Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Someya
Hiroshi Someya 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: 8477412Abstract: A collector mirror exchanging apparatus is capable of safely and easily exchanging a collector mirror for collecting extreme ultra violet light emitted from plasma generated within a chamber of an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus. The collector mirror exchanging apparatus includes: a supporting base for supporting a collector mirror or a collector mirror structure; and a guiding rail disposed on the supporting base and regulating a moving direction of the collector mirror or the collector mirror structure; wherein at least the collector mirror is taken out of the chamber by moving the collector mirror or the collector mirror structure along the guiding rail on the supporting base.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Sumitani
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Patent number: 8450706Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus in which only particles having a high transmittance for EUV light adhere to an EUV collector mirror even if fast ions emitted from plasma collide with a structural member in a vacuum chamber, and thereby, the reflectance thereof is not easily degraded. The apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber; a target supply unit for supplying a target to a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target to generate the plasma; a collector mirror for collecting and outputting extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the plasma; a collector mirror holder for supporting the collector mirror; and a shielding member formed of a material having a high transmittance for the extreme ultraviolet light, for shielding the structural member such as the collector mirror holder from the ions generated from the plasma.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2009Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Hiroshi Someya, Takashi Suganuma, Takayuki Yabu
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Patent number: 8445877Abstract: A nozzle protection device capable of protecting a target nozzle from heat of plasma without disturbing formation of a stable flow of a target material in an LPP type EUV light source apparatus. This nozzle protection device includes a cooling unit which is formed with an opening for passing the target material therethrough, and which is formed with a flow path for circulating a cooling medium inside, and an actuator which changes a position or a shape of the cooling unit between a first state of evacuating the cooling unit from a trajectory of the target material and a second state of blocking heat radiation from the plasma to the nozzle by the cooling unit while securing a path of the target material in the cooling unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2011Date of Patent: May 21, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
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Publication number: 20130050862Abstract: A mirror device may include: a mirror including a base plate, a reflective film on a first surface of the base plate, and a plurality of first protrusions on a second surface of the base plate; a plurality of support parts for respectively supporting the plurality of the first protrusions, each support part having a groove formed therein for guiding the first protrusion; and a plurality of clamps for respectively pressing the plurality of the first protrusions against the respective grooves in the plurality of the support parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INCInventors: Hiroshi Someya, Yukio Watanabe, Katsuhiko Wakana, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Patent number: 8294129Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus can reliably detect and accurately judge deterioration of an optical element in a laser beam focusing optics disposed within an EUV light generation chamber. This EUV light source apparatus includes: the EUV light generation chamber; a target material supply unit; an EUV light collector mirror; a driver laser; a window; a parabolic mirror which focuses collimated laser beam by reflection and is disposed within the EUV light generation chamber; an energy detector detecting energy of the laser beam diffused without being applied to a target material after being focused by the laser beam focusing optics when the EUV light is not generated; and a processing unit for judging the deterioration of the window and the parabolic mirror according to the laser beam energy detected by the energy detector.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2011Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20120228527Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus prevents debris staying and accumulating within a chamber from contaminating the chamber and deteriorating the performance of an important optical component. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to a target supplied to a predetermined position within the chamber to generate plasma; a collector mirror provided within the chamber, for collecting and outputting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; an exhaust path communicating with the chamber and connected to an exhausting device, for maintaining an interior of the chamber at a certain pressure; a catching chamber provided in the exhaust path, for catching debris generated from the plasma; and a collecting unit for collecting the caught debris out of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: Komatsu Ltd./Gigaphoton, Inc.Inventors: Tamotsu ABE, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi
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Patent number: 8258492Abstract: [Technical Problem] To provide a differential evacuation system capable of easily maintaining, at a low cost, a large differential pressure between a light generation chamber and an illumination optical chamber in which optical processing, e.g. exposure, is performed by using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generated in the light generation chamber, and yet capable of sufficiently ensuring a desired optical path. [Solution to Problem] The differential evacuation system has a light generation chamber 10 that generates EUV light, an illumination optical chamber 100 in which optical processing is performed by using the EUV light generated in the light generation chamber 10, and a chamber connecting passage 150 that connects together the light generation chamber 10 and the illumination optical chamber 100 to guide the EUV light generated in the light generation chamber 10 into the illumination optical chamber 100.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Yukio Watanabe
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Patent number: 8212228Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus prevents debris staying and accumulating within a chamber from contaminating the chamber and deteriorating the performance of an important optical component. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to a target supplied to a predetermined position within the chamber to generate plasma; a collector mirror provided within the chamber, for collecting and outputting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; an exhaust path communicating with the chamber and connected to an exhausting device, for maintaining an interior of the chamber at a certain pressure; a catching chamber provided in the exhaust path, for catching debris generated from the plasma; and a collecting unit for collecting the caught debris out of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignees: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi
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Publication number: 20120119118Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source system in which parts of an EUV light source apparatus can easily be replaced. The system includes: (i) an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus having a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated, a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber, a driver laser for irradiating the target material supplied by the target supply unit with a laser beam to generate plasma, and a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma to allow the extreme ultraviolet light to enter projection optics of exposure equipment; and (ii) a lifting apparatus provided to lift and move a replacement part which is a part of the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2012Publication date: May 17, 2012Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yukio WATANABE, Osamu Wakabayashi, Junichi Fujimoto, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Hideo Hoshino
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Patent number: 8173984Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus can reliably detect and accurately judge deterioration of an optical element in a laser beam focusing optics disposed within an EUV light generation chamber. This EUV light source apparatus includes: the EUV light generation chamber; a target material supply unit; an EUV light collector mirror; a driver laser; a window; a parabolic mirror which focuses collimated laser beam by reflection and is disposed within the EUV light generation chamber; an energy detector detecting energy of the laser beam diffused without being applied to a target material after being focused by the laser beam focusing optics when the EUV light is not generated; and a processing unit for judging the deterioration of the window and the parabolic mirror according to the laser beam energy detected by the energy detector.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2009Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignees: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Patent number: 8003962Abstract: A nozzle protection device capable of protecting a target nozzle from heat of plasma without disturbing formation of a stable flow of a target material in an LPP type EUV light source apparatus. This nozzle protection device includes a cooling unit which is formed with an opening for passing the target material therethrough, and which is formed with a flow path for circulating a cooling medium inside, and an actuator which changes a position or a shape of the cooling unit between a first state of evacuating the cooling unit from a trajectory of the target material and a second state of blocking heat radiation from the plasma to the nozzle by the cooling unit while securing a path of the target material in the cooling unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
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Publication number: 20110180734Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus can reliably detect and accurately judge deterioration of an optical element in a laser beam focusing optics disposed within an EUV light generation chamber. This EUV light source apparatus includes: the EUV light generation chamber; a target material supply unit; an EUV light collector mirror; a driver laser; a window; a parabolic mirror which focuses collimated laser beam by reflection and is disposed within the EUV light generation chamber; an energy detector detecting energy of the laser beam diffused without being applied to a target material after being focused by the laser beam focusing optics when the EUV light is not generated; and a processing unit for judging the deterioration of the window and the parabolic mirror according to the laser beam energy detected by the energy detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2011Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Masato MORIYA, Tamotsu ABE, Takashi SUGANUMA, Hiroshi SOMEYA, Takayuki YABU, Akira SUMITANI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20110174996Abstract: A nozzle protection device capable of protecting a target nozzle from heat of plasma without disturbing formation of a stable flow of a target material in an LPP type EUV light source apparatus. This nozzle protection device includes a cooling unit which is formed with an opening for passing the target material therethrough, and which is formed with a flow path for circulating a cooling medium inside, and an actuator which changes a position or a shape of the cooling unit between a first state of evacuating the cooling unit from a trajectory of the target material and a second state of blocking heat radiation from the plasma to the nozzle by the cooling unit while securing a path of the target material in the cooling unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2011Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: GIGAPHOTON, INC.Inventors: Hiroshi SOMEYA, Tamotsu ABE, Hideo HOSHINO
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Patent number: 7923705Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus capable of easily detecting deterioration etc. of a window of an EUV light generating chamber. The EUV light source apparatus includes a driver laser, an EUV light generating chamber, a window which passes the laser beam into the EUV light generating chamber, an EUV light collector mirror, laser beam focusing optics which focuses a laser beam onto a trajectory of a target material, a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the window, and a laser beam optics deterioration determination processing unit which determines deterioration of the window based on the temperature of the window detected by the temperature sensor when extreme ultra violet light is generated.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2009Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Patent number: 7880153Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus capable of preventing deterioration and/or breakage of a filter for filtering EUV light. The EUV light source apparatus includes an EUV generation chamber in which EUV light is generated; a target material supply unit for supplying a target material into the EUV light generation chamber; a laser source for applying a laser beam to the target material supplied into the EUV light generation chamber to generate plasma; collection optics for collecting EUV light radiated from the plasma; a filter for filtering the EUV light collected by the collection optics; and a filter protecting member provided between the plasma and the filter, for protecting the filter by blocking flying matter flying from the plasma toward the filter.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2008Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Tamotsu Abe, Hiroshi Someya, Akira Sumitani
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Publication number: 20100220569Abstract: A final area retrieving apparatus, an information reproducing apparatus, a final area retrieving method, and a final area retrieving program are provided, which are capable of decreasing a period of time necessary for acquiring information necessary for reproduction of optical disc. When a final area of optical disc D is retrieved, a system control unit 6 stores a start address of the area, and the like in a flash memory 5. When the optical disc D is inserted again, and a final area is newly retrieved, it is determined whether a final area retrieved at the last time exists on the optical disc D, based on a starting address of final area stored in the flash memory 5. In a case where it is determined that a final area retrieved at the last time exists on the optical disc D, the acquisition of start address of next area, and the like is started from a final area retrieved at the last time, and a final area is retrieved.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2006Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATIONInventors: Takaaki Ujiie, Yoshimichi Nishio, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Hideaki Tsurumi, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Hideyasu Iwano, Chikashi Kuwahara, Manabu Shimodaira, Hiroshi Someya, Hidetaka Urabe
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Publication number: 20100193711Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source system in which parts of an EUV light source apparatus can easily be replaced. The system includes: (i) an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus having a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated, a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber, a driver laser for irradiating the target material supplied by the target supply unit with a laser beam to generate plasma, and a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma to allow the extreme ultraviolet light to enter projection optics of exposure equipment; and (ii) a lifting apparatus provided to lift and move a replacement part which is a part of the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2010Publication date: August 5, 2010Inventors: Yukio WATANABE, Osamu Wakabayashi, Junichi Fujimoto, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Hideo Hoshino
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Publication number: 20100181498Abstract: [Technical Problem] To provide a differential evacuation system capable of easily maintaining, at a low cost, a large differential pressure between a light generation chamber and an illumination optical chamber in which optical processing, e.g. exposure, is performed by using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generated in the light generation chamber, and yet capable of sufficiently ensuring a desired optical path. [Solution to Problem] The differential evacuation system has a light generation chamber 10 that generates EUV light, an illumination optical chamber 100 in which optical processing is performed by using the EUV light generated in the light generation chamber 10, and a chamber connecting passage 150 that connects together the light generation chamber 10 and the illumination optical chamber 100 to guide the EUV light generated in the light generation chamber 10 into the illumination optical chamber 100.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2009Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicants: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Yukio Watanabe
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Publication number: 20100176310Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus capable of easily detecting deterioration etc. of a window of an EUV light generating chamber. The EUV light source apparatus includes a driver laser, an EUV light generating chamber, a window which passes the laser beam into the EUV light generating chamber, an EUV light collector mirror, laser beam focusing optics which focuses a laser beam onto a trajectory of a target material, a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the window, and a laser beam optics deterioration determination processing unit which determines deterioration of the window based on the temperature of the window detected by the temperature sensor when extreme ultra violet light is generated.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2009Publication date: July 15, 2010Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20100171049Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus can reliably detect and accurately judge deterioration of an optical element in a laser beam focusing optics disposed within an EUV light generation chamber. This EUV light source apparatus includes: the EUV light generation chamber; a target material supply unit; an EUV light collector mirror; a driver laser; a window; a parabolic mirror which focuses collimated laser beam by reflection and is disposed within the EUV light generation chamber; an energy detector detecting energy of the laser beam diffused without being applied to a target material after being focused by the laser beam focusing optics when the EUV light is not generated; and a processing unit for judging the deterioration of the window and the parabolic mirror according to the laser beam energy detected by the energy detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2009Publication date: July 8, 2010Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi