Abstract: An apparatus includes: a gas maintenance system having a gas supply system fluidly connected to one or more gas discharge chambers; a detection apparatus fluidly connected to each gas discharge chamber; and a control system connected to the gas maintenance system and the detection apparatus. The detection apparatus includes: a vessel defining a reaction cavity that houses a metal oxide and is fluidly connected to the gas discharge chamber for receiving mixed gas including fluorine from the gas discharge chamber in the reaction cavity, the vessel enabling a reaction between the fluorine of the received mixed gas and the metal oxide to form a new gas mixture including oxygen; and an oxygen sensor fluidly connected to the new gas mixture to sense an amount of oxygen within the new gas mixture. The control system is configured to estimate a concentration of fluorine in the received mixed gas.

Abstract: Apparatus for and methods of combining multiple, i.e., two or more laser beams to reduce even to the point of elimination a transverse gap between the two or more beams caused, for example, by a space between a coating on a surface of the mirror and the edge of the mirror, or by optic geometry, is avoided.

Abstract: A laser source includes a laser chamber configured to generate a first laser beam. The laser source further includes an optical system coupled to the laser chamber and configured to receive the first laser beam and output an output laser beam. The laser source also includes a gas purge system. According to some aspects, the gas purge system is configured to supply a nitrogen gas into the optical system at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure. According to some aspects, the gas purge system is configured to supply a helium gas into the optical system.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a gas discharge system including a gas discharge chamber and configured to produce a light beam; and a spectral feature adjuster in optical communication with a pre-cursor light beam generated by the gas discharge chamber. The spectral feature adjuster includes: a body defining an interior that is held at a pressure below atmospheric pressure; at least one optical pathway defined between the gas discharge chamber and the interior of the body, the optical pathway being transparent to the pre-cursor light beam; and a set of optical elements within the interior, the optical elements configured to interact with the pre-cursor light beam.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a gas maintenance system having a gas supply system fluidly connected to one or more gas discharge chambers; a detection apparatus fluidly connected to each gas discharge chamber; and a control system connected to the gas maintenance system and the detection apparatus. The detection apparatus includes: a vessel defining a reaction cavity that houses a metal oxide and is fluidly connected to the gas discharge chamber for receiving mixed gas including fluorine from the gas discharge chamber in the reaction cavity, the vessel enabling a reaction between the fluorine of the received mixed gas and the metal oxide to form a new gas mixture including oxygen; and an oxygen sensor fluidly connected to the new gas mixture to sense an amount of oxygen within the new gas mixture. The control system is configured to estimate a concentration of fluorine in the received mixed gas.

Abstract: A technique for bandwidth control of an electric discharge laser. Line narrowing equipment is provided having at least one piezoelectric drive and a fast bandwidth detection means and a bandwidth control having a time response of less than about 1.0 millisecond. In a preferred embodiment wavelength tuning mirror is dithered at dither rates of more than 500 dithers per second within a very narrow range of pivot angles to cause a dither in nominal wavelength values to produce a desired effective bandwidth of series of laser pulses.

Abstract: The present invention provides an excimer laser capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. A preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. An improved wavemeter with special software monitors output beam parameters and controls a very fast PZT driven tuning mirror and the pulse power charging voltage to maintain wavelength and pulse energy within desired limits. In a preferred embodiment two fan motors drive a single tangential fan which provides sufficient gas flow to clear discharge debris from the discharge region during the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.

Abstract: A technique for bandwidth control of an electric discharge laser. Line narrowing equipment is provided having at least one piezoelectric drive and a fast bandwidth detection means and a bandwidth control having a time response of less than about 1.0 millisecond. In a preferred embodiment wavelength tuning mirror is dithered at dither rates of more than 500 dithers per second within a very narrow range of pivot angles to cause a dither in nominal wavelength values to produce a desired effective bandwidth of series of laser pulses.

Abstract: A technique for bandwidth control of an electric discharge laser. Line narrowing equipment is provided having at least one piezoelectric drive and a fast bandwidth detection means and a bandwidth control having a time response of less than about 1.0 millisecond. In a preferred embodiment wavelength tuning mirror is dithered at dither rates of more than 500 dithers per second within a very narrow range of pivot angles to cause a dither in nominal wavelength values to produce a desired effective bandwidth of series of laser pulses.

Abstract: The present invention provides an excimer laser capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. A preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. An improved wavemeter with special software monitors output beam parameters and controls a very fast PZT driven tuning mirror and the pulse power charging voltage to maintain wavelength and pulse energy within desired limits. In a preferred embodiment two fan motors drive a single tangential fan which provides sufficient gas flow to clear discharge debris from the discharge region during the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.

Abstract: A lithograph quality optimization process for controlling laser beam parameters when changing operating modes. The laser is programmed to automatically conduct an optimization procedure preferably in less than one minute to adjust laser operating parameters such as blower speed, total gas pressure and F2 partial pressure in order to optimize beam quality parameters.

Abstract: An excimer laser system with an automatic fluorine control system to permit precise control of the fluorine concentration within an F2 “sweet spot” in a gas discharge laser chamber. This is done with a computer control system which monitors laser parameters, determines &Dgr;E/&Dgr;V, the change of pulse energy with voltage, and automatically and precisely controls the fluorine concentration based on &Dgr;E/&Dgr;V without the need to actually measure the fluorine concentration. The present invention is especially useful in lithography environments in which photo resist having a wide range of sensitivity are used. The present invention permits operation of the laser at substantially maximum efficiency over a wide range of pulse energy outputs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable modular production quality excimer laser capable of producing 10 mJ laser pulses at 2000 Hz with a full width half, maximum bandwidth of about 0.6 pm or less. Replaceable modules include a laser chamber; a pulse power system comprised of three modules; an optical resonator comprised of a line narrowing module and an output coupler module; a wavemeter module, an electrical control module, a cooling water module and a gas control module. Improvements in the laser chamber permitting the higher pulse rates and improved bandwidth performance include a single upstream preionizer tube and a high efficiency chamber. The chamber is designed for operation at lower fluorine concentration. Important improvements have been provided in the pulse power unit to produce faster rise time and improved pulse energy control.

Abstract: A compact high resolution grating spectrometer. A beam of expanding light from a light source is collimated and the collimated beam is expanded with a beam expander before illuminating a reflecting grating. The expansion of the beam permits high resolution in a small package. In preferred embodiments mirror arrangements are provided to produce double reflections off the reflecting grating to further improve the resolution of the spectrometer.