Patents by Inventor Herve A. Besaucele
Herve A. Besaucele 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).
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Patent number: 10763070Abstract: Disclosed is a low pressure wire ion plasma discharge source including an elongated ionization chamber housing at least two parallel anode wires extending longitudinally within the ionization chamber. A first of the at least two anode wires is connected to a DC voltage supply and a second of the at least two anode wires is connected to a pulsed voltage supply.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2017Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: LASER SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS OF EUROPEInventors: Paul Ceccato, Hervé Besaucèle
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Publication number: 20190027336Abstract: Disclosed is a low pressure wire ion plasma discharge source including an elongated ionization chamber housing at least two parallel anode wires extending longitudinally within the ionization chamber. A first of the at least two anode wires is connected to a DC voltage supply and a second of the at least two anode wires is connected to a pulsed voltage supply.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2017Publication date: January 24, 2019Inventors: Paul CECCATO, Hervé BESAUCÈLE
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Patent number: 9779945Abstract: An apparatus for irradiating semiconductor material is disclosed having, a laser generating a primary laser beam, an optical system and a means for shaping the primary laser beam, comprising a plurality of apertures for shaping the primary laser beam into a plurality of secondary laser beams. Wherein the shape and/or size of the individual apertures corresponds to that of a common region of a semiconductor material layer to be irradiated. The optical system is adapted for superposing the secondary laser beams to irradiate said common region. Further, the use of such an apparatus in semiconductor device manufacturing is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2011Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: LASER SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS OF EUROPEInventors: Hervé Besaucèle, Bruno Godard, Cyril Dutems
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Publication number: 20130082195Abstract: An apparatus for irradiating semiconductor material is disclosed having, a laser generating a primary laser beam, an optical system and a means for shaping the primary laser beam, comprising a plurality of apertures for shaping the primary laser beam into a plurality of secondary laser beams. Wherein the shape and/or size of the individual apertures corresponds to that of a common region of a semiconductor material layer to be irradiated. The optical system is adapted for superposing the secondary laser beams to irradiate said common region. Further, the use of such an apparatus in semiconductor device manufacturing is disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2011Publication date: April 4, 2013Applicant: EXCICO FRANCEInventors: Hervé Besaucéle, Bruno Godard, Cyril Dutems
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Patent number: 7835414Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed which may comprise predicting the gas lifetime for a gas discharge laser light source for a photolithography process, the light source comprising a halogen containing lasing gas may comprise: utilizing at least one of a plurality of laser operating input and/or output parameters; utilizing a set of at least one parameter of utilization in the photolithography process to determine a gas use model in relation to the respective input or output parameter; predicting the end of gas life based upon the model and a measurement of the respective input or output parameter. The parameter may comprise a pulse utilization pattern.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2007Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: Wayne J. Dunstan, Kevin M. O'Brien, Robert N. Jacques, Herve A. Besaucele, Aravind Ratnam
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Patent number: 7741639Abstract: A multi-chambered excimer or molecular halogen gas discharge laser system comprising at least one oscillator chamber and at least one amplifier chamber producing oscillator output laser light pulses that are amplified in the at least one power chamber, having a fluorine injection control system and a method of using same is disclosed, which may comprise: a halogen gas consumption estimator: estimating the amount of halogen gas that has been consumed in one of the at least one oscillator chamber based upon at least a first operating parameter of one of the least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and the difference between a second operating parameter of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and estimating the amount of halogen gas that has been consumed in the other of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber based upon at least a third operating parameter of the other of the at least one oscillator chamber andType: GrantFiled: September 29, 2004Date of Patent: June 22, 2010Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: Herve A. Besaucele, Wayne J. Dunstan, Toshihiko Ishihara, Robert N. Jacques, Fedor B. Trintchouk
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Patent number: 7567607Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output ligType: GrantFiled: February 1, 2006Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 7471708Abstract: A line narrowed gas discharge laser system and method of operation are disclosed which may comprise: an oscillator cavity; a laser chamber comprising a chamber housing containing a lasing medium gas; at least one peaking capacitor electrically connected to the chamber housing and to a first one of a pair of electrodes; a second one of the pair of electrodes connected to an opposite terminal of the at least one peaking capacitor; a current return path connected to the chamber housing; the one terminal, the first one of the electrodes, the lasing medium gas, the second one of the electrodes, the current return path and the second terminal forming a head current inductive loop having an inductance unique to the particular head current inductive loop; a spectral quality tuning mechanism comprising a mechanism for changing the particular head current inductive loop inductance value for the particular head current inductance loop.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2005Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: Herve A. Besaucele, Igor V. Fomenkov, William N. Partlo, Fedor B. Trintchouk, Hao Ton That
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Publication number: 20080205472Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed which may comprise predicting the gas lifetime for a gas discharge laser light source for a photolithography process, the light source comprising a halogen containing lasing gas may comprise: utilizing at least one of a plurality of laser operating input and/or output parameters; utilizing a set of at least one parameter of utilization in the photolithography process to determine a gas use model in relation to the respective input or output parameter; predicting the end of gas life based upon the model and a measurement of the respective input or output parameter. The parameter may comprise a pulse utilization pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2007Publication date: August 28, 2008Applicant: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: Wayne J. Dunstan, Kevin M. O'Brien, Robert N. Jacques, Herve A. Besaucele, Daniel J. Riggs, Aravind Ratnam
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Patent number: 7218661Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2004Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Publication number: 20060227839Abstract: A line narrowed gas discharge laser system and method of operation are disclosed which may comprise: an oscillator cavity; a laser chamber comprising a chamber housing containing a lasing medium gas; at least one peaking capacitor electrically connected to the chamber housing and to a first one of a pair of electrodes; a second one of the pair of electrodes connected to an opposite terminal of the at least one peaking capacitor; a current return path connected to the chamber housing; the one terminal, the first one of the electrodes, the lasing medium gas, the second one of the electrodes, the current return path and the second terminal forming a head current inductive loop having an inductance unique to the particular head current inductive loo; a spectral quality tuning mechanism comprising a mechanism for changing the particular head current inductive loop inductance value for the particular head current inductance loop.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2005Publication date: October 12, 2006Applicant: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: Herve Besaucele, Igor Fomenkov, William Partlo, Fedor Trintchouk, Hao Ton That
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Publication number: 20060126697Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output ligType: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2006Publication date: June 15, 2006Applicant: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David Knowles, Daniel Brown, Herve Besaucele, David Myers, Alexander Ershov, William Partlo, Richard Sandstrom, Palash Das, Stuart Anderson, Igor Fomenkov, Richard Ujazdowski, Eckehard Onkels, Richard Ness, Scott Smith, William Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 7061961Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output ligType: GrantFiled: August 9, 2005Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 7058107Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2004Date of Patent: June 6, 2006Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 6985508Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2003Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Meyers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Publication number: 20050271109Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output ligType: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2005Publication date: December 8, 2005Applicant: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David Knowles, Daniel Brown, Herve Besaucele, David Myers, Alexander Ershov, William Partlo, Richard Sandstrom, Palash Das, Stuart Anderson, Igor Fomenkov, Richard Ujazdowski, Eckehard Onkels, Richard Ness, Scot Smith, William Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Publication number: 20050094698Abstract: A multi-chambered excimer or molecular halogen gas discharge laser system comprising at least one oscillator chamber and at least one amplifier chamber producing oscillator output laser light pulses that are amplified in the at least one power chamber, having a fluorine injection control system and a method of using same is disclosed, which may comprise: a halogen gas consumption estimator: estimating the amount of halogen gas that has been consumed in one of the at least one oscillator chamber based upon at least a first operating parameter of one of the least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and the difference between a second operating parameter of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and estimating the amount of halogen gas that has been consumed in the other of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber based upon at least a third operating parameter of the other of the at least one oscillator chamber andType: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2004Publication date: May 5, 2005Inventors: Herve Besaucele, Wayne Dunstan, Toshihiko Ishihara, Robert Jacques, Fedor Trintchouk
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Publication number: 20040258122Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2004Publication date: December 23, 2004Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 6801560Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2002Date of Patent: October 5, 2004Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Publication number: 20040174919Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd