Laser apparatus and extreme ultraviolet light generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10122145-B2
Application number	US-201715651253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A laser apparatus may include a master oscillator, a plurality of amplifiers, a photodetector device configured to detect a light beam traveling back along a laser beam path, and a controller. The photodetector device may include a first photodetector configured to detect energy of a light beam traveling back along the laser beam path and a second photodetector configured to detect power of the light beam traveling back along the laser beam path. The controller may be configured to determine that a return beam is generated when the intensity of the energy detection signal exceeds a first threshold. The controller may be configured to determine that a self-oscillation beam is generated when the intensity of the power detection signal exceeds a second threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser apparatus comprising:
a master oscillator configured to output a laser beam to travel along a laser beam path;
a plurality of amplifiers configured to amplify the laser beam outputted by the master oscillator on the laser beam path;
a photodetector including a first photodetector configured to detect energy of a light beam traveling back along the laser beam path and a second photodetector configured to detect power of the light beam traveling back along the laser beam path; and
a controller configured to receive an energy detection signal from the first photodetector and a power detection signal from the second photodetector, monitor intensities of the energy detection signal and the power detection signal, determine that a return beam is generated when the intensity of the energy detection signal exceeds a first threshold, determine that a self-oscillation beam is generated when the intensity of the power detection signal exceeds a second threshold, store determination results about the return beam and the self-oscillation beam to a memory, keep operation of the plurality of amplifiers and stop the master oscillator in a case of determining that a return beam is generated, and stop the master oscillator and the plurality of amplifiers in a case of determining that a self-oscillation beam is generated.

2. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display device,
wherein the controller is configured to output the determination results to the display device.

3. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to resume operation of the master oscillator and adjust a focus of a pulse laser beam with respect to a target in a case of determining that a return beam is generated.

4. An extreme ultraviolet light generation system configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam to generate plasma, the extreme ultraviolet light generation system comprising:
the laser apparatus according to claim 1 configured to output the pulse laser beam;
a chamber;
a target supply unit configured to supply a target into the chamber; and
a laser beam focusing optical system configured to focus the pulse laser beam outputted by the laser apparatus onto the target.

5. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is a voltage representing a specific power.

6. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is predetermined based on a threshold for damage of optical elements included in the laser apparatus.

7. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is selected from different thresholds depending on operating conditions of the laser apparatus.

8. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is a voltage representing a specific energy.

9. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is predetermined based on a threshold for damage of optical elements included in the laser apparatus.

10. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is selected from different thresholds depending on operating conditions of the laser apparatus.

11. The laser apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to move a laser beam focusing optical system in a direction by a predetermined amount to adjust the focus.

12. The laser apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the focus for the energy detection signal from the first photodetector to become equal to or less than the first threshold.

13. The laser apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to repeat moving a laser beam focusing optical system in a direction by a predetermined amount until the energy detection signal from the first photodetector becomes equal to or less than the first threshold.

14. A laser apparatus comprising:
a master oscillator configured to output a laser beam to travel along a laser beam path;
a plurality of amplifiers configured to amplify the laser beam outputted by the master oscillator on the laser beam path;
a photodetector device configured to detect a light beam traveling back along the laser beam path; and
a controller configured to determine that a return beam is generated when intensity of a detection signal from the photodetector device has been higher than a first threshold for a time longer than 0 and equal to or shorter than a second threshold, determine that a self-oscillation beam is generated when intensity of the detection signal has been higher than a third threshold for a time longer than a fourth threshold which is equal to or longer than the second threshold, and store determination results about the return beam and the self-oscillation beam to a memory.

15. The laser apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the photodetector device includes a single photodetector, and
wherein the first threshold and the third threshold are the same value and the second threshold and the fourth threshold are the same value.

16. An extreme ultraviolet light generation system configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam to generate plasma, the extreme ultraviolet light generation system comprising:
the laser apparatus according to claim 14 configured to output the pulse laser beam;
a chamber;
a target supply unit configured to supply a target into the chamber; and
a laser beam focusing optical system configured to focus the pulse laser beam outputted by the laser apparatus onto the target.

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Kurosawa Yoshiaki
• Hoshino Hideo

Classifications

• H01S2301/02

  ASE (amplified spontaneous emission), noise; Reduction thereof · CPC title

• H01S3/09702

  Details of the driver electronics and electric discharge circuits · CPC title

• H01S3/2308

  Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA · CPC title

• H01S3/1003

  tunable optical elements, e.g. acousto-optic filters, tunable gratings · CPC title

• H01S3/10069

  Memorized or pre-programmed characteristics, e.g. look-up table [LUT] · CPC title