System and method for generating extreme ultraviolet light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016128172-A1
Application number	US-201614992506-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2010
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

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 . A system comprising:
a laser beam apparatus configured to generate a laser beam; and a target supply unit configured to supply a target material to be irradiated with the laser beam for generating extreme ultraviolet light, wherein the laser beam apparatus is configured to: generate a first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated so as to make the target be diffused in a dome shape, generate a second pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated, and generate a main pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the second pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , where the laser beam apparatus includes a CO 2 laser apparatus.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , where the laser beam apparatus comprises:
a first laser apparatus configured to generate the first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated; and a second laser apparatus configured to generate the second pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated, and the main pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the second pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein
the first laser apparatus is configured to generate a laser beam having a first wavelength, and the second laser apparatus is configured to generate a laser beam having a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein
the first laser apparatus is a YAG laser apparatus; and the second laser apparatus is a CO 2 laser apparatus.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , where the laser beam apparatus comprises:
a first laser apparatus configured to generate the first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated; a second laser apparatus configured to generate the second pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated; and a third laser apparatus configured to generate the main pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the second pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein
the first and second laser apparatuses are configured to generate laser beams each having a first wavelength, and the third laser apparatus is configured to generate a laser beam having a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein
the first laser apparatus is a first YAG laser apparatus; the second laser apparatus is a second YAG laser apparatus; and the third laser apparatus is a CO 2 laser apparatus.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , where the laser beam apparatus comprises:
a first laser apparatus configured to generate the first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated and the second pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated; and a second laser apparatus configured to generate the main pulse laser beam with which the target material irradiated with the second pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein
the first laser apparatus is configured to generate a laser beam having a first wavelength, and the second laser apparatus is configured to generate a laser beam having a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein
the first laser apparatus is a YAG laser apparatus; and the second laser apparatus is a CO 2 laser apparatus.

12 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein
the first laser apparatus is a fiber laser apparatus; and the second laser apparatus is a CO 2 laser apparatus.

13 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a laser controller for the laser beam apparatus to control an output timing of the main pulse laser beam.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the laser controller is configured to control the laser beam apparatus to output the main pulse laser beam in 0.3 μs to 3.0 μs after the target material is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam.

15 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the laser beam apparatus includes a mode-locked laser apparatus.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the mode-locked laser apparatus is a Ti:sapphire laser.

17 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the mode-locked laser apparatus is a fiber laser.

18 . The system according to claim 1 , where the target is diffused in a dome shape in a direction opposite to the direction in which the first pre-pulse laser beam has irradiated.

19 . The system according to claim 1 , where the diffused target includes an annular shape portion, a dome shape portion, and a portion surrounded by the annular shape portion and the dome shape portion.

20 . The system according to claim 19 , where the density of the annular shape portion is higher than the density of the dome shape portion, and the density of the dome shape portion is higher than the density of the portion surrounded by the annular shape portion and the dome shape portion.

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H05G2/0086

  Optical arrangements for conveying the laser beam to the plasma generation location · CPC title

• H05G2/0088 Primary

  for preconditioning the plasma generating material · CPC title

• H01S3/2308

  Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA · CPC title

• H01S3/1673

  YVO4 [YVO] · CPC title

• H01S3/09

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