Patents by Inventor Igor Bragin
Igor Bragin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11183808Abstract: Fine-structure in the transverse mode of an excimer laser beam is minimized by having a plurality of resonator mirrors located at each end of a linear excimer laser. At one end, a highly-reflective end mirror and a partially-reflective end mirror are inclined at small angle with respect to each other. At the other end, two output-coupling mirrors are inclined at a small angle with respect to each other. This arrangement of resonator mirrors generates a composite laser beam that blurs any fine structure.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Coherent LaserSystems GMBH & Co. KGInventors: Igor Bragin, Timur Misyuryaev, Paul Van Der Wilt
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Publication number: 20200303889Abstract: Fine-structure in the transverse mode of an excimer laser beam is minimized by having a plurality of resonator mirrors located at each end of a linear excimer laser. At one end, a highly-reflective end mirror and a partially-reflective end mirror are inclined at small angle with respect to each other. At the other end, two output-coupling mirrors are inclined at a small angle with respect to each other. This arrangement of resonator mirrors generates a composite laser beam that blurs any fine structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Applicant: Coherent LaserSystems GMBH & Co. KGInventors: Igor BRAGIN, Timur MISYURYAEV, Paul VAN DER WILT
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Patent number: 10234765Abstract: Excimer laser annealing apparatus includes and excimer laser delivering laser-radiation pulses to a silicon layer supported on a substrate translated with respect to the laser pulses such that the consecutive pulses overlap on the substrate. The energy of each of the laser-radiation pulses is monitored, transmitted to control-electronics, and the energy of a next laser pulse is adjusted by a high-pass digital filter.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: COHERENT LASERSYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KGInventor: Igor Bragin
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Publication number: 20180348644Abstract: Excimer laser annealing apparatus includes and excimer laser delivering laser-radiation pulses to a silicon layer supported on a substrate translated with respect to the laser pulses such that the consecutive pulses overlap on the substrate. The energy of each of the laser-radiation pulses is monitored, transmitted to control-electronics, and the energy of a next laser pulse is adjusted by a high-pass digital filter.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2017Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventor: Igor BRAGIN
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Publication number: 20180254602Abstract: A xenon chloride (XeCl) excimer laser includes a lasing-gas mixture including a buffer gas, a noble gas, a halogen-donating gas, and deuterium. The deuterium is present in a concentration greater than about 10 parts-per-million.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2017Publication date: September 6, 2018Inventors: Igor BRAGIN, Oleg MELNIKOV, Timur MISYURYAEV
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Patent number: 10069273Abstract: A xenon chloride (XeCl) excimer laser includes a lasing-gas mixture including a buffer gas, a noble gas, a halogen-donating gas, and deuterium. The deuterium is present in a concentration greater than about 10 parts-per-million.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2017Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: COHERENT LASERSYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KGInventors: Igor Bragin, Oleg Melnikov, Timur Misyuryaev
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Patent number: 9767958Abstract: An electrical capacitor includes a dielectric spacer. Metal electrodes are held in contact with opposite surfaces of the dielectric spacer by magnetic force.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2015Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: COHERENT LASERSYSTEMS GMBH & CO., LGInventor: Igor Bragin
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Publication number: 20160155568Abstract: An electrical capacitor includes a dielectric spacer. Metal electrodes are held in contact with opposite surfaces of the dielectric spacer by magnetic force.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2015Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventor: Igor BRAGIN
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Publication number: 20130034118Abstract: An excimer laser includes a laser housing containing a lasing-gas mixture including a halogen. Contaminants including particulate matter and a metal halide vapor are generated in the lasing-gas mixture during operation of the laser. A gas-cleaning arrangement extracts lasing-gas mixture from the housing and passes the lasing-gas mixture through an electrode assembly. A repeatedly pulsed gas discharge is created in the electrode assembly by driving the electrode assembly with repeated high-power short-duration pulses. The pulsed discharge causes disintegration of the metal halide vapor and electrostatic trapping in the electrode assembly of the particulate matter and products of the metal halide disintegration.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2011Publication date: February 7, 2013Applicant: Coherent GmbHInventors: Igor Bragin, Oleg Melnikov, Timur Misyuraev, Andreas Targsdorf, Kai Schmidt
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Patent number: 8192790Abstract: Arcing is minimized in a discharge chamber of a gas laser system by utilizing an electrode which comprises a surface portion capable of functioning as one of an anode and a cathode in order to energize a gas mixture in a discharge chamber of the gas discharge laser system, a shoulder portion being positioned on either side of the surface portion and being exposed to the gas mixture, and a coating layer made of electrically insulating material, wherein the coating layer is attached to the shoulder portion by a cold spraying method.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2010Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Coherent GmbHInventors: Igor Bragin, Rustem Osmanow, Jürgen Bäumler, Michael Semling
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Patent number: 7804879Abstract: A gas discharge laser includes elongated discharge electrodes having an active surface width that varies along the length of the resonator. In one example each of the electrodes is formed by a row of pins having a circular active surface. The pins are diametrically aligned with the active surfaces generally coplanar.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2007Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: Coherent, Inc.Inventors: Igor Bragin, Vadim Berger
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Publication number: 20100239748Abstract: Arcing is minimized in a discharge chamber of a gas laser system by utilizing an electrode which comprises a surface portion capable of functioning as one of an anode and a cathode in order to energize a gas mixture in a discharge chamber of the gas discharge laser system, a shoulder portion being positioned on either side of the surface portion and being exposed to the gas mixture, and a coating layer made of electrically insulating material, wherein the coating layer is attached to the shoulder portion by a cold spraying method.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2010Publication date: September 23, 2010Applicant: Coherent, Inc.Inventors: Igor BRAGIN, Rustem OSMANOW, Jürgen BÄUMLER, Michael SEMLING
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Patent number: 7756184Abstract: Arcing is minimized in a discharge chamber of a gas laser system by utilizing an electrode which comprises a surface portion capable of functioning as one of an anode and a cathode in order to energize a gas mixture in a discharge chamber of the gas discharge laser system, a shoulder portion being positioned on either side of the surface portion and being exposed to the gas mixture, and a coating layer made of electrically insulating material, wherein the coating layer is attached to the shoulder portion by a cold spraying method.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2007Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: Coherent, Inc.Inventors: Igor Bragin, Rustem Osmanow, Jürgen Bäumler, Michael Semling
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Publication number: 20080205474Abstract: Arcing is minimized in a discharge chamber of a gas laser system by utilizing an electrode which comprises a surface portion capable of functioning as one of an anode and a cathode in order to energize a gas mixture in a discharge chamber of the gas discharge laser system, a shoulder portion being positioned on either side of the surface portion and being exposed to the gas mixture, and a coating layer made of electrically insulating material, wherein the coating layer is attached to the shoulder portion by a cold spraying method.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2007Publication date: August 28, 2008Inventors: Igor Bragin, Rustem Osmanow, Jurgen Baumler, Michael Semling
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Publication number: 20080019411Abstract: An excimer laser is disclosed in which a gas-discharge is formed for exciting an excimer-forming lasing-gas mixture. The gas discharge is formed between an elongated anode electrode and a elongated cathode electrode. The anode is in contact with a dielectric surface and the cathode is supported above the dielectric surface, laterally spaced from and parallel to the anode. The gas-discharge has a surface-discharge or sliding discharge portion extending from the anode over the dielectric surface, and a volume-discharge portion connecting the sliding-discharge portion to the cathode. The volume-discharge excites the lasing-gas mixture. A laser resonator is arranged to generate laser radiation from the excited gas mixture. The sliding-discharge has homogeneous, stable characteristics that are inherited by the volume-discharge. An ion-wind generator provides circulation of the lasing-gas mixture through the volume-discharge.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2006Publication date: January 24, 2008Inventors: Norbert Niemoeller, Igor Bragin, Rainer Paetzel, Rustem Osmanow, Juergen Witt
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Patent number: 7308013Abstract: A Master Oscillator (MO)—Power Amplifier (PA) configuration (MOPA) can be used advantageously in an excimer laser system for micro-lithography applications, where semiconductor manufacturers demand powers of 40 W or more in order to support the throughput requirements of advanced lithography scanner systems. The timing of discharges in discharge chambers of the MO and PA can be precisely controlled using a common pulser to drive the respective chambers. The timing of the discharges further can be controlled through the timing of the pre-ionization in the chambers, or through control of the reset current in the final compression stages of the pulser. A common pulser, or separate pulser circuits, also can be actively controlled in time using a feedback loop, with precision timing being achieved through control of the pre-ionization in each individual discharge chamber. Yet another system provides for real-time compensation of time delay jitter of discharge pulses in the chambers.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2003Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Lambda Physik AGInventors: Dirk Basting, Sergei Govorkov, Rainer Paetzel, Igor Bragin, Andreas Targsdorf
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Publication number: 20070274363Abstract: A gas discharge laser includes elongated discharge electrodes having an active surface width that varies along the length of the resonator. In one example each of the electrodes is formed by a row of pins having a circular active surface. The pins are diametrically aligned with the active surfaces generally coplanar.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2007Publication date: November 29, 2007Inventors: Igor Bragin, Vadim Berger
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Patent number: 7266137Abstract: Output beam parameters of a gas discharge laser are stabilized by maintaining a molecular fluorine component at a predetermined partial pressure using a gas supply unit and a processor. The molecular fluorine is subject to depletion within the discharge chamber. Gas injections including molecular fluorine can increase the partial pressure of molecular fluorine by a selected amount. The injections can be performed at selected intervals to maintain the constituent gas substantially at the initial partial pressure. The amount per injection and/or the interval between injections can be varied, based on factors such as driving voltage and a calculated amount of molecular fluorine in the discharge chamber. The driving voltage can be in one of multiple driving voltage ranges that are adjusted based on system aging. Within each range, gas injections and gas replacements can be performed based on, for example, total applied electrical energy or time/pulse count.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2005Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Lambda Physik AGInventors: Hans-Stephan Albrecht, Klaus Wolfgang Vogler, Juergen Kleinschmidt, Thomas Schroeder, Igor Bragin, Vadim Berger, Uwe Stamm, Wolfgang Zschocke, Sergei Govorkov
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Publication number: 20070002918Abstract: An excimer laser has a laser chamber containing a laser gas and including an electrode assembly for firing gas discharge pulses in the laser gas for pumping the laser. The electrode assembly includes two elongated electrodes, one or both of which is partially covered by a ceramic foam. The electrodes are arranged to provide a discharge gap between the electrodes. The ceramic foam on an electrode serves to damp acoustic disturbances and resulting refractive index disturbances in the gas that occur as a result of firing a gas discharge pulse in the discharge gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2005Publication date: January 4, 2007Inventors: Norbert Niemoeller, Igor Bragin, Vadim Berger
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Patent number: 7158553Abstract: Pulse parameters of a gas discharge laser system can be optimized and controlled for precision applications such as microlithography. Important laser pulse parameters typically vary in the beginning of a pulse burst, and the directionality of the output beam typically varies throughout the burst. In order to improve the performance of the laser system, the variation at the beginning of a pulse burst can be eliminated by extending the pulse pattern and shuttering the output during periods of significant parameter variation. A fast shutter such as an acousto-optical modulator can be used to prevent output during the burst transition processes. Elements such as acousto-optical cells also can be used in combination with a fast position sensor to steer the direction of the output beam, in order to adjust for variations in the direction of the beam between pulses in a burst.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2004Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: Lambda Physik AGInventors: Sergei V. Govorkov, Alexander O. Wiessner, Rainer Paetzel, Igor Bragin