Extreme ultraviolet light generating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9439276-B2
Application number	US-201514937332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

There is provided an extreme ultraviolet light generating system. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system may include: a laser apparatus configured to provide pulsed laser light inside a chamber in which EUV light is generated; an optical shutter disposed on an optical path of the pulsed laser light; and a controller configured to open or close the optical shutter, based on a generation signal supplied from an external unit, the generation signal instructing generation of the EUV light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extreme ultraviolet light generating system comprising:
a laser apparatus configured to provide pulsed laser light inside a chamber in which EUV light is generated;
an optical shutter disposed on an optical path of the pulsed laser light;
a controller configured to open or close the optical shutter, based on a generation signal supplied from an external unit, the generation signal instructing generation of the EUV light;
a light emission trigger generator configured to generate a light emission trigger signal and to supply the light emission trigger signal to the laser apparatus, the light emission trigger signal instructing output of the pulsed laser light;
a target feeder configured to feed a target inside the chamber, the target being to be irradiated with the pulsed laser light outputted from the laser apparatus;
a detector configured to detect feed timing at which the target is fed from the target feeder and to provide the light emission trigger generator with a first timing signal indicating the feed timing; and
a timer circuit configured to generate a second timing signal and to provide the light emission trigger generator with the second timing signal, during absence of the first timing signal from the detector,
wherein the light emission trigger generator generates the light emission trigger signal, based on the first timing signal and the second timing signal.

2. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical shutter comprises a plurality of optical shutter devices, and
the controller controls the plurality of optical shutter devices to allow open timings or close timings to be different each other, depending on positions of the respective optical shutter devices on the optical path of the pulsed laser light.

3. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 1 , wherein
the laser apparatus comprises a plurality of laser units,
the optical shutter comprises a plurality of optical shutter devices, and
the optical shutter devices are disposed on respective optical paths of the pulsed laser light output from the plurality of laser units.

4. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the laser apparatus continuously outputs the pulsed laser light irrespective of presence or absence of the supply of the generation signal.

5. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical shutter comprises an optical isolator.

6. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the light emission trigger generator includes a first OR circuit, the first OR circuit being coupled to the timer circuit and configured to receive the first timing signal and the second timing signal.

7. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 1 , wherein the timer circuit outputs the second timing signal to the light emission trigger generator, when the absence of the first timing signal from the detector exceeds a time interval in which the target is fed.

8. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 6 , wherein the light emission trigger generator includes:
a second OR circuit configured to receive the first timing signal and the second timing signal; and
a delay circuit coupled to the second OR circuit.

9. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 8 , wherein the delay circuit generates the light emission trigger signal.

10. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 8 , wherein the light emission trigger generator includes a first one-shot circuit configured to receive the second timing signal.

11. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 10 , wherein the light emission trigger generator includes:
an inverter; and
a third OR circuit configured to receive an output signal of the first one-shot circuit through the inverter.

12. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 11 , wherein the third OR circuit receives the generation signal.

13. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 12 , wherein the third OR circuit outputs an optical shutter control signal that opens or closes the optical shutter.

14. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 10 , wherein a length of a pulse width of an output signal of the first one-shot circuit is longer than a time in which the pulsed laser light passes through the optical shutter after the light emission trigger signal is inputted to the laser apparatus.

15. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 11 , wherein the light emission trigger generator includes:
an AND circuit configured to receive the light emission trigger signal outputted from the delay circuit; and
a second one-shot circuit configured to receive the light emission trigger signal outputted from the delay circuit.

16. The extreme ultraviolet light generating system according to claim 15 , wherein the AND circuit receives the output signal of the third OR circuit.

Assignees

• Gigaphoton Inc

Inventors

• Yabu Takayuki
• Saito Takashi
• Wakabayashi Osamu

Classifications

• H05G2/0084

  Control of the laser beam · CPC title

• H05G2/0027

  Arrangements for controlling the supply; Arrangements for measurements · CPC title

• H05G2/0086 Primary

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

• G03F7/2006

  using coherent light; using polarised light · CPC title

• G03F7/70033

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title