Laser apparatus and EUV light generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11043784-B2
Application number	US-201916595782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A laser apparatus includes: a plurality of envelope blocks each provided with an optical element and a first temperature sensor and covering part of a laser beam path, the optical element being disposed on the laser beam path, the first temperature sensor being configured to measure a first temperature of gas at a position away from the optical element; an envelope body including the envelope blocks and covering the laser beam path; and a control unit connected with each first temperature sensor and configured to specify an envelope block at which increase of the first temperature is measured in the envelope body as an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser apparatus comprising:
a plurality of envelope blocks each provided with an optical element and a first temperature sensor and covering part of a laser beam path, the optical element being disposed on the laser beam path, the first temperature sensor being configured to measure a first temperature of gas at a position away from the optical element;
an envelope body including the envelope blocks and covering the laser beam path; and
a control unit connected with each first temperature sensor and configured to specify an envelope block at which increase of the first temperature is measured in the envelope body as an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring, wherein
the gas includes purge gas, and the envelope body includes an intake unit provided to each envelope block and configured to introduce the purge gas to inside of the envelope body, and
a discharge unit provided to each envelope block and configured to discharge the purge gas from inside of the envelope body.

2. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit determines that anomaly is occurring at an envelope block including a first temperature sensor having measured the first temperature to be equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold in the envelope body.

3. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit determines that anomaly is occurring at an envelope block including a first temperature sensor having measured the change rate of the first temperature to be equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold in the envelope body.

4. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first temperature sensor of each envelope block measures a first temperature of the purge gas discharged from the discharge unit.

5. The laser apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a gas supply device configured to supply the purge gas into the envelope body through a main supply path and a bifurcation supply path bifurcated from the main supply path and coupled with the intake unit; and
a second temperature sensor provided to the main supply path, configured to measure a second temperature of the purge gas supplied from the gas supply device, and connected with the control unit, wherein
the control unit specifies an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring in the envelope body based on a temperature difference between the first and second temperatures thus measured.

6. The laser apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the control unit determines that anomaly is occurring at an envelope block including a first temperature sensor having measured temperature difference between the first and second temperatures to be equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold in the envelope body.

7. The laser apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the control unit determines that anomaly is occurring at an envelope block including a first temperature sensor having measured the change rate of the temperature difference between the first and second temperatures to be equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold in the envelope body.

8. The laser apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising
a second temperature sensor provided to each envelope block, configured to measure a second temperature of the purge gas introduced through the intake unit, and connected with the control unit, wherein
the control unit specifies an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring in the envelope body based on a temperature difference between the first and second temperatures thus measured.

9. The laser apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the control unit determines that anomaly is occurring at an envelope block including a first temperature sensor having measured the temperature difference between the first and second temperatures to be equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold in the envelope body.

10. The laser apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the control unit determines that anomaly is occurring at an envelope block including a first temperature sensor having measured the change rate of the temperature difference between the first and second temperatures to be equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold in the envelope body.

11. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the envelope blocks each include a first block edge and a second block edge,
the intake unit is provided closer to the first block edge in each envelope block, and
the discharge unit is provided closer to the second block edge in each envelope block.

12. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a holder holding at least one of the optical elements, wherein
the first temperature sensor measures the first temperature of gas at the position also away from the holder.

13. The laser apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each first temperature sensor is provided inside the envelope block.

14. An EUV light generation system comprising:
an EUV chamber in which EUV light is generated; and
a laser apparatus configured to emit a laser beam toward the EUV chamber,
the laser apparatus including a plurality of envelope blocks each provided with an optical element and a first temperature sensor and covering part of a laser beam path, the optical element being disposed on the laser beam path, the first temperature sensor being configured to measure a first temperature of gas at a position away from the optical element,
an envelope body including the envelope blocks and covering the laser beam path, and
a control unit connected with each first temperature sensor and configured to specify an envelope block at which increase of the first temperature is measured in the envelope body as an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring, wherein
the gas includes purge gas, and the envelope body includes an intake unit provided to each envelope block and configured to introduce the purge gas to inside of the envelope body, and
a discharge unit provided to each envelope block and configured to discharge the purge gas from inside of the envelope body.

15. A laser apparatus comprising:
an optical element disposed on a laser beam path;
a plurality of optical path tubes each covering the optical element and including an intake unit configured to introduce purge gas to inside of the optical path tube,
a discharge unit configured to discharge the purge gas from inside of the optical path tube, and a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature of the purge gas discharged from the discharge unit;
an envelope body covering the laser beam path with the optical path tubes; and
a control unit connected with each first temperature sensor and configured to specify an optical path tube in which increase of the first temperature is measured in the envelope body as an optical path tube in which anomaly is occurring.

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Hori Tsukasa
• Ueno Yoshifumi
• Yabu Takayuki
• Kurosawa Yoshiaki

Classifications

• H05G2/0082

  the energy-carrying beam being a laser beam · CPC title

• H01S3/2316 Primary

  Cascaded amplifiers · CPC title

• H01S3/0014

  Monitoring arrangements not otherwise provided for (photometry G01J1/00, e.g. G01J1/4257; radiation pyrometry G01J5/00; measuring coherence of light G01J9/00; measuring wavelength of light G01J9/00, e.g. G01J9/0246; measuring optical pulses G01J11/00; calorimetrically measuring power of laser beams G01K17/003) · CPC title

• H01S3/02

  Constructional details {(housings or packages of fibre lasers H01S3/06704)} · CPC title

• H01S3/027

  comprising a special atmosphere inside the housing · CPC title