Laser apparatus and extreme ultraviolet light generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10461494-B2
Application number	US-201816055656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A laser apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a master oscillator configured to output laser light, a plurality of amplifiers each configured to include carbon dioxide as a laser medium and amplify the laser light, a first optical path pipe configured to cover a laser optical path between the amplifiers, a gas supply port configured to supply, into the first optical path pipe, gas having lower carbon dioxide concentration than that of the air, a first carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration in the first optical path pipe, and an alarm device configured to issue an alarm when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the first carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser apparatus comprising:
a master oscillator configured to output laser light;
a plurality of amplifiers each configured to include carbon dioxide as a laser medium and amplify the laser light;
a first optical path pipe configured to cover a laser optical path between the amplifiers;
a gas supply port configured to supply gas into the first optical path pipe, the gas having lower carbon dioxide concentration than carbon dioxide concentration of air;
a first carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration in the first optical path pipe; and
an alarm device to which a measurement result of the first carbon dioxide densitometer is input, the alarm device being configured to issue an alarm when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the first carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value of carbon dioxide concentration.

2. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the first carbon dioxide densitometers are disposed, and
the alarm device issues the alarm based on layout positions of the first carbon dioxide densitometers, and the alarm includes information specifying a position of the laser optical path in which the carbon dioxide concentration exceeding the prescribed value is measured.

3. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the alarm device is configured to count a time from activation of the laser apparatus, and issues the alarm based on a counted time,
an upper limit of a standby time is set to the alarm device, and
the alarm is issued when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the first carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds the prescribed value and the counted time exceeds the upper limit of the standby time.

4. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a hygrometer configured to measure humidity in the first optical path pipe, wherein
a measurement result of the hygrometer is input to the alarm device, and the alarm device issues the alarm when the humidity measured by the hygrometer exceeds a preset prescribed value of humidity.

5. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
windows are disposed on both sides of the first optical path pipe.

6. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
N pieces of the amplifiers are disposed, the N being an integer of 3 or larger, and
the first carbon dioxide densitometer is disposed on the first optical path pipe covering, among laser optical paths between the N pieces of the amplifiers, a laser optical path between the amplifiers on an amplification latter-stage side including at least the amplifier of a final stage.

7. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second optical path pipe configured to cover the laser optical path between the master oscillator and the amplifier; and
a second carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration in the second optical path pipe, wherein:
the gas is supplied to the second optical path pipe, and
a measurement result of the second carbon dioxide densitometer is input to the alarm device, and the alarm device issues an alarm when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the second carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value of carbon dioxide concentration.

8. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third optical path pipe configured to cover the laser optical path through which laser light output from an amplifier of a final stage among the amplifiers is transmit; and
a third carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration in the third optical path pipe, wherein:
the gas is supplied to the third optical path pipe, and
a measurement result of the third carbon dioxide densitometer is input to the alarm device, and the alarm device issues an alarm when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the third carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value of carbon dioxide concentration.

9. The laser apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein:
the prescribed value of the carbon dioxide concentration is set according to at least one of power density of laser light at a position of the optical path pipe at which any carbon dioxide densitometer of the plurality of the carbon dioxide densitometers including the first carbon dioxide densitometer and the third carbon dioxide densitometer is disposed, and a laser light propagation distance of the optical path pipe at which any carbon dioxide densitometer of the plurality of the carbon dioxide densitometers is disposed, and
different values are set to at least two carbon dioxide densitometers disposed at different positions among the plurality of the carbon dioxide densitometers.

10. An extreme ultraviolet light generation system comprising:
the laser apparatus according to claim 8 ;
a chamber into which laser light output from the laser apparatus is introduced; and
a target feeder configured to feed a target into the chamber, wherein:
the third optical path pipe is connected with the chamber, and
the target supplied from the target feeder into the chamber is irradiated with laser light output from the laser apparatus and made into plasma, and extreme ultraviolet light is generated.

11. A laser apparatus comprising:
a master oscillator configured to output laser light;
a plurality of amplifiers each configured to include carbon dioxide as a laser medium and amplify the laser light;
a first optical path pipe configured to cover a laser optical path between the amplifiers;
a gas supply port configured to supply gas into the first optical path pipe, the gas having lower carbon dioxide concentration than carbon dioxide concentration of air;
a carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration of the gas supplied from the gas supply port;
a first hygrometer configured to measure humidity in the first optical path pipe, and
an alarm device to which a measurement result of the carbon dioxide densitometer and a measurement result of the first hygrometer are input, the alarm device being configured to issue an alarm in both cases where the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value of carbon dioxide concentration, and where the humidity measured by the first hygrometer exceeds a preset prescribed value of humidity.

12. The laser apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein:
a plurality of the first hygrometers are disposed, and
the alarm device issues the alarm based on layout positions of the first hygrometers, and the alarm includes information specifying a position of the laser optical path in which the humidity exceeding the prescribed value of humidity is measured.

13. The laser apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein:
the alarm device is configured to count a time from activation of the laser apparatus, and issues the alarm based on a counted time,
an upper limit of a standby time is set to the alarm device, and
the alarm device issues an alarm informing the humidity abnormality when the humidity measured by the first hygrometer exceeds the prescribed value of humidity and the counted time exceeds the upper limit of the standby time.

14. The laser apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising
a pipe configured to supply the gas to the first optical path pipe, wherein:
the gas supply port is a gas introduction part of the pipe, and
the carbon dioxide densitometer is disposed on the pipe.

15. The laser apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein:

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Kurosawa Yoshiaki
• Suganuma Takashi

Classifications

• G01N33/0063

  using a threshold to release an alarm or displaying means · CPC title

• H01S3/1306

  Stabilisation of the amplitude · CPC title

• H01S3/2232

  Carbon dioxide (CO2) or monoxide [CO] · CPC title

• G01N21/5907

  Densitometers · CPC title

• H01S3/134 Primary

  in gas lasers · CPC title