Abstract: An apparatus/method which may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a seed laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser system output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage; a seed injection mechanism.

Abstract: A spectral purity filter arrangement is disclosed. The spectral purity filter arrangement includes a film configured for filtering out at least a portion of input light and a support structure coupled to the film along at least one edge of the film. The spectral purity filter arrangement further includes a gas control subsystem configured to direct a gas at the film to support the film at least when the film is disposed in an operational position to perform the filtering.

Abstract: Devices and corresponding methods of use are described herein which may comprise an enclosing structure defining a closed loop flow path and a system generating a plasma at a plasma site, e.g. laser produced plasma system, where the plasma site may be in fluid communication with the flow path. For the device, a gas may be disposed in the enclosing structure which may include an ion-stopping buffer gas and/or an etchant. A pump may be provided to force the gas through the closed loop flow path. One or more heat exchangers removing heat from gas flowing in the flow path may be provided. In some arrangements, a filter may be used to remove at least a portion of a target species from gas flowing in the flow path.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing the influence of plasma generated debris on internal components of an EUV light source. In one aspect, an EUV metrology monitor is provided which may have a heater to heat an internal multi-layer filtering mirror to a temperature sufficient to remove deposited debris from the mirror. In another aspect, a device is disclosed for removing plasma generated debris from an EUV light source collector mirror having a different debris deposition rate at different zones on the collector mirror. In a particular aspect, an EUV collector mirror system may comprise a source of hydrogen to combine with Li debris to create LiH on a collector surface; and a sputtering system to sputter LiH from the collector surface. In another aspect, an apparatus for etching debris from a surface of a EUV light source collector mirror with a controlled plasma etch rate is disclosed.

Abstract: A device is disclosed which may comprise a system generating a plasma at a plasma site, the plasma producing EUV radiation and ions exiting the plasma. The device may also include an optic, e.g., a multi-layer mirror, distanced from the site by a distance, d, and a flowing gas disposed between the plasma and optic, the gas establishing a gas pressure sufficient to operate over the distance, d, to reduce ion energy below a pre-selected value before the ions reach the optic. In one embodiment, the gas may comprise hydrogen and in a particular embodiment, the gas may comprise greater than 50 percent hydrogen by volume.

Abstract: An EUV light source device is described herein which may comprise a laser beam travelling along a beam path, at least a portion of the beam path aligned along a linear axis; a material for interaction with the laser beam at an irradiation site to create an EUV light emitting plasma; a first reflector having a focal point, the first reflector positioned with the focal point on the linear axis, the first reflector receiving laser light along the beam path; and a second reflector receiving laser light reflected by the first reflector and directing the laser light toward the irradiation site.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may comprise a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system which may comprise a seed laser oscillator producing an output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module within a first oscillator cavity; a laser amplification stage containing an amplifying gain medium in a second gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber receiving the output of the seed laser oscillator and amplifying the output of the seed laser oscillator to form a laser system output comprising a laser output light beam of pulses, which may comprise a ring power amplification stage.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed which may comprise a pulsed gas discharge laser lithography light source which may comprise a seed laser portion providing a seed laser output light beam of seed pulses; an amplifier portion receiving the seed laser output light beam and amplifying the optical intensity of each seed pulse to provide a high power laser system output light beam of output pulses; the amplifier portion may comprise a ring power amplifier comprising amplifier portion injection optics comprising at least one beam expanding prism, a beam reverser and an input/output coupler; the beam expansion optics and the output coupler may be mounted on an optics assembly with the beam expansion optics rigidly mounted with respect to the optics assembly and the input/output coupler mounted for relative movement with respect to the optics assembly for optical alignment purposes.

Abstract: A spectral purity filter arrangement is disclosed. The spectral purity filter arrangement includes a film configured for filtering out at least a portion of input light and a support structure coupled to the film along at least one edge of the film. The spectral purity filter arrangement further includes a gas control subsystem configured to direct a gas at the film to support the film at least when the film is disposed in an operational position to perform the filtering.

Abstract: A device is disclosed which may comprise a system generating a plasma at a plasma site, the plasma producing EUV radiation and ions exiting the plasma. The device may also include an optic, e.g., a multi-layer mirror, distanced from the site by a distance, d, and a flowing gas disposed between the plasma and optic, the gas establishing a gas pressure sufficient to operate over the distance, d, to reduce ion energy below a pre-selected value before the ions reach the optic. In one embodiment, the gas may comprise hydrogen and in a particular embodiment, the gas may comprise greater than 50 percent hydrogen by volume.

Abstract: Devices and corresponding methods of use are described herein which may comprise an enclosing structure defining a closed loop flow path and a system generating a plasma at a plasma site, e.g. laser produced plasma system, where the plasma site may be in fluid communication with the flow path. For the device, a gas may be disposed in the enclosing structure which may include an ion-stopping buffer gas and/or an etchant. A pump may be provided to force the gas through the closed loop flow path. One or more heat exchangers removing heat from gas flowing in the flow path may be provided. In some arrangements, a filter may be used to remove at least a portion of a target species from gas flowing in the flow path.

Abstract: As disclosed herein, a device may comprise an optic disposed in a near vacuum environment, the optic formed with a surface portion; a temperature controlled member formed with a surface portion conforming to the optic surface portion; and a liquid interposed between the optic surface portion and the member surface portion to conduct heat therebetween.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus and method which may comprise a pulsed gas discharge laser which may comprise a seed laser portion; an amplifier portion receiving the seed laser output and amplifying the optical intensity of each seed pulse; a pulse stretcher which may comprise: a first beam splitter operatively connected with the first delay path and a second pulse stretcher operatively connected with the second delay path; a first optical delay path tower containing the first beam splitter; a second optical delay path tower containing the second beam splitter; one of the first and second optical delay paths may comprise: a plurality of mirrors defining the respective optical delay path including mirrors located in the first tower and in the second tower; the other of the first and second optical delay paths may comprise: a plurality of mirrors defining the respective optical delay path including mirrors only in one of the first tower and the second tower.

Abstract: A method/apparatus may comprise operating a line narrowed pulsed excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser system by using a seed laser oscillator to produce an output which may comprise a first gas discharge excimer or molecular fluorine laser chamber; a line narrowing module; a laser amplification stage which may comprise a ring power amplification stage; the method of operation may the steps of: selecting a differential timing between an electrical discharge between a pair of electrodes in the first laser chamber and in the second laser chamber which at the same time keeps ASE below a selected limit and the pulse energy of the laser system output light beam of pulses essentially constant.

Abstract: An LPP EUV light source is disclosed having an optic positioned in the plasma chamber for reflecting EUV light generated therein and a laser input window. For this aspect, the EUV light source may be configured to expose the optic to a gaseous etchant pressure for optic cleaning while the window is exposed to a lower gaseous etchant pressure to avoid window coating deterioration. In another aspect, an EUV light source may comprise a target material positionable along a beam path to participate in a first interaction with light on the beam path; an optical amplifier; and at least one optic directing photons scattered from the first interaction into the optical amplifier to produce a laser beam on the beam path for a subsequent interaction with the target material to produce an EUV light emitting plasma.

Abstract: In a first aspect, an apparatus for exposing a substrate with EUV radiation is described herein which may comprise a target material; a laser source generating a laser beam having a wavelength, ?, for irradiating the target material to generate EUV radiation, the laser beam defining a primary polarization direction; at least one mirror reflecting the EUV radiation along a path to the substrate; and a polarization filter disposed along the path filtering at least a portion of light having the wavelength, ?.

Abstract: Devices are disclosed herein which may comprise an EUV reflective optic having a surface of revolution that defines a rotation axis and a circular periphery. The optic may be positioned to incline the axis at a nonzero angle relative to a horizontal plane, and to establish a vertical projection of the periphery in the horizontal plane with the periphery projection bounding a region in the horizontal plane. The device may further comprise a system delivering target material, the system having a target material release point that is located in the horizontal plane and outside the region, bounded by the periphery projection and a system generating a laser beam for irradiating the target material to generate an EUV emission.

Abstract: 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 lig

Abstract: A method is disclosed for in-situ monitoring of an EUV mirror to determine a degree of optical degradation. The method may comprise the steps/acts of irradiating at least a portion of the mirror with light having a wavelength outside the EUV spectrum, measuring at least a portion of the light after the light has reflected from the mirror, and using the measurement and a pre-determined relationship between mirror degradation and light reflectivity to estimate a degree of multi-layer mirror degradation. Also disclosed is a method for preparing a near-normal incidence, EUV mirror which may comprise the steps/acts of providing a metallic substrate, diamond turning a surface of the substrate, depositing at least one intermediate material overlying the surface using a physical vapor deposition technique, and depositing a multi-layer mirror coating overlying the intermediate material.