Abstract: The invention provides for the making of <200 nm wavelength fluoride crystal optical elements from selected fluoride single crystals of determined quality. The invention relates to a method of determining the optical quality of a fluoride single crystal. The method according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises the following steps: (a) irradiating at least one volume element of the fluoride single crystal, along at least one given family of crystalline planes with a hard X-ray beam, in order to obtain a picture of the diffraction in transmission mode of the hard X-rays across this at least one volume element along this at least one family of crystalline planes, (b) studying the picture obtained in step (a), and (c) calculating the mosaicity of the at least one volume element along the at least one family of crystalline planes, from the study of step (b). The invention finds application in the field of the optical industry.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an EUV lithography element mirror includes sagging a plate of a glass material to produce an EUV mirror blank; and polishing a top face of the EUV mirror blank to produce a polished EUV mirror. A method for manufacturing an EUV lithography element mirror includes grinding a top face of a piece of a glass material; sagging a plate of the glass material over the top face of the piece to produce an EUV mirror blank; and polishing a top face of the EUV mirror blank to produce an EUV polished mirror.

Abstract: Materials, both glass and glass-ceramic, that exhibit UV-induced changes in light transmission and electrical conductivity behavior. The materials consist essentially, in mole %, of 20-40% SiO2, 10-20% AlO1.5, 35-55% SiO2+AlO1.5, at least 30% CdF2, 0-20% PbF2, and/or ZnF2, 0-15% rare earth metal fluoride, and 45-65% total metal fluorides.

Abstract: The optical fluoride crystal treatment device of the invention includes a enclosure (12) separating the device from its external environment, heating means to heat and keep the internal volume (16) of said enclosure (12) at a predetermined temperature, at least one hollow platform (20) delimiting an internal chamber (22) whose upper wall (24) bears at least two independent diffusers (30) each delimiting a cavity (32) able to receive a unitary quantity (100) of said optical fluoride crystal substance, each of said cavities (32) communicating with said internal chamber (22) of the corresponding platform (20), a gas supply source containing said reactive gas, and means (50, 52, 54) for distributing said gas containing said reactive gas from said supply source to the inside of the internal chamber of each platform and having means (44) for regulating the pressure of said distributed gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to an High Repetition Rate UV Excimer Laser which includes a source of a laser beam and one or more windows which include magnesium fluoride. Another aspect of the invention relates to an excimer laser which includes a source of a laser beam, one or more windows which include magnesium fluoride and a source for annealing the one or more windows. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of producing a predetermined narrow width laser beam.

Abstract: Germanium-silicon oxide, germanium-silicon oxynitride and silica-germania-titania materials and oxynitride materials suitable for fabricating optical waveguides for liquid crystal based cross-connect optical switching devices have a refractive index of from about 1.48 to about 1.52 at 1550 nm, and a coefficient of thermal expansion at room temperature of from about 3×10−6° C.−1 to about 4.4×10−6° C.−1. The compositions are adjusted so that the refractive index of the germanium-silicon oxide, germanium-silicon oxynitride or silica-germania-titania material is closely matched to the refractive index of a typical liquid crystal material whereby improved optical performance of a liquid crystal based cross-connect optical switching device is achieved.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a <194 nm wavelength calcium fluoride crystal optical lithography element for transmitting wavelengths less than about 194 nm along an optical axis with minimal birefringence by providing an optical element optical calcium fluoride crystal with an input face {100} crystal plane and forming the input face {100} crystal plane into an optical lithography element surface of an optical lithography element having an optical axis, with the optical axis aligned with a <100> crystal direction of the optical calcium fluoride crystal. In a preferred embodiment, the below 194 nm transmitting optical element is a <100>oriented calcium fluoride lens. In a preferred embodiment, the below 194 nm transmitting optical element is a <100> oriented calcium fluoride beam splitter.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for growing UV region <200 nm transmitting calcium fluoride monocrystals, which includes crystallization from the melt, the annealing of the crystals and subsequent cooling, in a vacuum furnace, and which is effected by the continuous transfer of the crucible containing the melt from the crystallization zone into the annealing zone, each of these two zones having its own independent control system for the process parameters, characterized in that there is a temperature drop of 250-450° C. from the crystallization zone to the annealing zone, with a gradient of 8-12° C./cm, the crucible containing the material to be crystallized is moved from the crystallization zone to the annealing zone at a speed of 1-3 mm/hour, it is first kept in the annealing zone at a holding temperature of 1100-1300° C. for 20-40 hours and is then cooled first to 950-900° C. at a rate of 2-40° C./hour and then to 300° C. at a rage of 5-8° C.

Abstract: Glass frit compositions, calculated in mole percent on an oxide basis, consisting essentially of 24.5 to 29.0% P2O5; 1.0 to 5.0% B2O3; 1.0 to 2.0% Al2O3; and sufficient amounts of SnO and ZnO (51.5 to 66.5% SnO, and 5.0-12.0% ZnO), wherein the molar ratio of SnO:ZnO is in the range of about 5.0:1 to 12:1, and 0.0 to 2.0% SiO2. The glass compositions exhibit, under NMR spectroscopic analysis of 11B nuclei, a signal containing at least two peaks at a chemical shift in the range of approximately −18 to −25 ppm. The frit compositions exhibit long term stability, durability, and resistance to attack against moisture in high temperature and humidity conditions and are capable of attaching optical fiber Bragg gratings without the use of a hermetic chamber and the like. An optoelectronic device that employs a sealing material that comprises a frit made from the glass compositions.

Abstract: Method of making a high quality identifiable fluoride crystalline optical microlithography lens element blank for formation into an lens element of a microlithography system. The highly qualified fluoride crystalline characteristics of the fluoride optical lithography lens blank ensure its beneficial performance in the demanding microlithography manufacturing regime which utilizes high energy short wavelength ultraviolet laser sources. The fluoride crystalline optical lithography lens element blanks are comprised of multiple adjoining abutting crystalline subgrains with low boundary angles.

Abstract: A fused optical coupler comprising a polarization maintaining fiber and a standard fiber is provided. The cross-section of the said standard fiber is smaller than the cross-section of the polarization maintaining fiber in the area of fusion of the coupler. The internal forces in the coupling area are sufficiently low to provide an extinction ratio of more than 20 dB at the output of the polarization maintaining fiber.

Abstract: A method for making a glass ceramic, optoelectronic material such as a clad optical fiber or other component for use in an optoelectronic device. The method comprises preparing a glass composition batch to yield a precursor glass for a nanocrystalline glass-ceramic that is doped with at least one kind of optically active ion, such as a transition metal or lanthanide element; melting the batch; forming a glass cane; surrounding the cane with a chemically inert cladding material shaped in the form of a tube; drawing a glass fiber from the combined precursor-glass “cane-in-tube” at a temperature slightly above the liquidus of the precursor glass composition, and heat treating at least a portion of the drawn clad glass fiber under conditions to develop nanocrystals within the core composition and thereby forming a glass ceramic.

Abstract: A birefringence minimizing fluoride crystal vacuum ultraviolet (“VUV”) optical lithography lens element is provided for use with lithography wavelengths<230 nm. The VUV lithography lens element has an optical axis encompassed by a lens perimeter with the fluoride crystal lens having a variation in crystallographic orientation direction which tilts away from the optical center axis towards the lens perimeter to provide minimal birefringence. The invention includes a birefringence minimizing fluoride crystal optical lithography lens blank with a variation in crystallographic orientation direction across the blank.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making UV<200 nm transmitting optical fluoride crystals for excimer laser lithography optics and a multicompartment container for growing optical fluoride crystals, comprising a number of graphite bowls that are placed on top of one another to form a stack and which have a central conical orifice in the bottom of each of them, and also comprising a seeding unit that has a central cylindrical orifice and is arranged under the lowermost bowl, characterized in the each bowl is fitted with a heat-removing device that is made in the form of a graphite cylinder with a central conical orifice, is mounted under the bottom of each bowl, and adjoins, with its other surface, the cover of the next bowl down, in which design the cover of each bowl, apart from the uppermost one, has a central conical orifice.

Abstract: The method of making optical fluoride crystal components provide optical components with beneficial final polished transmission surfaces for transmitting below 200 nm wavelengths of light, such as produced by excimer lasers and utilized in optical lithography. The invention utilizes colloidal silica soot in the polishing of optical fluoride crystal surfaces. This colloidal silica soot is a byproduct of chemical vapor deposition processing of fused silica or ultra low expansion glasses. The colloidal silica byproduct is referred to as “soot”. Retaining the same physical properties as the parent glass and having a spherical morphology, the colloidal silica soot is an ideal for final polishing applications of optical fluoride crystals, and particularly for optical fluoride crystals such as calcium fluoride which have high transmission levels to below 300 nm light such as produced by excimer lasers.

Abstract: The present invention provides below 160 nm optical lithography crystal materials for VUV optical lithography systems and processes. The invention provides fluoride optical lithography crystals for utilization in 157 nm optical microlithography elements which manipulate below 193 nm optical lithography photons. The present invention provides methods of making below 160 nm optical lithography crystal materials for below 160 nm VUV optical lithography systems and processes.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is a process of preparing a crystal, which comprises: loading a crucible with a mixture of the appropriate starting material which contains at least one oxide as impurity, and an effective and non-excess amount of at least one fluorinating agent which is solid at ambient temperature, melting said mixture within said crucible, growing the crystal, by controlled cooling of the molten mixture, controlled cooling of said crystal to ambient temperature, recovering said crystal; and which is characterized in that the oxide(s) resulting from the reaction between said fluorinating agent(s) and said oxide(s), the impurity or impurities, can be discharged from said crucible, in view of the dimensions of said crucible and of the intrinsic permeability of the material constituting it. Said process is particularly adapted for preparing (mono)crystals of CaF2 in graphite crucibles.

Abstract: The invention is directed to the preparation of vinyl sulfide compounds of general formula —(—R1—S—R4C═CR5—R3—S—)n—(—R2—S—R4C═CR5—R3—S—)m, where m and n are integers in the range of 1-1000, are formed by the addition of a dithiol compound of general formula HS—R1—SH to an acetylenic compound of general formula HC≡C—R3—S—R2≡S—R3—C—CH2. These vinyl sulfide compounds can be homopolymerized or copolymerized with second monomers, oligomers or polymers that are capable of reacting with their carbon-carbon double bond. The vinyl sulfide compounds have a high refractive index (1.60 or higher at 632 nm) and can be used to make optical telecommunication elements and devices. They are soluble in selected solvents and such solutions can be applied to substrates by various methods such as spin coating, dipping, spraying and other methods known in the art.

Abstract: The invention provides a UV below 200 nm lithography method. The invention includes providing a below 200 nm radiation source for producing <200-nm light, providing a plurality of mixed cubic fluoride crystal optical elements, with the fluoride crystals comprised of a combination of alkaline earth cations having different optical polarizabilities such as to produce an overall isotropic polarizability which minimizes the fluoride crystal spatial dispersion below 200 nm, transmitting <200-nm light through the cubic fluoride crystal optical elements, forming a lithography pattern with the light, reducing the lithography pattern and projecting the lithography pattern with the cubic fluoride crystal optical elements onto a UV radiation sensitive lithography printing medium to form a printed lithographic pattern. The invention includes making the mixed fluoride crystals and forming optical element therefrom.

Abstract: The present invention provides fluoride lens crystals for VUV optical lithography systems and processes. The invention provides a barium fluoride optical lithography crystal for utilization in 157 nm optical microlithography elements which manipulate below 193 nm optical lithography photons. The invention includes a barium fluoride crystalline material for use in dispersion management of below 160 nm optical lithography processes.