Pulsed light beam spectral feature control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966725-B1
Application number	US-201715468402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A spectral feature of a pulsed light beam produced by an optical source is adjusted by receiving an instruction to change a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam from a value in a first target range to a value in a second target range; regulating a first operating characteristic of the optical source; determining an adjustment to a second actuatable apparatus of the optical source; and adjusting the second actuatable apparatus by an amount based on the determined adjustment. The first operating characteristic is regulated by adjusting a first actuatable apparatus of the optical source until it is determined that the first operating characteristic is within an acceptable range of values. The adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus is determined based at least in part on: a relationship between the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus and a spectral feature of the light beam, and the second target range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adjusting a spectral feature of a pulsed light beam produced by an optical source, the method comprising:
receiving an instruction to change a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam from a value in a first target range to a value in a second target range;
regulating a first operating characteristic of the optical source, wherein regulating the first operating characteristic includes adjusting a first actuatable apparatus of the optical source until it is determined that the first operating characteristic is within an acceptable range of values;
determining an adjustment to a second actuatable apparatus of the optical source based at least in part on:
a relationship between the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus and a spectral feature of the light beam, and
the second target range; and

adjusting the second actuatable apparatus by an amount that is based on the determined adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein regulating the first operating characteristic of the optical source is performed as a feedback loop that comprises:
observing the first operating characteristic of the optical source after the first actuatable apparatus is adjusted;
determining whether the observed first operating characteristic is within the acceptable range of values; and
adjusting a first actuatable apparatus of the optical source if it is determined that the observed first operating characteristic is outside the acceptable range of values.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of determining the adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus and at least some of adjusting the second actuatable apparatus occur before it is determined that the first operating characteristic is within the acceptable range of values.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus based on the relationship between the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus and the spectral feature of the light beam comprises estimating an offset in the spectral feature of the light beam caused by the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the offset is estimated based on:
a difference between the initial value of the first operating characteristic and a target value of the first operating characteristic, wherein the target value of the first operating characteristic is within the acceptable range of values;
a calibrated value that defines a relationship between the first operating characteristic and the state of the first actuatable apparatus; and
a slope of a timing curve of a measured spectral feature of the light beam versus the state of the first actuatable apparatus.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus based on the relationship between the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus and the spectral feature of the light beam comprises calculating an offset adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus that compensates for the estimated offset in the spectral feature of the light beam caused by the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein calculating the offset adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus that compensates for the estimated offset in the spectral feature of the light beam caused by the adjustment of the first actuatable apparatus comprises multiplying the estimated offset by a slope of the relationship between a measured spectral feature of the light beam and a state of the second actuatable apparatus.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus of the optical source based on the second target range comprises calculating a main adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus that corresponds to the second target range, wherein determining the adjustment to the second actuatable apparatus of the optical source comprises adding the offset adjustment and the main adjustment together to determine the adjustment.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the second actuatable apparatus has completed its adjustment:
maintaining the second actuatable apparatus at its current state while measuring the spectral feature of the light beam; and
adjusting the second actuatable apparatus until the measured spectral feature of the light beam is within the second target range.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein measuring the spectral feature of the light beam comprises measuring the spectral feature of the light beam for every pulse of the light beam in a set of N pulses, in which N is a number less than 30.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first operating characteristic of the optical source comprises a relative value between a state of the first actuatable apparatus and a target state of the first actuatable apparatus; and
the first actuatable apparatus is a timing relating to when the optical source outputs a pulse of the light beam.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the timing relating to when the optical source outputs a pulse of the light beam is a relative timing between a first trigger signal sent to a first stage of the optical source and a second trigger signal sent to a second stage of the optical source.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second actuatable apparatus comprises an optical system configured to interact with the pulsed light beam; and
adjusting the second actuatable apparatus comprises adjusting the optical system to thereby adjust an optical magnification of the pulsed light beam and alter the spectral feature of the light beam.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectral feature of the light beam is a bandwidth of the light beam.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
adjusting the first actuatable apparatus of the optical source causes the spectral feature of the light beam to change within a first extent of values and at a first speed;
adjusting the second actuatable apparatus of the optical source causes the spectral feature of the light beam to change within a second extent of values and at a second speed;
the second extent of values is larger than the first extent of values; and
the second speed is slower than the first speed.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acceptable range of values of the first operating characteristic is centered in an operating range of the first operating characteristic, wherein the operating range of the first operating characteristic is defined by limiting values of the first operating characteristic.

17. A system for adjusting a spectral feature of a pulsed light beam produced by an optical source, the system comprising:
a first actuation module coupled to a first actuatable apparatus of the optical source, the first actuatable apparatus configured to be adjusted by the first actuation module to thereby adjust the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam within a first extent of values;
a second actuation module coupled to a second actuatable apparatus of the optical source, the second actuatable apparatus configured to be adjusted by the first actuation module to thereby adjust the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam within a second extent of values; and
a control system connected to the first actuation module and the second actuation module, the control system configured to:
receive an instruction to change the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam from a value in a first target range to a value in a second target range;
regulate a first operating characteristic of the optical source,

Assignees

• Cymer LLC

Inventors

• Teng Kuo-Tai

Classifications

• H10P76/2042

  using lasers · CPC title

• H01S3/2308

  Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA · CPC title

• H01S3/137

  for stabilising of frequency · CPC title

• H01S3/225

  comprising an excimer or exciplex · CPC title

• G03F7/70041

  by pulsed sources, e.g. multiplexing, pulse duration, interval control or intensity control · CPC title