Patents by Inventor Hirokazu HOSODA

Hirokazu HOSODA 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).

  • Patent number: 9942973
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may be configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam outputted from a laser apparatus to generate plasma. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a chamber; a target supply device configured to supply a target to a plasma generation region inside the chamber; a target sensor located between the target supply device and the plasma generation region and configured to detect the target passing through a detection region; and a shield cover disposed between the detection region and the target supply device, having a through-hole that allows the target to pass through, and configured to reduce pressure waves that reach the target supply device from the plasma generation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Yoshifumi Ueno, Hirokazu Hosoda, Takashi Saito
  • Publication number: 20180007771
    Abstract: The stability of operations of an EUV light generating apparatus is improved. A droplet detector may include: a light source unit configured to emit illuminating light onto a droplet, which is output into a chamber and generate extreme ultraviolet light when irradiated with a laser beam; a light receiving unit configured to receive the illuminating light and to detect changes in light intensities; and a timing determining circuit configured to output a droplet detection signal that indicates that the droplet has been detected at a predetermined position within the chamber, based on a first timing at which the light intensity of the illuminating light decreases due to the droplet being irradiated therewith and a second timing at which the light intensity of the illuminating light increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Kouichi SATOU, Takayuki YABU, Yoshifumi UENO, Hirokazu HOSODA
  • Patent number: 9860967
    Abstract: A target supply apparatus configured to melt a target and supply a molten target into a chamber, the target generating extreme ultraviolet light when the target is irradiated with a laser beam in the chamber, may include: a pair of electrodes spaced from one another and configured to sandwich the target; and a power source configured to supply a current to a solid target sandwiched between the pair of electrodes via the pair of electrodes to melt the solid target to a core of the solid target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Hosoda, Tsukasa Hori
  • Publication number: 20170358442
    Abstract: A target image-capture device may be configured to capture an image of a target that is made into plasma when irradiated with laser light and generates extreme-ultraviolet-light. The target image-capture device may include a droplet detector configured to detect passage of a droplet output as the target, and output a detection signal, an illumination light source, an image capturing element, a shutter device, and a controller configured to output, to the image capturing element, an exposure signal allowing the image capturing element to perform image capturing, and output, to the shutter device, a shutter open/close signal allowing a shutter to perform an open and close operation upon input of the detection signal. The controller may output the shutter open/close signal to the shutter device to make the shutter closed during when the droplet is irradiated with the laser light so that the plasma is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hirokazu HOSODA, Takayuki YABU, Hideo HOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20170215267
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may be configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam outputted from a laser apparatus to generate plasma. The extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a chamber; a target supply device configured to supply a target to a plasma generation region inside the chamber; a target sensor located between the target supply device and the plasma generation region and configured to detect the target passing through a detection region; and a shield cover disposed between the detection region and the target supply device, having a through-hole that allows the target to pass through, and configured to reduce pressure waves that reach the target supply device from the plasma generation region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Tamotsu ABE, Yoshifumi UENO, Hirokazu HOSODA, Takashi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20170171955
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include a laser system and a controller. The laser system may irradiate the first target with a first pulse laser beam to disperse the first target and produce a mist target, and irradiate the mist target with a second pulse laser beam. The controller may measure a mist diameter of the mist target and control, based on the mist diameter, at least one of time to emit the second pulse laser beam and energy of a first pulse laser beam to be used to irradiate the second target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi UENO, Hirokazu HOSODA, Takayuki YABU
  • Publication number: 20170064799
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated from plasma generated by irradiating a target supplied into the chamber with a laser beam; a target generator that supplies the target into the chamber as a droplet; a droplet measurement unit that measures the droplet supplied from the target generator into the chamber; and a shielding member that shields the droplet measurement unit from electromagnetic waves emitted from the plasma, the droplet measurement unit including: a light source that emits continuous light to the droplet; a window provided in the chamber to allow the continuous light to transmit therethrough; and an optical sensor that receives the continuous light via the window. The shielding member includes a shielding body provided on the chamber side with respect to the window and configured to cover an optical path of the continuous light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Hirokazu HOSODA, Takuya ISHII
  • Publication number: 20160323986
    Abstract: A target supply apparatus configured to melt a target and supply a molten target into a chamber, the target generating extreme ultraviolet light when the target is irradiated with a laser beam in the chamber, may include: a pair of electrodes spaced from one another and configured to sandwich the target; and a power source configured to supply a current to a solid target sandwiched between the pair of electrodes via the pair of electrodes to melt the solid target to a core of the solid target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hirokazu HOSODA, Tsukasa HORI