Patents by Inventor Igor V. Fomenkov
Igor V. Fomenkov 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: 10966308Abstract: A device is disclosed herein which may comprise a droplet generator producing droplets of target material; a sensor providing an intercept time signal when a droplet reaches a preselected location; a delay circuit coupled with said sensor, the delay circuit generating a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time signal; a laser source responsive to a trigger signal to produce a laser pulse; and a system controlling said delay circuit to provide a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a first delay time to generate a light pulse that is focused on a droplet and a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a second delay time to generate a light pulse which is not focused on a droplet.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2016Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Daniel J. W. Brown, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 10635002Abstract: A reflective EUV optic such as a collector mirror configured as an array of facets that are spaced apart to form respective gaps between adjacent facets. The gaps are used as inlets for gas flow across one of the facets such that flow is introduced parallel to the optic surface. The facets can be made with offsets such that loss of reflective area of the EUV optic can be minimized. The gas facilitates removal of target material from the surface of the facets.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2016Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: David C. Brandt, Alexander I. Ershov, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 10490313Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2018Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. Fomenkov, Christianus W. J. Berendsen
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Publication number: 20190080811Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Alexander I. ERSHOV, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. FOMENKOV, Christianus W.J. BERENDSEN
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Publication number: 20180330841Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2017Publication date: November 15, 2018Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. Fomenkov, Christianus W.J. Berendsen
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Patent number: 10128017Abstract: Disclosed is an EUV system in which a source control loop is established to maintain and optimize debris flux while not unduly affecting optimum EUV generation conditions. One or more temperature sensors, e.g., thermocouples may be installed in the vessel to measure respective local gas temperatures. The respective local temperature as measured by the one or more thermocouples can be used as one or more inputs to the source control loop. The source control loop may then adjust the laser targeting to permit optimization of debris generation and deposition while not affecting EUV production, thus extending the lifetime of the source and its collector.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, John Tom Stewart, IV, Igor V. Fomenkov, Christianus W. J. Berendsen
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Publication number: 20180184509Abstract: A device is disclosed herein which may comprise a droplet generator producing droplets of target material; a sensor providing an intercept time signal when a droplet reaches a preselected location; a delay circuit coupled with said sensor, the delay circuit generating a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time signal; a laser source responsive to a trigger signal to produce a laser pulse; and a system controlling said delay circuit to provide a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a first delay time to generate a light pulse that is focused on a droplet and a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a second delay time to generate a light pulse which is not focused on a droplet.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2016Publication date: June 28, 2018Inventors: William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Daniel J.W. Brown, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Publication number: 20180020532Abstract: A device is disclosed herein which may comprise a droplet generator producing droplets of target material; a sensor providing an intercept time signal when a droplet reaches a preselected location; a delay circuit coupled with said sensor, the delay circuit generating a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time signal; a laser source responsive to a trigger signal to produce a laser pulse; and a system controlling said delay circuit to provide a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a first delay time to generate a light pulse that is focused on a droplet and a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a second delay time to generate a light pulse which is not focused on a droplet.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2016Publication date: January 18, 2018Inventors: William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Daniel J.W. Brown, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 9832852Abstract: A method and apparatus for control of a dose of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation generated by a laser produced plasma (LPP) EUV light source. Each laser pulse is modulated to be of a width that is determined to be sufficient to allow for extraction of a suitable uniform amount of energy in the laser source gain medium; in some embodiments the suitable uniform amount of energy to be extracted may be selected to avoid self-lasing. The EUV energy created by each pulse is measured and total EUV energy created by the fired pulses determined, and a desired energy for the next pulse is determined based upon whether the total EUV energy is greater or less than a desired average EUV energy times the number of pulses. The energy of the next pulse is modulated, either by modulating its magnitude or by modulating the amplification of the pulse by one or more amplifiers, but without decreasing the determined width of the laser pulse.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Igor V. Fomenkov, Robert Jay Rafac
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Patent number: 9735535Abstract: Devices and methods for generating EUV light are disclosed. The device comprises an oscillator having an oscillator cavity length, Lo, and defining an oscillator path and a multi-pass optical amplifier coupled with the oscillator to establish a combined optical cavity including the oscillator path, the combined cavity having a length, Lcombined, where Lcombined=(N+x)*Lo, where āNā is an integer and āxā is a number between 0.4 and 0.6. The amplifier comprises a polarization discriminating optic inputting light traveling along a first beam path from the oscillator and having substantially a first linear polarization into the amplifier and outputting light having substantially a linear polarization orthogonal to the first polarization out of the amplifier along a second beam path.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2013Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Alexander I. Ershov, Jerzy R. Hoffman, Norbert R. Bowering, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 9713239Abstract: An EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise a plurality of targets, e.g., tin droplets, and a system generating pre-pulses and main-pulses with the pre-pulses for irradiating targets to produce expanded targets. The system may further comprise a continuously pumped laser device generating the main pulses with the main pulses for irradiating expanded targets to produce a burst of EUV light pulses. The system may also have a controller varying at least one pre-pulse parameter during the burst of EUV light pulses. In addition, the EUV light source may also include an instrument measuring an intensity of at least one EUV light pulse within a burst of EUV light pulses and providing a feedback signal to the controller to vary at least one pre-pulse parameter during the burst of EUV light pulses to produce a burst of EUV pulses having a pre-selected dose.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2010Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Bjorn A. M. Hansson, Alexander N. Bykanov, Igor V. Fomenkov, David C. Brandt
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Patent number: 9669334Abstract: A filter is used in a target material supply apparatus and includes a sheet having a first flat surface and a second opposing flat surface, and a plurality of through holes. The first flat surface is in fluid communication with a reservoir that holds a target mixture that includes a target material and non-target particles. The through holes extend from the second flat surface and are fluidly coupled at the second flat surface to an orifice of a nozzle. The sheet has a surface area that is exposed to the target mixture, the exposed surface area being at least a factor of one hundred less than an exposed surface area of a sintered filter having an equivalent transverse extent to that of the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2015Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Igor V. Fomenkov, William N. Partlo, Gregory O. Vaschenko, William Oldham
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Publication number: 20170097572Abstract: A reflective EUV optic such as a collector mirror configured as an array of facets that are spaced apart to form respective gaps between adjacent facets. The gaps are used as inlets for gas flow across one of the facets such that flow is introduced parallel to the optic surface. The facets can be made with offsets such that loss of reflective area of the EUV optic can be minimized. The gas facilitates removal of target material from the surface of the facets.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2016Publication date: April 6, 2017Inventors: David C. Brandt, Alexander I. Ershov, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 9541840Abstract: A reflective EUV optic such as a collector mirror configured as an array of facets that are spaced apart to form respective gaps between adjacent facets. The gaps are used as inlets for gas flow across one of the facets such that flow is introduced parallel to the optic surface. The facets can be made with offsets such that loss of reflective area of the EUV optic can be minimized. The gas facilitates removal of target material from the surface of the facets.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: David C. Brandt, Alexander I. Ershov, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 9516730Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source comprising an optic, a target material, and a laser beam passing through said optic along a beam path to irradiate said target material. The EUV light source further includes a system generating a gas flow directed toward said target material along said beam path, said system having a tapering member surrounding a volume and a plurality of gas lines, each gas line outputting a gas stream into said volume.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2011Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Vladimir B. Fleurov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Alexander I. Ershov
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Patent number: 9390827Abstract: A device is disclosed herein which may comprise a droplet generator producing droplets of target material; a sensor providing an intercept time signal when a droplet reaches a preselected location; a delay circuit coupled with said sensor, the delay circuit generating a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time signal; a laser source responsive to a trigger signal to produce a laser pulse; and a system controlling said delay circuit to provide a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a first delay time to generate a light pulse that is focused on a droplet and a trigger signal delayed from the intercept time by a second delay time to generate a light pulse which is not focused on a droplet.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2014Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Daniel J. W. Brown, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Publication number: 20160179012Abstract: A reflective EUV optic such as a collector mirror configured as an array of facets that are spaced apart to form respective gaps between adjacent facets. The gaps are used as inlets for gas flow across one of the facets such that flow is introduced parallel to the optic surface. The facets can be made with offsets such that loss of reflective area of the EUV optic can be minimized. The gas facilitates removal of target material from the surface of the facets.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2014Publication date: June 23, 2016Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: David C. BRANDT, Alexander I. ERSHOV, Igor V. FOMENKOV
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Patent number: 9167679Abstract: A system for an extreme ultraviolet light source includes one or more optical elements positioned to receive a reflected amplified light beam and to direct the reflected amplified light beam into first, second, and third channels, the reflected amplified light beam including a reflection of at least a portion of an irradiating amplified light beam that interacts with a target material; a first sensor that senses light from the first channel; a second sensor that senses light from the second channel and the third channel, the second sensor having a lower acquisition rate than the first sensor; and an electronic processor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium, the medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor, and determine, based on the received data, a location of the irradiating amplified light beam relative to the target material in more than one dimension.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2015Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Vladimir B. Fleurov, Igor V. Fomenkov
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Patent number: 9155179Abstract: Techniques for forming a target and for producing extreme ultraviolet light include releasing an initial target material toward a target location, the target material including a material that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light when converted to plasma; directing a first amplified light beam toward the initial target material, the first amplified light beam having an energy sufficient to form a collection of pieces of target material from the initial target material, each of the pieces being smaller than the initial target material and being spatially distributed throughout a hemisphere shaped volume; and directing a second amplified light beam toward the collection of pieces to convert the pieces of target material to plasma that emits EUV light.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2014Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Yezheng Tao, Robert J. Rafac, Igor V. Fomenkov, Daniel J. W. Brown, Daniel J. Golich
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Publication number: 20150257246Abstract: A system for an extreme ultraviolet light source includes one or more optical elements positioned to receive a reflected amplified light beam and to direct the reflected amplified light beam into first, second, and third channels, the reflected amplified light beam including a reflection of at least a portion of an irradiating amplified light beam that interacts with a target material; a first sensor that senses light from the first channel; a second sensor that senses light from the second channel and the third channel, the second sensor having a lower acquisition rate than the first sensor; and an electronic processor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium, the medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor, and determine, based on the received data, a location of the irradiating amplified light beam relative to the target material in more than one dimension.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2015Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Vladimir B. Fleurov, Igor V. Fomenkov