Abstract: A system includes an optical source configured to emit a pulsed light beam, the optical source comprising one or more chambers, each of the one or more chambers configured to hold a gaseous gain medium, the gaseous gain medium being associated with an assumed gas life; at least one detection module configured to: receive and analyze data related to the pulsed light beam, and produce a beam quality metric based on the data related to the pulsed light beam; and a monitoring module configured to: analyze the beam quality metric, determine a health status of the gaseous gain medium based on the analysis of the beam quality metric, and produce a status signal based on the determined health status, the status signal indicating whether to extend use of the gaseous gain medium beyond the assumed gas life or to end use of the gaseous gain medium.

Abstract: An electrode is formed of a bismuth brass alloy. The bismuth brass alloy contains about 30 weight percent to about 40 weight percent of zinc, about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of bismuth, and the balance copper. The bismuth brass alloy has a microstructure that includes islands of bismuth dispersed within the base metal formed of copper and zinc and also includes bismuth at the grain boundaries of the base metal. As a large bulky atom with high resistivity against fluorine attack, bismuth segregates at the grain boundaries and blocks the fluorine diffusion into the lattice. In the presence of fluorine, the bismuth brass alloy forms a protective layer on the elongated surface of the body of the electrode. This protective layer inhibits reaction of the base metal formed of copper and zinc with fluorine and thereby preserves the surface of the electrode material.

Abstract: A gas recycle system includes a gas purifier system; a gas analysis system; a gas blending system that prepares a recycled gas mixture; and a control system configured to: determine whether a measured amount of at least one intended gas component is within a first range of acceptable values; and determine whether a measured amount of the at least one impurity gas component is within a second range of acceptable values. If the measured amount of the at least one intended gas component is not within the first range of acceptable values, the control system causes the gas blending system to add an additional gas component to the purified gas mixture to prepare the recycled gas mixture; and if the measured amount of the at least one impurity gas is not within the second range of acceptable values, the control system generates an error signal.

Abstract: A gas chamber supply system includes a gas source configured to fluidly connect to a gas chamber and to supply a gas mixture to the gas chamber, the gas source including: a pre-prepared gas supply including a gas mixture, the gas mixture including a plurality of gas components and lacking a halogen; a recycled gas supply including the gas mixture; and a fluid flow switch connected to the pre-prepared gas supply and to the recycled gas supply. The gas chamber supply also includes a control system configured to: determine if the relative concentration between the gas components within the recycled gas supply is within an acceptable range; and provide a signal to the fluid flow switch to thereby select one of the pre-prepared gas supply and the recycled gas supply to as the gas source based on the determination.

Abstract: A system for deep ultraviolet (DUV) optical lithography includes an optical source apparatus including N optical oscillators, N being an integer number greater than or equal to two, and each of the N optical oscillators is configured to produce a pulse of light in response to an excitation signal; and a control system coupled to the optical source apparatus. The control system is configured to determine a corrected excitation signal for a first one of the N optical oscillators based on an input signal, the input signal including an energy property of a pulse of light produced by another one of the N optical oscillators.

Abstract: A method for improving a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The method includes computing a multi-variable cost function that is a function of: (i) a plurality of design variables that affect characteristics of the lithographic process and (ii) a radiation bandwidth of a radiation source of the lithographic apparatus; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics (e.g., EPE, image contrast, resist, etc.) of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables (e.g., source, mask layout, bandwidth, etc.) until a termination condition is satisfied. The termination condition includes a speckle characteristic (e.g., a speckle contrast) maintained within a speckle specification associated with the radiation source and also maintaining an image contrast associated with the lithographic process within a desired range. The speckle characteristic being a function of the radiation bandwidth.

Abstract: Information relating to an etalon is accessed, the etalon being associated with a calibration parameter having a pre-set default value, the etalon being configured to produce an interference pattern including a plurality of fringes from a received light beam, and the information relating to the etalon including first spatial information related to a first fringe of the plurality of fringes and second spatial information related to a second fringe of the plurality of fringes. A first wavelength value of the received light beam is determined based on the spatial information related to the first fringe and an initial value of the calibration parameter. A second wavelength value of the received light beam is determined based on the spatial information related to the second fringe and the initial value of the calibration parameter. The first wavelength value and the second wavelength value are compared to determine a measurement error value.

Abstract: A radiation system for controlling pulses of radiation comprising an optical element configured to interact with the pulses of radiation to control a characteristic of the pulses of radiation, an actuator configured to actuate the optical element according to a control signal received from a controller, the control signal at least partially depending on a reference pulse repetition rate of the radiation system and, a processor configured to receive pulse information from the controller and use the pulse information to determine an adjustment to the control signal. The radiation system may be used to improve an accuracy of a lithographic apparatus operating in a multi-focal imaging mode.

Abstract: Apparatus for and method of aligning optical components such as mirrors to facilitate proper beam alignment using an image integration optical system is used to integrate images from multiple optical features such as from both left mirror bank and right mirror bank to present the images simultaneously to the camera system. A fluorescent material may be used to render a beam footprint visible and the relative positions of the footprint and an alignment feature may be used to align the optical feature.

Abstract: An optical element for a deep-ultraviolet light source includes a crystalline substrate; a coating on an exterior surface of the crystalline substrate, the coating having a thickness along a direction that extends away from the exterior surface; and a structure on and/or in the coating, the structure including a plurality of features that extend away from the crystalline substrate along the direction. The features include an amorphous dielectric material and are arranged such that an index of refraction of the structure varies along the direction.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of and apparatus for extending a useful lifetime of a laser discharge chamber in which a polarity of an electrode positioned at a fixed position within the chamber is caused to be positive with respect to the polarity of a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the first electrode and the first electrode is made of a material that forms an erosion resistant surface when the first electrode is used and an anode. Also disclosed is an arrangement in which a first electrode is positionable with respect a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the second electrode and the position of the first electrode controlled to maintain the width of the gap within a predetermined range.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling laser firing timing and hence bandwidth in a laser capable of operating at any one of multiple repetition rates.

Abstract: A method includes driving, while producing a burst of pulses at a pulse repetition rate, a spectral feature adjuster among a set of discrete states at a frequency correlated with the pulse repetition rate; and in between the production of the bursts of pulses (while no pulses are being produced), driving the spectral feature adjuster according to a driving signal defined by a set of parameters. Each discrete state corresponds to a discrete value of a spectral feature. The method includes ensuring that the spectral feature adjuster is in one of the discrete states that corresponds to a discrete value of the spectral feature of the amplified light beam when a pulse in the next burst is produced by adjusting one or more of: an instruction to the lithography exposure apparatus, the driving signal to the spectral feature adjuster, and/or the instruction to the optical source.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a gas maintenance system having a gas supply system fluidly connected to one or more gas discharge chambers; a detection apparatus fluidly connected to each gas discharge chamber; and a control system connected to the gas maintenance system and the detection apparatus. The detection apparatus includes: a vessel defining a reaction cavity that houses a metal oxide and is fluidly connected to the gas discharge chamber for receiving mixed gas including fluorine from the gas discharge chamber in the reaction cavity, the vessel enabling a reaction between the fluorine of the received mixed gas and the metal oxide to form a new gas mixture including oxygen; and an oxygen sensor fluidly connected to the new gas mixture to sense an amount of oxygen within the new gas mixture. The control system is configured to estimate a concentration of fluorine in the received mixed gas.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer programs for increasing a contrast for a lithography system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of optimizing a process for imaging a feature on a substrate using a photolithography system is disclosed, the method including obtaining an optical spectrum of a light beam for the imaging, wherein the light beam includes pulses having a plurality of different wavelengths, and narrowing the optical spectrum of the pulses of the light beam for the imaging to improve a quality metric of the imaging.

Abstract: A discharge chamber for a deep ultraviolet (DUV) light source includes a housing; and a first electrode and a second electrode in the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode being separated from each other to form a discharge region between the first electrode and the second electrode, the discharge region being configured to receive a gain medium including at least one noble gas and a halogen gas. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a metal alloy including more than 33% and less than 50% zinc by weight.

Abstract: A method includes: producing a light beam made up of pulses having a wavelength in the deep ultraviolet range, each pulse having a first temporal coherence defined by a first temporal coherence length and each pulse being defined by a pulse duration; for one or more pulses, modulating the optical phase over the pulse duration of the pulse to produce a modified pulse having a second temporal coherence defined by a second temporal coherence length that is less than the first temporal coherence length of the pulse; forming a light beam of pulses at least from the modified pulses; and directing the formed light beam of pulses toward a substrate within a lithography exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A system for removing particulate matter from the gas in a gas discharge laser includes one or more nonwoven screens which are optimized for, among others, manufacturability and feature integration. The nonwoven screens are configured for precisely directing the flow to optimize the separation of particles from the gas flow and provide sufficient surface area for improved dust adherence.

Abstract: A spectral feature selection apparatus includes a dispersive optical element arranged to interact with a pulsed light beam; three or more refractive optical elements arranged in a path of the pulsed light beam between the dispersive optical element and a pulsed optical source; and one or more actuation systems, each actuation system associated with a refractive optical element and configured to rotate the associated refractive optical element to thereby adjust a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam. At least one of the actuation systems is a rapid actuation system that includes a rapid actuator configured to rotate its associated refractive optical element about a rotation axis. The rapid actuator includes a rotary stepper motor having a rotation shaft that rotates about a shaft axis that is parallel with the rotation axis of the associated refractive optical element.

Abstract: Enhancing target features of a pattern imaged onto a substrate. This may include adding one or more assist features to a patterning device pattern in one or more locations adjacent to one or more target features in the patterning device pattern. The one or more assist features are added based on two or more different focus positions in the substrate. This can also include shifting the patterning device pattern and/or a design layout based on the two or more different focus positions and the one or more added assist features. This may be useful for improving across slit asymmetry. Adding the one or more assist features to the pattern and shifting the pattern and/or the design layout enhances the target features by reducing a shift caused by across slit asymmetry for a slit of a multifocal lithographic imaging apparatus. This may reduce the shift across an entire imaging field.