Patents by Inventor Gerry M. Blumenstock

Gerry M. Blumenstock 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).

  • Publication number: 20100176313
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating EUV radiation is disclosed which may include a target material, a system generating a laser beam for interaction with the target material and a pair of electrodes. A pulse power electrical circuit may be provided for generating a discharge between said electrodes to produce EUV radiation from said target material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan T. Melnychuk, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, I. Roger Oliver, Richard M. Ness, Norbert Bowering, Oleh Khodykin, Curtis L. Rettiq, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Timothy S. Dyer, Rodney D. Simmons, Jerzy R. Hoffman, R. Mark Johnson
  • Patent number: 7368741
    Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A pulse power source comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer, provides electrical pulses having sufficient energy and electrical potential sufficient to produce the EUV light at an intermediate focus at rates in excess of 5 Watts. In preferred embodiments designed by Applicants in-band, EUV light energy at the intermediate focus is 45 Watts extendable to 105.8 Watts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan T. Melnychuk, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, I. Roger Oliver, Richard M. Ness, Norbert R. Bowering, Oleh Khodykin, Curtis L. Rettig, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Timothy S. Dyer, Rodney D. Simmons, Jerzy R. Hoffman, R. Mark Johnson
  • Patent number: 7291853
    Abstract: An DPP EUV source is disclosed which may comprise a debris mitigation apparatus employing a metal halogen gas producing a metal halide from debris exiting the plasma. The EUV source may have a debris shield that may comprise a plurality of curvilinear shield members having inner and outer surfaces connected by light passages aligned to a focal point, which shield members may be alternated with open spaces between them and may have surfaces that form a circle in one axis or rotation and an ellipse in another. The source may have a temperature control mechanism operatively connected to the collector and operative to regulate the temperature of the respective shell members to maintain a temperature related geometry optimizing the glancing angle of incidence reflections from the respective shell members, or a mechanical positioner to position the shell members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor V. Fomenkov, William N. Partlo, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Nortbert Bowering, I. Roger Oliver, Xiaojiang Pan, Rodney D. Simmons
  • Patent number: 7217940
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for debris removal from a reflecting surface of an EUV collector in an EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise the reflecting surface comprises a first material and the debris comprises a second material and/or compounds of the second material, the system and method may comprise a controlled sputtering ion source which may comprise a gas comprising the atoms of the sputtering ion material; and a stimulating mechanism exciting the atoms of the sputtering ion material into an ionized state, the ionized state being selected to have a distribution around a selected energy peak that has a high probability of sputtering the second material and a very low probability of sputtering the first material. The stimulating mechanism may comprise an RF or microwave induction mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: William N. Partlo, John Martin Algots, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Norbert Bowering, Alexander I. Ershov, Igor V. Fomenkov, Xiaojiang Pan
  • Patent number: 6972421
    Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A pulse power source comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer, provides electrical pulses having sufficient energy and electrical potential sufficient to produce the EUV light at an intermediate focus at rates in excess of 5 Watts. In preferred embodiments designed by Applicants in-band, EUV light energy at the intermediate focus is 45 Watts extendable to 105.8 Watts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Cymer, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan T. Melnychuk, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, I. Roger Oliver, Richard M. Ness, Norbert Bowering, Oleh Khodykin, Curtis L. Rettig, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Timothy S. Dyer, Rodney D. Simmons, Jerzy R. Hoffman, R. Mark Johnson
  • Publication number: 20040160155
    Abstract: An DPP EUV source is disclosed which may comprise a debris mitigation apparatus employing a metal halogen gas producing a metal halide from debris exiting the plasma. The EUV source may have a debris shield that may comprise a plurality of curvilinear shield members having inner and outer surfaces connected by light passages aligned to a focal point, which shield members may be alternated with open spaces between them and may have surfaces that form a circle in one axis of rotation and an ellipse in another. The electrodes may be supplied with a discharge pulse shaped to produce a modest current during the axial run out phase of the discharge and a peak occurring during the radial compression phase of the discharge. The light source may comprise a turbomolecular pump having an inlet connected to the generation chamber and operable to preferentially pump more of the source gas than the buffer gas from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: William N. Partlo, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Norbert Bowering, Kent Bruzzone, Dennis Cobb, Timothy S. Dyer, John Dunlop, Igor V. Fomenkov, James Christopher Hysham, I. Roger Oliver, Frederick Palenschat, Xiaojiang Pan, Curtis L. Rettig, Rodney D. Simmons, John Walker, R. Kyle Webb, Thomas Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20040108473
    Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A pulse power source comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer, provides electrical pulses having sufficient energy and electrical potential sufficient to produce the EUV light at an intermediate focus at rates in excess of 5 Watts. In preferred embodiments designed by Applicants in-band, EUV light energy at the intermediate focus is 45 Watts extendable to 105.8 Watts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventors: Stephan T. Melnychuk, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, I. Roger Oliver, Richard M. Ness, Norbert Bowering, Oleh Khodykin, Curtis L. Rettig, Gerry M. Blumenstock, Timothy S. Dyer, Rodney D. Simmons, Jerzy R. Hoffman, R. Mark Johnson