first pulse laser beam to an irradiation of the target with the second pulse laser beam is 0.7 μs or longer and 1.6 μs or shorter.

12. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a delay time from an irradiation of the target with the first pulse laser beam to an irradiation of the target with the second pulse laser beam is 1.0 μs or longer and 1.4 μs or shorter.

13. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a fluence of the first pulse laser beam is 2.6 J/cm 2 or higher and 6.5 J/cm 2 or lower.

14. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a beam intensity of the first pulse laser beam is 2.6×10 11 W/cm 2 or higher and 5.6×10 11 W/cm 2 or lower.

15. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a fluence of the second pulse laser beam is 150 J/cm 2 or higher and 300 J/cm 2 or lower.

16. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a fluence of the second pulse laser beam is 191 J/cm 2 or higher and 241 J/cm 2 or lower.

17. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a beam intensity of the second pulse laser beam is 1.00×10 10 W/cm 2 or higher and 2.00×10 10 W/cm 2 or lower.

18. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a beam intensity of the second pulse laser beam is 1.27×10 10 W/cm 2 or higher and 1.60×10 10 W/cm 2 or lower.

19. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a pulse energy of the first pulse laser beam is lower than a pulse energy of the second pulse laser beam.

20. The extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to claim 1 , wherein
a spot size of the first pulse laser beam is larger than a diameter of the target to be irradiated with the first pulse laser beam, and
a spot size of the second pulse laser beam is larger than the spot size of the first pulse laser beam.

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Hori Tsukasa
• Kakizaki Kouji
• Yanagida Tatsuya
• Wakabayashi Osamu
• Mizoguchi Hakaru

Classifications

• H01S3/09

  Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping · CPC title

• H01S3/1611

  neodymium · CPC title

• H01S3/1106

  Mode locking · CPC title

• H05G2/003

  the plasma being generated from a material in a liquid or gas state · CPC title

• H05G2/005

  Electricity · mapped topic