Patents Assigned to Gigaphoton
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Publication number: 20230318252Abstract: A laser system includes an oscillation stage laser configured to output first laser light, and an amplification stage laser configured to amplify the first laser light and output second laser light. A control method of the laser system includes determining a condition under which an amplification characteristic of the amplification stage laser changes, acquiring relationship between pulse energy of the first laser light and a parameter of the second laser light when the condition is determined to be satisfied, and setting target pulse energy of the first laser light based on the relationship.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2023Publication date: October 5, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Takeshi ASAYAMA
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Patent number: 11778721Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system includes a target supply unit configured to supply a target substance to a first predetermined region, a laser system configured to output pulse laser light to be radiated to the target substance in the first predetermined region, a first sensor configured to detect an arrival timing at which the target substance has reached a second predetermined region between the target supply unit and the first predetermined region, an optical adjuster arranged on an optical path of the pulse laser light between the laser system and the first predetermined region, and a processor configured to control transmittance of the pulse laser light through the optical adjuster based on the arrival timing.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2021Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yuichi Nishimura, Takayuki Yabu, Hiroaki Nakarai
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Publication number: 20230309211Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a chamber including a plasma generation region; a target supply unit configured to supply a target to the plasma generation region; a laser light concentrating mirror configured to concentrate pulse laser light on the plasma generation region; and an EUV light concentrating mirror having a reflection surface reflecting extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma generation region, and arranged such that the reflection surface falls within an angle range in which ion energy is less than an average value of the ion energy in a spatial distribution of the ion energy of ions diffused from the plasma generation region at positions of a predetermined distance from the plasma generation region.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Yoshiyuki HONDA
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Patent number: 11768362Abstract: A laser radiation system according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure includes a first optical system configured to convert a first laser flux into a second laser flux, a multimirror device including mirrors, configured to be capable of controlling the angle of the attitude of each of the mirrors, and configured to divide the second laser flux into laser fluxes and reflect the laser fluxes in directions to produce the divided laser fluxes, a Fourier transform optical system configured to focus the divided laser fluxes, and a control section configured to control the angle of the attitude of each of the mirrors in such a way that the Fourier transform optical system superimposes the laser fluxes, which are divided by the mirrors separate from each other by at least a spatial coherence length of the second laser flux, on one another.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Akiyoshi Suzuki, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20230300966Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a target supply unit, a target passage detection device, a delay circuit, a laser device, a target image capturing device, and a processor. Here, the processor controls the vibrating element so that an interval between the adjacent droplet targets becomes irregular, specifies the droplet targets with which standard deviation of a distance from the second detection position to each droplet target is equal to or less than a first threshold, and sets the delay time based on a distance from each of the specified droplet targets to the second detection position so that the specified droplet targets are to be located at the second detection position.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2023Publication date: September 21, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Shogo KITASAKA
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Patent number: 11764541Abstract: In a laser system according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure, a first amplifier amplifies first pulsed laser light outputted from a first semiconductor laser system into second pulsed laser light, a wavelength conversion system converts the second pulsed laser light in terms of wavelength into third pulsed laser light, and an excimer amplifier amplifies the third pulsed laser light. The first semiconductor laser system includes a first current controller that controls current flowing through a first semiconductor laser in such a way that first laser light outputted from the first semiconductor laser is caused to undergo chirping and a first semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the first laser light into pulsed light. The laser system includes a control section that controls the amount of chirping performed on the first pulsed laser light in such a way that excimer laser light having a target spectral linewidth is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2021Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Taisuke Miura, Osamu Wakabayashi, Hironori Igarashi
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Publication number: 20230292426Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2022Publication date: September 14, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Yoshiyuki HONDA
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Publication number: 20230284364Abstract: A target supply system includes a target generation unit configured to generate a liquid target substance by melting a solid target substance at an inside thereof, and output the liquid target substance; an input mechanism configured to introduce the solid target substance to the target generation unit; a heater arranged at the target generation unit; a sensor configured to detect a temperature of the target generation unit; and a processor configured to control an input timing at which the solid target substance is introduced to the target generation unit, perform feedback control on the heater based on a present temperature detected by the sensor, and perform feedforward control on the heater based on the input timing while performing feedback control on the heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Nozomu OUE, Yutaka Shiraishi
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Publication number: 20230284365Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target substance with laser light includes a nozzle configured to output the target substance, a vibration element that is driven by an input of an electric signal of a rectangular wave and applies vibration to the target substance to be output from the nozzle to generate droplets of the target substance, a first sensor configured to detect energy of the generated extreme ultraviolet light, a second sensor configured to detect energy of the laser light to be radiated to the target substance, and a processor configured to control a duty value of the electric signal for vibrating the vibration element so as to reduce a variation of an energy conversion efficiency calculated based on an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yuichi NISHIMURA, Shogo KITASAKA
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DISCHARGE ELECTRODE, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ANODE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Publication number: 20230275386Abstract: Discharge electrodes include a cathode and an anode. The anode is disposed to face the cathode in a discharge direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the cathode, and includes an electrode base 1, and a coating layer that covers a portion of a surface of the electrode base. First corners in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction connect first straight sections formed of first side surfaces that are side surfaces of the electrode base to a first curved section formed of a first discharge surface that is a discharge surface of the electrode base. The first corners are closer to the cathode in the discharge direction than second corners connecting second straight sections formed of second side surfaces that are side surfaces of the coating layer to a second curved section formed of a second discharge surface that is a discharge surface of the coating layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Tsukasa HORI, Yasuaki KIYOTA, Hisakazu KATSUUMI -
Publication number: 20230269857Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a chamber; a housing extending from an internal space of the chamber to outside of the chamber, surrounding a plasma generation region except on a trajectory of a droplet target and on an optical path of laser light, and including a first opening through which extreme ultraviolet light generated from the plasma passes; a light concentrating mirror arranged in a first space outside the housing at the internal space and reflecting the extreme ultraviolet light having passed through the first opening in a direction different from an incident direction of the extreme ultraviolet light; and a gas supply port provided in the chamber; and a gas exhaust port provided at the housing outside the chamber. An optical axis of the laser light when being radiated to the droplet target is along a direction in which the gas flows in the plasma generation region.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2022Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Atsushi UEDA, Koichiro Koge
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Publication number: 20230268710Abstract: A gas laser apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a main discharge circuit that supplies main discharge voltage that causes main discharge to a pair of main discharge electrodes, and a pre-ionization circuit that supplies pre-ionization voltage that causes corona discharge to a pre-ionization electrode. The main discharge circuit includes a step-up pulse transformer, a main capacitor and a switch connected to a primary side of the step-up pulse transformer, a first power source that charges the main capacitor, a first capacitor connected in parallel to a secondary side of the step-up pulse transformer, a first magnetic switch connected to the first capacitor, and a peaking capacitor connected in parallel to the first capacitor through the first magnetic switch and to the main discharge electrodes. An interval between start timings of the corona discharge and the main discharge is 30 ns to 60 ns inclusive.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Youichi YAMANOUCHI, Hiroshi UMEDA, Kazuki NAGAI, Takeshi UEYAMA
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Publication number: 20230266677Abstract: A target supply system includes a load lock chamber configured to contain a solid target substance, a solid target supply pipe connected to the load lock chamber, a pressure regulator configured to regulate an externally supplied gas pressure, a gas pressure supply pipe connected to the pressure regulator, a melting tank connected to both the solid target supply pipe and the gas pressure supply pipe, and configured to melt the solid target substance supplied from the load lock chamber via the solid target supply pipe to generate a liquid target substance, a nozzle configured to discharge the liquid target substance by a gas pressure supplied from the pressure regulator to the melting tank via the gas pressure supply pipe, and a buffer tank configured to communicate with the melting tank and supply a gas pressure thereto when the solid target substance is supplied to the melting tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Fumio IWAMOTO, Atsushi UEDA, Takayuki YABU
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Patent number: 11710660Abstract: A laser irradiation method of irradiating, with a pulse laser beam, an irradiation object in which an impurity source film is formed on a semiconductor substrate includes: reading fluence per pulse of the pulse laser beam with which a rectangular irradiation region set on the irradiation object is irradiated and the number of irradiation pulses the irradiation region is irradiated, the fluence being equal to or larger than a threshold at or beyond which ablation potentially occurs to the impurity source film when the irradiation object is irradiated with pulses of the pulse laser beam in the irradiation pulse number and smaller than a threshold at or beyond which damage potentially occurs to the surface of the semiconductor substrate; calculating a scanning speed Vdx; and moving the irradiation object at the scanning speed Vdx relative to the irradiation region while irradiating the irradiation region with the pulse laser beam at the repetition frequency f.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2020Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc., KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroshi Ikenoue, Osamu Wakabayashi, Hiroaki Oizumi, Akira Suwa
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Publication number: 20230229088Abstract: A laser apparatus includes an oscillator, a rotary stage that supports an optical element, a grating, a first driving mechanism that changes the angle of incidence of pulse laser light to be incident on the grating by driving the rotary stage, a second driving mechanism that changes the angle of incidence of the pulse laser light to be incident on the grating by driving the rotary stage by a smaller amount, a wavelength monitor, and a processor that cyclically changes a target wavelength of the pulse laser light. The processor calculates the moving average of drive instruction values by which the second driving mechanism is driven, and when the moving average exceeds a threshold, the processor causes the second driving mechanism to return to an initial position, and drives the first driving mechanism to cancel a change in the angle of incidence caused by the returning operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2023Publication date: July 20, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Takuma YAMANAKA
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Publication number: 20230219171Abstract: A glass processing method according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure includes generating a pulse laser beam by using a laser oscillator, and irradiating alkali-free glass to be processed with the pulse laser beam. The wavelength of the pulse laser beam ranges from 248 nm to 266 nm, and the pulse laser beam has an energy ratio greater than or equal to 91% but smaller than or equal to 99% in the region from 5 ns after a pulse rises to 400 ns.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yasufumi KAWASUJI, Akira SUWA, Yasuhiro ADACHI
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Patent number: 11695248Abstract: A laser device may include a laser resonator; a chamber arranged on an optical path of the laser resonator; a pair of electrodes arranged in the chamber; a power source applying a voltage to the electrodes; a storage unit storing a voltage value; and a control unit configured to set an application voltage value of the voltage applied to the electrodes as setting the application voltage value for outputting a pulse whose pulse number is equal to or larger than 1 and smaller than i based on the voltage command value and the voltage value stored in the storage unit, and setting the application voltage for outputting a pulse whose pulse number is equal to or larger than i and smaller than j based on the voltage command value and an offset value corresponding to the voltage command value, where i>1 and j>i.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2022Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Keisuke Ishida
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Publication number: 20230208094Abstract: A laser device includes a first actuator configured to adjust an oscillation wavelength of pulse laser light; a second actuator configured to adjust a spectral line width of the pulse laser light; and a processor configured to determine a target spectral line width by reading data specifying a number of irradiation pulses of the pulse laser light with which one location of an irradiation receiving object is irradiated and a difference between a shortest wavelength and a longest wavelength, control the second actuator based on the target spectral line width, and control the first actuator so that the oscillation wavelength periodically changes every number of the irradiation pulses between the shortest wavelength and the longest wavelength.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2023Publication date: June 29, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takahito KUMAZAKI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Patent number: 11682877Abstract: A laser system including: A. a laser apparatus configured to output a pulse laser beam; B. an optical pulse stretcher including a delay optical path for expanding a pulse width of the pulse laser beam; and C. a phase optical element included in the delay optical path and having a function of spatially and randomly shifting a phase of the pulse laser beam. The phase optical element includes a plurality of types of cells providing different amounts of phase shift to the pulse laser beam and arranged irregularly in any direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Takashi Onose
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Publication number: 20230187892Abstract: A line narrowing gas laser device includes a line narrowing device, an output coupling mirror, a laser chamber arranged on an optical path of an optical resonator, a first holder which supports the output coupling mirror, a second holder which supports the first holder to be rotatable about a rotation axis of the first holder, and an adjustment device supported by the second holder and being in contact with the first holder to rotate the first holder about the rotation axis. The line narrowing device has a characteristic of changing, into a first direction, beam pointing of laser light output toward the output coupling mirror when temperature inside the line narrowing device rises. The second holder and the adjustment device rotate the first holder in a direction in which a change in the first direction in the beam pointing of the laser light is suppressed by thermal expansion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2023Publication date: June 15, 2023Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yusuke SAITO, Masanori YASHIRO, Hiroshi FURUSATO, Yosuke WATANABE, Tokinori TERAO