Patents Assigned to Gigaphoton Inc.
  • Publication number: 20240079844
    Abstract: A laser device includes a master oscillator outputting pulse laser light at a first discharge timing synchronized with a repetition frequency; an amplifier amplifying the pulse laser light by exciting, at a second discharge timing, a laser medium through which the pulse laser light passes; and a processor setting the second discharge timing by adding a delay time to the first discharge timing, holding a first value as a command value of the delay time corresponding to a first repetition frequency, holding a second value as the command value of the delay time corresponding to a second repetition frequency, and outputting the command value of the second value after outputting the command value of a third value between the first value and the second value when the repetition frequency is changed from the first repetition frequency to the second repetition frequency after outputting the command value of the first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi SHIGA
  • Patent number: 11924954
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a target supply unit supplying a target to a plasma generation region in a chamber, a laser system emitting first laser light having a polarization direction deflected in one direction and second laser light to generate a secondary target that is the target diffused by irradiating the target with the first laser light from a direction perpendicular to a travel axis of the target and to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the secondary target with the second laser light, a polarization direction adjustment unit arranged on an optical path of the first laser light and configured to adjust the polarization direction of the first laser light, a secondary target observation unit configured to observe a distribution of the secondary target, and a processor controlling the polarization direction adjustment unit based on an observation result of the secondary target observation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yuta Takashima
  • Patent number: 11924955
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a target supply unit configured to output a droplet target into a chamber device, a prepulse laser light irradiation system configured to irradiate the droplet target with prepulse laser light having linear polarization to generate a diffusion target, and a main pulse laser light irradiation system configured to irradiate the diffusion target with main pulse laser light to generate extreme ultraviolet light. Here, a cross section perpendicular to an optical axis of the main pulse laser light when being radiated to the diffusion target having a shape longer in a polarization direction of the prepulse laser light when being radiated to the droplet target than in directions other than the polarization direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Honda
  • Publication number: 20240072510
    Abstract: A laser device includes a master oscillator configured to output pulse laser light at a first discharge timing synchronized with a repetition frequency; an amplifier configured to amplify the pulse laser light by exciting, with a charge voltage at a second discharge timing, a laser medium through which the pulse laser light passes; and a processor configured to provide a command on the charge voltage to the amplifier based on a charge voltage command value provided from an exposure apparatus, set the second discharge timing by adding a delay time to the first discharge timing, and perform a process of changing the delay time and a process of correcting the charge voltage command value in accordance with a change of the repetition frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi SHIGA
  • Publication number: 20240058894
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a placement base on which a processing receiving object is placed, an optical system that guides laser light to the processing receiving object, a gas supply port via which a gas is supplied to a laser light irradiated region of the processing receiving object, a gas recovery port via which the supplied gas is recovered, a mover that moves the irradiated region, and a controller that controls, in accordance with the moving direction of the irradiated region, the direction of the flow of the gas flowing from the gas supply port to the gas recovery port, and the controller changes the direction of the gas flow in response to a change in the moving direction of the irradiated region in such a way that the gas flows in the direction opposite the moving direction of the irradiated region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira SUWA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Masashi SHIMBORI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20240042544
    Abstract: A laser device includes an oscillator outputting pulse laser light, a wavelength monitor measuring a center wavelength of the pulse laser light, and a processor. The oscillator includes a chamber including discharge electrodes applying a voltage to a laser gas in the chamber, an optical element arranged on an optical path of the pulse laser light, a drive mechanism driving a rotation stage on which the optical element is mounted, a grating, and an output coupling mirror. The processor periodically switches a target value of the center wavelength, controls the center wavelength by outputting a drive command to the drive mechanism to change an incident angle on the grating, and corrects a drive command value of the drive mechanism for outputting the pulse laser light with the same target value in a subsequent cycle based on a deviation between a measurement value of the center wavelength and the target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventor: Takuma YAMANAKA
  • Publication number: 20240044711
    Abstract: A wavelength measurement apparatus includes a first spectrometer that has a first free spectral range and generates a first measured waveform from an interference pattern produced by a pulse laser beam, a second spectrometer that has a second free spectral range narrower than the first free spectral range and generates a second measured waveform from the interference pattern produced by the pulse laser beam, and a processor that reads data on a first measurement range of the first spectrometer, sets a second measurement range of the second spectrometer based on the data on the first measurement range, reads data on the second measurement range, and calculates a center wavelength of the pulse laser beam based on the data on the first measurement range and the data on the second measurement range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takuma YAMANAKA
  • Publication number: 20240049378
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a droplet target generation device and a solid target replenishment device. The droplet target generation device includes a tank configured to melt a solid target substance to generate a liquid target substance, and a nozzle configured to continuously generate a droplet target from the liquid target substance in the tank and output the droplet target toward a plasma generation region to which pulse laser light is concentrated, and is configured to apply a velocity difference between a plurality of droplet targets including the droplet target so that the plurality of droplet targets coalesce. The solid target replenishment device is configured to replenish the tank with a one-time replenishment amount of the solid target substance such that the coalescence of the plurality of droplet targets is completed before the plurality of droplet targets reach the plasma generation region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Masaki NAKANO, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20240044710
    Abstract: A deterioration evaluation method of a line sensor includes detecting an interference fringe of pulse laser light using the line sensor; calculating, based on a signal value obtained from each of a plurality of sensor channels included in a sensor channel range being at least a part of the line sensor in accordance with light intensity of the interference fringe, an evaluation value which is an index of deterioration for each of the sensor channels or each group of the sensor channels, and storing the evaluation value in a storage device; and determining a deterioration state of the line sensor based on the evaluation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Natsuhiko KOUNO, Masato MORIYA
  • Publication number: 20240039236
    Abstract: A line narrowing module includes: a prism; a mirror including a reflective surface, first and second adjacent surfaces, and an opposing surface; a grating wavelength-dispersing light reflected by the reflective surface; a holding part holding the mirror; a first adhesive provided between the holding part and the first adjacent surface or between the holding part and the opposing surface and bonding the mirror to the holding part; a second adhesive provided between the holding part and the second adjacent surface and bonding the mirror to the holding part; and a driving unit rotating the holding part to rotate the mirror about an axis perpendicular to a plane where the light is wavelength-dispersed. The second adhesive is located on an opposite side of the first adhesive with respect to a center line of the mirror in parallel to the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Hitoshi OHGA
  • Publication number: 20240027920
    Abstract: An EUV light generation apparatus includes a chamber having internal pressure maintained below atmospheric pressure; a first bellows pipe having one end connected to the chamber; a first cover member which seals the other end under atmospheric pressure; a holder connected to the first cover member and arranged inside the chamber in a state of holding an optical element; a stage mechanism connected to the first cover member outside the chamber and configured to change at least either a position or an angle of the optical element with respect to the EUV light; a fixing member which fixes the stage mechanism to the chamber; and a cancellation mechanism which is connected to the holder to be movable in accordance with change of at least either the position or the angle, and transmits, to the holder, a second load opposite to a first load applied to the first cover member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Yusuke HOSHINO, Yukio WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20240023217
    Abstract: A light source parameter information management method for managing information on a parameter of a light source used in an exposure apparatus, the method including acquiring priority target parameter information containing an item of a variable that is a priority target parameter prioritized in the operation of the light source, and a target value of the variable, estimating maintenance information based on the priority target parameter information, the maintenance information containing a value representing the life of a consumable in the light source until maintenance of the consumable, and outputting the maintenance information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji MINEGISHI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20240023223
    Abstract: An EUV light generation system includes a prepulse laser device outputting prepulse laser light to be radiated to a target supplied into a chamber; a main pulse laser device outputting main pulse laser light to be radiated to a diffusion target generated by the radiation of the prepulse laser light; a first actuator adjusting an irradiation position of the prepulse laser light; a second actuator adjusting an irradiation position of the main pulse laser light; an EUV sensor detecting EUV energy; a laser energy sensor detecting laser energy of the main pulse laser light; a target sensor imaging the diffusion target; and a controller controlling, after controlling the first actuator based on a characteristic value of the diffusion target calculated from an image of the diffusion target, the second actuator so that a ratio of the EUV energy to the laser energy detected by the laser energy sensor becomes large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi NISHIMURA, Yoshifumi UENO
  • Patent number: 11870209
    Abstract: A laser system includes a beam shaping unit, a random phase plate, and a collimating optical system in an optical path between a solid-state laser device and an excimer amplifier. When a traveling direction of a laser beam entering the excimer amplifier is a Z direction, a discharge direction of a pair of discharge electrodes is a V direction, a direction orthogonal to the V and Z directions is an H direction, a shaping direction of the beam shaping unit corresponding to the V direction is a first direction, a shaping direction of the beam shaping unit corresponding to the H direction is a second direction, an expansion rate in the first direction is E1, and an expansion rate in the second direction is E2, the beam shaping unit expands a beam section of the laser beam such that an expansion ratio defined by E2/E1 is lower than 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki Tamaru, Taisuke Miura
  • Publication number: 20240003743
    Abstract: A laser device connectable to an exposure apparatus includes a spectrometer configured to generate a measurement waveform from an interference pattern of laser light output from the laser device; and a processor configured to calculate a first spectral waveform indicating a relationship between a wavelength and a light intensity using the measurement waveform, calculate a representative waveform included in a wavelength range of the first spectral waveform, and calculate an evaluation value of the first spectral waveform using a first integration value obtained by integrating, over the wavelength range, a product of a function of a wavelength deviation from the representative wavelength and the light intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takamitsu KOMAKI, Toshihiro OGA
  • Publication number: 20240001486
    Abstract: A control method for a spectrum waveform of a laser beam output from a laser apparatus to an exposure apparatus includes acquiring a longitudinal chromatic aberration of the exposure apparatus, setting a target value of an evaluation value of the spectrum waveform by using a relation between the longitudinal chromatic aberration and the evaluation value, and controlling the spectrum waveform by using the target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takamitsu KOMAKI, Toshihiro OGA
  • Patent number: 11862931
    Abstract: In a laser system according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the following components are disposed: a first container that accommodates a first heater and a first crystal holder holding a first nonlinear crystal and includes a first light incident window via which laser light is incident and a first light exit window via which the laser light exits; a second container that accommodates a second heater and a second crystal holder holding a second nonlinear crystal and includes a second light incident window via which the laser light is incident and a second light exit window via which the laser light exits; and a stage that holds the first and second containers. A controller controls the stage to move the first nonlinear crystal away from the optical path of the laser light and inserts the second nonlinear crystal into the optical path of the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Fuchimukai, Chen Qu
  • Publication number: 20230413411
    Abstract: An EUV light generation system includes a chamber, a target supply device supplying a target to a plasma generation region in the chamber, a laser device outputting pulse laser light, a beam sensor measuring one of a position and an angle of an optical axis of the pulse laser light as a first optical characteristic, a first reflection control mirror whose angle is controlled, and a processor controlling the laser device. The processor calculates a first corrected angle based on a first attenuation curve defined by the angle of the first reflection control mirror at an end of an immediately preceding irradiation period, the angle of the first reflection control mirror at a cold state, an elapsed time from a start of the pause period, and a first time constant, and to change the angle of the first reflection control mirror to the first corrected angle, during a pause period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Shogo KITASAKA, Yuichi NISHIMURA, Takayuki YABU
  • Patent number: 11841267
    Abstract: An energy measuring apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first beam splitter, a second beam splitter, a third beam splitter, and a fourth beam splitter, which sequentially reflect part of a main beam and input the beam to an energy sensor. The first beam splitter, the second beam splitter, the third beam splitter, and the fourth beam splitter are each arranged to have such an incident angle and a folding direction of an optical path as to suppress a change in detection value of the energy sensor due to a change in incident angle and a change in polarization purity of the main beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke Watanabe, Masato Moriya
  • Publication number: 20230396033
    Abstract: A gas laser apparatus includes a laser oscillator including a pair of discharge electrodes disposed to face each other and configured to generate light from laser gas upon application of voltage, and a laser-side resonator in which the light resonates; an amplifier including an amplification unit and an amplification-side resonator; a beam splitter configured to reflect a part of the light from the laser-side resonator; an optical sensor configured to detect the light reflected by the beam splitter; and a processor configured to control the voltage based on an output from the optical sensor. The amplification-side resonator includes a rear mirror and an output coupling mirror. The laser-side resonator includes a grating and an output coupling mirror. The processor maintains the voltage at a constant value equal to or larger than a threshold of the voltage when the voltage is to be smaller than the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Keisuke ISHIDA