Patents by Inventor Shinji Nagai
Shinji Nagai 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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Publication number: 20130134326Abstract: A target collection device may include a collection container having an opening through which a target material is collected into the collection container, and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the collection container to a temperature that is equal to or higher than a melting point of the target material. The target collection device may be part of an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus. Methods of target collection are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2012Publication date: May 30, 2013Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Youichi Sasaki, Yulaka Shiraishi, Shinji Nagai, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20130126761Abstract: A chamber apparatus, which may be used with an external apparatus having an obscuration region, may include: a chamber in which EUV light is generated; a collector mirror having a first through-hole formed in a region aside from the center thereof and configured to collect the EUV light generated inside the chamber, the collector mirror being positioned such that the first through-hole is located in a region substantially corresponding to the obscuration region; and an etching gas supply unit provided in the first through-hole and configured to supply an etching gas into the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2012Publication date: May 23, 2013Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Junichi FUJIMOTO, Kouji ASHIKAWA
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Patent number: 8436328Abstract: In an EUV light source apparatus, a collector mirror is protected from debris damaging a mirror coating. The EUV light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated; a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber; a plasma generation laser unit for irradiating the target material within the chamber with a plasma generation laser beam to generate plasma; an ionization laser unit for irradiating neutral particles produced at plasma generation with an ionization laser beam to convert the neutral particles into ions; a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field or electric field forming unit for forming a magnetic field or an electric field within the chamber so as to trap the ions.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2009Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Tatsuya Yanagida, Akira Endo, Hiroshi Komori, Shinji Nagai, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
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Patent number: 8399867Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus in which contamination or damage of optical elements and other component elements by debris can be suppressed to realize longer lives of them. The EUV light source apparatus is an apparatus for radiating extreme ultraviolet light by generating plasma of a target material within a chamber, and includes: a first laser unit for applying a first laser beam to the target material to generate pre-plasma; a second laser unit for applying a second laser beam to the pre-plasma to generate a main plasma for radiating the extreme ultraviolet light; and a magnetic field generating unit for generating a magnetic field within the chamber to control a state of at least one of the pre-plasma and the main plasma.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2009Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai, Kouji Kakizaki, Osamu Wakabayashi, Yoshifumi Ueno
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Publication number: 20120267553Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus used in combination with a laser system, the apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet port for introducing a laser beam outputted from the laser system into the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber, where the target material is irradiated with the laser beam; at least one optical element disposed inside the chamber; a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field around the predetermined region; an ion collection unit disposed in a direction of a line of magnetic force of the magnetic field for collection an ion which is generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam and is flowing along the line of magnetic force; and a gas introduction unit for introducing an etching gas into the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2012Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Tamotsu ABE, Takanobu ISHIHARA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20120248343Abstract: A chamber apparatus for operating with a laser apparatus includes a chamber, a target supply unit, a collection unit and a collection container. The chamber includes an inlet through which a laser beam from the laser apparatus enters the chamber. The target supply unit is configured to supply a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber. The collection unit includes a debris entering surface so that debris generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam enters the debris entering surface. The debris entering surface is inclined with respect to a direction in which the debris enters the debris entering surface. The collection container collects the debris flowing out of the collection unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Yutaka SHIRAISHI, Junichi FUJIMOTO
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Publication number: 20120223257Abstract: An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light used with a laser apparatus and connected to an external device so as to supply the extreme ultraviolet light thereto includes a chamber provided with at least one inlet through which a laser beam is introduced into the chamber; a target supply unit provided on the chamber configured to supply a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber; a discharge pump connected to the chamber; at least one optical element provided inside the chamber; an etching gas introduction unit provided on the chamber through which an etching gas passes; and at least one temperature control mechanism for controlling a temperature of the at least one optical element.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Tamotsu Abe, Hitoshi Nagano, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Patent number: 8242474Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus used in combination with a laser system, the apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet port for introducing a laser beam outputted from the laser system into the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber, where the target material is irradiated with the laser beam; at least one optical element disposed inside the chamber; a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field around the predetermined region; an ion collection unit disposed in a direction of a line of magnetic force of the magnetic field for collection an ion which is generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam and is flowing along the line of magnetic force; and a gas introduction unit for introducing an etching gas into the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2011Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Shinji Nagai, Tamotsu Abe, Takanobu Ishihara, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20120176036Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi ASAYAMA, Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai
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Publication number: 20120177072Abstract: A degree of polarization control device includes: a calcium fluoride crystal substrate for transmitting a laser beam; a polarization monitor for measuring the degree of polarization of a laser beam transmitted through the calcium fluoride crystal substrate; and a controller for controlling the rotation angle of the calcium fluoride crystal substrate according to the degree of polarization measured by the polarization monitor; the calcium fluoride crystal substrate being formed by a flat plate having a laser beam entering surface and a laser beam exiting surface running in parallel with the (111) crystal face, the Brewster angle being selected for the incident angle, the rotation angle around the [111] axis operating as a central axis being controlled by the controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Fumika Yoshida, Osamu Wakabayashi, Kouji Kakizaki
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Publication number: 20120119116Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus in which a target material is irradiated with a laser beam and turned into plasma and extreme ultraviolet light is emitted from the plasma may include: a chamber in which the extreme ultraviolet light is generated; an electromagnetic field generation unit for generating at least one of an electric field and a magnetic field inside the chamber; and a cleaning unit for charging and separating debris adhered to an optical element inside the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2011Publication date: May 17, 2012Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Kouji KAKIZAKI, Shinji NAGAI, Tatsuya YANAGIDA
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Patent number: 8165181Abstract: A degree of polarization control device includes: a calcium fluoride crystal substrate for transmitting a laser beam; a polarization monitor for measuring the degree of polarization of a laser beam transmitted through the calcium fluoride crystal substrate; and a controller for controlling the rotation angle of the calcium fluoride crystal substrate according to the degree of polarization measured by the polarization monitor; the calcium fluoride crystal substrate being formed by a flat plate having a laser beam entering surface and a laser beam exiting surface running in parallel with the (111) crystal face, the Brewster angle being selected for the incident angle, the rotation angle around the [111] axis operating as a central axis being controlled by the controller.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2009Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Shinji Nagai, Fumika Yoshida, Osamu Wakabayashi, Kouji Kakizaki
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Publication number: 20120091893Abstract: In an EUV light source apparatus, a collector mirror is protected from debris damaging a mirror coating. The EUV light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated; a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber; a plasma generation laser unit for irradiating the target material within the chamber with a plasma generation laser beam to generate plasma; an ionization laser unit for irradiating neutral particles produced at plasma generation with an ionization laser beam to convert the neutral particles into ions; a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field or electric field forming unit for forming a magnetic field or an electric field within the chamber so as to trap the ions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: Gigaphoton, Inc.Inventors: Tatsuya YANAGIDA, Akira Endo, Hiroshi Komori, Shinji Nagai, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
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Patent number: 8158959Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2010Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai
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Patent number: 8067756Abstract: In an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from a plasma generated by irradiating a target, which is a droplet D of molten Sn, with a laser light, and controlling the flow direction of ion generated at the generation of the extreme ultraviolet light by a magnetic field or an electric field, an ion collection cylinder 20 is arranged for collecting the ion, and ion collision surfaces Sa and Sb of the ion collection cylinder 20 are provided with or coated with Si, which is a metal whose sputtering rate with respect to the ion is less than one atom/ion.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne, Shinji Nagai, Akira Endo, Tatsuya Yanagida
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Publication number: 20110284775Abstract: A chamber apparatus used with a laser apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet through which a laser beam outputted from the laser apparatus enters the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber; a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field in the predetermined region; and a charged particle collection unit disposed in a direction of a magnetic flux of the magnetic field for collecting a charged particle thereinto, the charged particle being generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam inside the chamber and traveling along the magnetic flux.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: CIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Shinji Nagai, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20110266467Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus has a magnetic field generator which generates a magnetic field region around a direction of the magnetic field passing through a plasma region in which a plasma is to be generated and converges charged particles including ion emitted from the plasma region toward the direction of the magnetic field, a first charged particle collector (receiver) mounted at both sides of an axis of the magnetic field in the magnetic field region in order to collect (receive) the charged particles converged by the magnetic field, a target supply unit supplying a target from a nozzle located outside a converging region in which the charged particles are to be converged inside the magnetic field region in an extreme ultraviolet light generating chamber, and a target collector located at a position opposite to the nozzle, the target retrieval portion retrieving a residual target which does not contribute to generation of the plasma.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2011Publication date: November 3, 2011Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Takanobu Ishihara, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe
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Publication number: 20110266468Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises a target supply unit supplying a target into a vacuum chamber, a laser oscillator outputting a laser light into the vacuum chamber, a collector mirror outputting an extreme ultraviolet light outside by reflecting the extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the target being ionized as a plasma by irradiation with the laser light at a plasma luminescence point in the vacuum chamber, and an ion debris removal unit at least a part of which is located in an obscuration region including the plasma luminescence point.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2011Publication date: November 3, 2011Applicants: Gigaphoton Inc., Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon, Ebara CorporationInventors: Shinji NAGAI, Takanobu Ishihara, Kouji Kakizaki, Hiroshi Sobukawa, Takeshi Murakami, Masahiro Inoue
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Publication number: 20110253913Abstract: A chamber apparatus used with a laser apparatus and a focusing optical system for focusing a laser beam outputted from the laser apparatus may include: a chamber provided with an inlet through which the laser beam is introduced into the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber; and a collection unit provided in the chamber for collecting a charged particle generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam in the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2011Publication date: October 20, 2011Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20110248157Abstract: Objects of the present invention is to provide a quadrupole mass filter that can be fabricated at low cost and has a high transmission efficiency even under a high pressure (0.5 mTorr or more), and to provide a mass spectrometer or mass spectrometry method that reduces crosstalk in a wide mass range. Now, in a mass spectrometer, an ion separating unit is configured to include quadrupole rod electrodes that form a quadrupole radio-frequency electric field, electrodes that form a quadrupole electrostatic field, and a power supply that allows the voltage of the electrodes to form a quadrupole electrostatic field to change. In a collision cell configured to perform collision induced dissociation, harmonic potentials in a plurality of stages are produced to resonance excite ions in the axial direction, so that the ions obtain kinetic energy to move in the direction of the detector. This energy allows a time period to shorten for which ions stay in the collision cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2009Publication date: October 13, 2011Inventors: Masuyuki Sugiyama, Yuichiro Hashimoto, Hideki Hasegawa, Masuyoshi Yamada, Hiroyuki Yasuda, Shinji Nagai, Shintaro Kubo, Takefumi Yokokura