Patents Assigned to Gigaphoton
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Patent number: 11588291Abstract: A laser chamber apparatus may include a pipe, an inner electrode extending along a longitudinal direction of the pipe and disposed in a through hole in the pipe, an outer electrode including a contact plate extending along the longitudinal direction of the pipe and being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the pipe and a ladder section formed of bar members each having one end connected to the contact plate and juxtaposed along a longitudinal direction of the contact plate, and a leaf spring extending along the longitudinal direction of the pipe and configured to press the outer electrode against the pipe. The leaf spring may include leaf spring pieces separated by slits, and the leaf spring pieces may each include a bent section bent along the edge and are configured to press the bar members in a position shifted from the bent sections toward the edge.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takuya Ishii, Takashi Ito, Ryota Kujira
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Publication number: 20230022170Abstract: A laser apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser oscillator configured to emit a pulse laser beam, and a first optical pulse stretcher, a second optical pulse stretcher, and a third optical pulse stretcher that are disposed on an optical path of the pulse laser beam. When L1 represents an optical path length of a delay optical path of the first optical pulse stretcher, L2 represents an optical path length of a delay optical path of the second optical pulse stretcher, L3 represents an optical path length of a delay optical path of the third optical pulse stretcher, and n represents an integer equal to or larger than two, L2 is an integral multiple of L1 by an integer equal to or larger than two and L3 satisfies the following condition: (n?0.75)×L1?L3?(n?0.25)×L1.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2022Publication date: January 26, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Hirotaka MIYAMOTO
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Publication number: 20230008733Abstract: A target substance replenishment device may include a first container containing a solid target substance, a first path through which the solid target substance supplied from the first container passes, a first supply switching device switching between a first state where supply of the solid target substance from the first container to the first path is suppressed and a second state where the supply of the solid target substance from the first container to the first path is allowed, a first valve connected to the first path, a second path which is connected to the first valve and through which the solid target substance having passed through the first valve passes, a first detector outputting a first detection signal indicating that the second path is clogged with the solid target substance, and a processor controlling the first supply switching device to the first state based on the first detection signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2022Publication date: January 12, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yutaka SHIRAISHI, Hideki SHISHIBA
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Patent number: 11553583Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include a laser device configured to emit pulse laser light, an EUV light concentrating mirror configured to reflect and concentrate extreme ultraviolet light generated by irradiating a target with the pulse laser light, and a processor configured to receive a first energy parameter of the extreme ultraviolet light and control an irradiation frequency of the pulse laser light with which the target is irradiated so that change in a second energy parameter related to energy per unit time of the extreme ultraviolet light reflected by the EUV light concentrating mirror is suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2021Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yoshifumi Ueno
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Publication number: 20230007763Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a chamber in which a target is turned into plasma to generate extreme ultraviolet light, a target generator, an illumination device, and an imaging device receiving illumination light and capturing a target image. The imaging device includes a first transfer optical system transferring the target image, a mask having an opening formed at a transfer position of the first transfer optical system, a second transfer optical system transferring the target image at the opening, an image intensifier arranged such that a photoelectric surface is located at a transfer position of the second transfer optical system, a third transfer optical system transferring the target image at a fluorescent surface, an image sensor arranged at a transfer position of the third transfer optical system, and a moving mechanism capable of moving the mask by an amount equal to or larger than the opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2022Publication date: January 5, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Koutaro MIYASHITA
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Patent number: 11539180Abstract: A laser apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a master oscillator; at least one amplifier disposed on an optical path of a first pulse laser beam output from the master oscillator; a sensor disposed on an optical path of a second pulse laser beam output from the at least one amplifier; and a laser controller. The laser controller causes the laser apparatus to perform burst oscillation based on a burst signal from an external device, and performs processing of controlling a beam parameter based on a sensor output signal obtained from the sensor in a burst duration, and processing of detecting self-oscillation light from the amplifier based on a sensor output signal obtained from the sensor in a burst stop duration.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2019Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Yoshiaki Kurosawa
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Patent number: 11532920Abstract: A laser apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an excitation light source configured to output excitation light, a laser crystal disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, a first monitor device disposed on an optical path of transmitted excitation light after having transmitted through the laser crystal to monitor the transmitted excitation light, a temperature adjustment device configured to adjust a temperature of the excitation light source to a constant temperature based on a temperature command value, and a controller configured to change the temperature command value based on a result of monitoring by the first monitor device.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2020Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Seiji Nogiwa
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Publication number: 20220393422Abstract: A laser apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser oscillator that outputs pulsed laser light, a deformable mirror including a deformer that deforms a reflective surface, a first processor that drives the deformer during the period for which the reflective surface reflects the pulsed laser light, a homogenizer that homogenizes the pulsed laser light reflected off the deformable mirror, and a spectrum measuring instrument that measures the spectrum of the pulsed laser light homogenized by the homogenizer.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Natsuhiko KOUNO, Masato MORIYA
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Publication number: 20220393425Abstract: A laser apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a master oscillator configured to emit a laser beam, an amplifier including an optical resonator and configured to amplify the laser beam emitted by the master oscillator in the optical resonator, and a phase shift structure disposed on an optical path between the master oscillator and the amplifier at a position closer to the amplifier than a middle point of the optical path. The phase shift structure includes a plurality of cells having different phase shift amounts for the laser beam. The cells have a disposition interval of 80 ?m to 275 ?m inclusive.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yuki TAMARU, Taisuke MIURA
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Publication number: 20220390851Abstract: An exposure method includes reading data representing a relationship between a first parameter relating to an energy ratio between energy of first pulsed laser light having a first wavelength and energy of second pulsed laser light having a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength and a second parameter relating to a sidewall angle of a resist film that is the angle of a sidewall produced when the resist film is exposed to the first pulsed laser light and the second pulsed laser light, and determining a target value of the first parameter based on the data and a target value of the second parameter; and exposing the resist film to the first pulsed laser light and the second pulsed laser light by controlling a narrowed-line gas laser apparatus to output the first pulsed laser light and the second pulsed laser light based on the target value of the first parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Koichi FUJII, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Toshihiro OGA
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Publication number: 20220385029Abstract: A control method for a line narrowed gas laser apparatus is a control method for a line narrowed gas laser apparatus configured to emit a pulse laser beam including a first wavelength component and a second wavelength component. The apparatus includes a laser chamber including a pair of electrodes, an optical resonator including an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a parameter of an energy ratio of the first and second wavelength components, and a processor in which relation data indicating a relation of the parameter of the energy ratio with a control parameter of the adjustment mechanism is stored. The control method includes receiving a command value of the parameter of the energy ratio from an external device, and acquiring, based on the relation data, a value of the control parameter corresponding to the command value and controlling the adjustment mechanism based on the value of the control parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Yousuke FUJIMAKI
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Publication number: 20220381608Abstract: A sensor degradation evaluation method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an evaluation step of evaluating degradation of at least one of a sensor for coarse measurement that receives interference fringes produced by a spectrometer for coarse measurement and a sensor for fine measurement that receives interference fringes produced by a spectrometer for fine measurement, and the evaluation step includes causing a plurality of kinds of laser light having wavelengths different from one another to be sequentially incident on the spectrometer for coarse measurement and the spectrometer for fine measurement and acquiring a coarse-measurement wavelength and a fine-measurement wavelength on a wavelength basis from a plurality of the received interference fringes, acquiring a degradation parameter on a wavelength basis from the coarse-measurement wavelength and the fine-measurement wavelength on a wavelength basis, and comparing the degradation parameter on a wavelength basis with a threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Masato MORIYA
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Publication number: 20220385028Abstract: A line narrowing device includes a first prism; first and second gratings arranged on the optical path of the light beam having passed through the first prism at positions different in a direction of grooves of either the first grating or the second grating; a beam adjustment optical system arranged on the optical path of the light beam between the first prism and at least one grating of the first and second gratings, and causing a first portion of the light beam to be incident on the first grating and causing a second portion of the light beam to be incident on the second grating; a first actuator adjusting an incident angle of the first portion on the first grating; a second actuator adjusting an incident angle of the second portion on the second grating; and a third actuator adjusting an energy ratio of the first and second portions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Koichi FUJII, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220385022Abstract: A control method of a line narrowing gas laser device includes receiving a command of either a single-wavelength mode command or a multi-wavelength mode command from an external apparatus, and controlling the line narrowing gas laser device to generate pulse laser light in accordance with the command.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takahito KUMAZAKI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220385030Abstract: A narrowed-line gas laser apparatus includes a laser chamber that accommodates a pair of electrodes disposed so as to face each other, an output coupling mirror, and a line narrowing apparatus that forms an optical resonator along with the output coupling mirror, the line narrowing apparatus including an optical system having a first region and a second region on which a first portion and a second portion of a light beam that exits out of the laser chamber are incident, the first and second portions passing through different positions in a direction in which the pair of electrodes face each other, the optical system being configured to suppress an increase in the distance between the optical path axis of the first portion and the optical path axis of the second portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Yosuke FUJIMAKI
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Publication number: 20220385027Abstract: A line narrowing device includes first and second prisms disposed at positions different in a wavelength dispersion direction of any of the first and second prisms, a third prism disposed on the optical path of an optical beam and through which the beam width of the optical beam is enlarged and first and second parts of the optical beam are incident on the first and second prisms, respectively, a grating disposed across the optical path of the first part having passed through the first prism and the optical path of the second part having passed through the second prism, a first actuator configured to adjust the incident angle of the first part on the grating, a second actuator configured to adjust the incident angle of the second part on the grating, and a third actuator configured to adjust an energy ratio of the first and second parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2022Publication date: December 1, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takahito KUMAZAKI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220376455Abstract: A laser device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a chamber into which laser gas is introduced; a pair of electrodes arranged in the chamber; a power source configured to apply a voltage between the electrodes; a nozzle structure which includes an internal passage for receiving the laser gas and a slit connected to the internal passage and is configured to generate flow of the laser gas between the electrodes due to the laser gas blowing out from the slit; a gas flow path which has a suction port through which the laser gas in the chamber is suctioned and introduces, to the nozzle structure, the laser gas suctioned through the suction port; and a blower device configured to cause the laser gas to blow toward the internal passage of the nozzle structure through the gas flow path.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yoichi SASAKI, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Hakaru MIZOGUCHI
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Publication number: 20220373893Abstract: An exposure system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser apparatus emitting a pulse laser beam, an illumination optical system guiding the pulse laser beam to a reticle, a reticle stage moving the reticle, and a processor controlling emission of the pulse laser beam and movement of the reticle. The exposure system performs scanning exposure of a semiconductor substrate by irradiating the reticle with the pulse laser beam. The reticle has first and second regions. The processor instructs the laser apparatus about, based on proximity effect characteristics corresponding to the first and second regions, a value of a control parameter of the pulse laser beam corresponding to each region so that the laser apparatus emits the pulse laser beam with which a difference of the proximity effect characteristic of each region from a reference proximity effect characteristic is in an allowable range.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Koichi FUJII, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220371121Abstract: An exposure system that performs scanning exposure of a semiconductor substrate by irradiating a reticle with a pulse laser beam includes a laser apparatus configured to emit a pulse laser beam, an illumination optical system through which the pulse laser beam is guided to the reticle, a reticle stage, and a processor configured to control emission of the pulse laser beam from the laser apparatus and movement of the reticle by the reticle stage. The reticle includes a region in which multiple kinds of patterns are arranged in a mixed manner in a scanning width direction orthogonal to a scanning direction of the scanning exposure. The processor instructs the laser apparatus about a target wavelength such that the laser apparatus emits the pulse laser beam of a wavelength with which dispersion of best focus positions corresponding to respective patterns of the multiple kinds of patterns is minimum.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Koichi FUJII, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20220373896Abstract: An exposure system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a laser apparatus that outputs pulsed laser light, an illuminating optical system that guides the pulsed laser light to a reticle, a reticle stage, and a processor that controls the output of the pulsed laser light from the laser apparatus and the movement of the reticle performed by the reticle stage. The reticle has a first region where a first pattern is disposed and a second region where a second pattern is disposed, and the first and second regions are each a region continuous in a scan width direction perpendicular to a scan direction of the pulsed laser light, with the first and second regions arranged side by side in the scan direction. The processor controls the laser apparatus to output the pulsed laser light according to each of the first and second regions by changing the values of control parameters of the pulsed laser light in accordance with each of the first and second regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Koichi FUJII, Osamu WAKABAYASHI