Abstract: A system and method for automatically performing gas optimization after a refill in the chambers of a two chamber gas discharge laser is disclosed. The laser is fired at low power, and the gas in the amplifier laser chamber bled if necessary until the discharge voltage meets or exceeds a minimum value without dropping the pressure below a minimum value. The power output is increased to a burst pattern that approximates the expected operation of the laser, and the amplifier chamber gas bled again if necessary until the voltage and an output energy meet or exceed minimum values, or until the pressure is less than a minimum value. The gas in the master oscillator chamber is then bled if necessary until the output energy of the master oscillator meets or falls below a maximum value, again without dropping the pressure in the chamber below the minimum value. While the pressure is adjusted, bandwidth is also measured and adjusted to stay within a desired range.

Abstract: A metrology system includes an optical frequency separation apparatus in the path of the pulsed light beam and configured to interact with the pulsed light beam and output a plurality of spatial components that correspond to the spectral components of the pulsed light beam; a plurality of sensing regions that receive and sense the output spatial components; and a control system connected to an output of each sensing region. The control system is configured to: measure, for each sensing region output, a property of the output spatial components from the optical frequency separation apparatus for one or more pulses; analyze the measured properties including averaging the measured properties to calculate an estimate of the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam; and determine whether the estimated spectral feature of the pulsed light beam is within an acceptable range of values of spectral features.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically performing gas optimization after a refill in the chambers of a two chamber gas discharge laser is disclosed. The laser is fired at low power, and the gas in the amplifier laser chamber bled if necessary until the discharge voltage meets or exceeds a minimum value without dropping the pressure below a minimum value. The power output is increased to a burst pattern that approximates the expected operation of the laser, and the amplifier chamber gas bled again if necessary until the voltage and an output energy meet or exceed minimum values, or until the pressure is less than a minimum value. The gas in the master oscillator chamber is then bled if necessary until the output energy of the master oscillator meets or falls below a maximum value, again without dropping the pressure in the chamber below the minimum value. While the pressure is adjusted, bandwidth is also measured and adjusted to stay within a desired range.

Abstract: A metrology system includes an optical frequency separation apparatus in the path of the pulsed light beam and configured to interact with the pulsed light beam and output a plurality of spatial components that correspond to the spectral components of the pulsed light beam; a plurality of sensing regions that receive and sense the output spatial components; and a control system connected to an output of each sensing region. The control system is configured to: measure, for each sensing region output, a property of the output spatial components from the optical frequency separation apparatus for one or more pulses; analyze the measured properties including averaging the measured properties to calculate an estimate of the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam; and determine whether the estimated spectral feature of the pulsed light beam is within an acceptable range of values of spectral features.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically performing gas optimization after a refill in the chambers of a two chamber gas discharge laser is disclosed. The laser is fired at low power, and the gas in the amplifier laser chamber bled if necessary until the discharge voltage meets or exceeds a minimum value without dropping the pressure below a minimum value. The power output is increased to a burst pattern that approximates the expected operation of the laser, and the amplifier chamber gas bled again if necessary until the voltage and an output energy meet or exceed minimum values, or until the pressure is less than a minimum value. The gas in the master oscillator chamber is then bled if necessary until the output energy of the master oscillator meets or falls below a maximum value, again without dropping the pressure in the chamber below the minimum value. While the pressure is adjusted, bandwidth is also measured and adjusted to stay within a desired range.