Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a placement base on which a workpiece is placed, a beam shaping optical system that shapes laser light such that a first laser light irradiated region of a mask blocking part of the laser light has a rectangular shape having short edges and long edges, the beam shaping optical system capable of causing one of a first radiation width of the first irradiated region in the direction parallel to the short edges and a second radiation width of the first irradiated region in the direction parallel to the long edges to be fixed and causing the other to be changed, a projection optical system that projects a pattern on the mask onto the workpiece, and a mover that moves the first irradiated region at least in the direction parallel to the short edges to move a second laser light irradiated region of the workpiece.

Abstract: A gas laser apparatus may include: a laser chamber connected through a first control valve to a first laser gas supply source that supplies a first laser gas containing a halogen gas; a purification column that removes at least a part of the halogen gas and a halogen compound from at least a part of a gas exhausted from the laser chamber; a booster pump; and a controller that calculates, on a basis of a first amount of a gas supplied from the booster pump to the laser chamber, a second amount of the first laser gas that is to be supplied to the laser chamber and controls the first control valve on a basis of a result of the calculation of the second amount.

Abstract: A laser system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a wavelength-variable first solid-state laser device configured to output a first pulse laser beam; a wavelength conversion system including a first nonlinear crystal configured to wavelength-convert the first pulse laser beam and a first rotation stage configured to change a first incident angle of the first pulse laser beam on the first nonlinear crystal; an excimer amplifier configured to amplify a pulse laser beam wavelength-converted by the wavelength conversion system; and a control unit configured to receive, from an external device, data of a target center wavelength of an excimer laser beam output from the excimer amplifier, control a wavelength of the first pulse laser beam in accordance with the instructed target center wavelength, and control the first incident angle on the first nonlinear crystal in accordance with an average value of the target center wavelength.

Abstract: In a laser system according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure, a first amplifier amplifies first pulsed laser light outputted from a first semiconductor laser system into second pulsed laser light, a wavelength conversion system converts the second pulsed laser light in terms of wavelength into third pulsed laser light, and an excimer amplifier amplifies the third pulsed laser light. The first semiconductor laser system includes a first current controller that controls current flowing through a first semiconductor laser in such a way that first laser light outputted from the first semiconductor laser is caused to undergo chirping and a first semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the first laser light into pulsed light. The laser system includes a control section that controls the amount of chirping performed on the first pulsed laser light in such a way that excimer laser light having a target spectral linewidth is achieved.

Abstract: A laser system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first solid-state laser device, a wavelength conversion system, an excimer amplifier, and a control unit. The first solid-state laser device includes a first multiple semiconductor laser system, a first semiconductor optical amplifier, and a first fiber amplifier. The first multiple semiconductor laser system includes a plurality of first semiconductor lasers configured to perform continuous wave oscillation in a single longitudinal mode with different wavelengths, a first spectrum monitor, and a first beam combiner. The control unit controls an oscillation wavelength and light intensity of each line of a first multiline spectrum generated by the first semiconductor lasers to obtain an excimer laser beam having at least a target center wavelength or a target spectral line width instructed by an external device.

Abstract: A discharge excitation gas laser device includes: first and second discharge electrodes disposed to face each other; a plurality of peaking capacitors connected to the first discharge electrode; a charger; a plurality of pulse power modules, each one of the pulse power modules including a charging capacitor to which a charged voltage is applied from the charger, a pulse compression circuit that pulse-compresses and outputs electrical energy stored in the charging capacitor as an output pulse to a corresponding peaking capacitor, and a switch disposed between the charging capacitor and the pulse compression circuit; a plurality of output pulse sensors, each one of the output pulse sensors detecting an output pulse output by a corresponding pulse power module; and a control unit configured to control, based on a detection result of each of the output pulse sensor, a timing of a switch signal to be input to a corresponding switch.

Abstract: A maintenance management method for a lithography system according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure includes organizing and saving operating information for each of lithography cells that are each an apparatus group formed of a set of apparatuses and form the lithography system, organizing and saving maintenance information on consumables for each of the lithography cells, calculating a standard maintenance timing for each of the consumables for each of the lithography cells based on the operating information and the maintenance information on the consumable for each of the lithography cells, creating a maintenance schedule plan for each of the lithography cells or for each of manufacturing lines based on the standard maintenance timing, information on a downtime, and information on a loss cost due to the downtime for each of the lithography cells or for each of the manufacturing lines, and outputting the result of the creation of the maintenance schedule plan.

Abstract: A gas purification system may include: a circulation gas pipe in which a second end is connected at a first position to a second pipe through which gas is supplied from a gas supply source; a booster pump; a gas purification unit; a first tank in the circulation gas pipe; a first valve positioned between the gas supply source and the first position, the first valve having an open position and a closed position; and a second valve positioned between the first tank and the second end, the second valve having an open position and a closed position, the second valve configured to be in the closed position when the first valve is in the open position.

Abstract: Provided is a laser device that includes a laser chamber in which a pair of discharge electrodes are disposed; a line narrowing optical system including a grating disposed in a position outside the laser chamber; a beam expander optical system that increases a diameter of a light beam, outputted from the laser chamber and traveling toward the grating, in a first direction parallel to a discharge direction between the discharge electrodes and in a second direction orthogonal to the discharge direction; and a holding platform that is formed as a component separate from the laser chamber and the grating, holds the beam expander optical system, and forms along with the beam expander optical system a beam expander unit.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) generation system is configured to improve conversion efficiency of energy of a laser system to EUV energy by improving the efficiency of plasma generation. The EUV generation system includes a target generation unit configured to output a target toward a plasma generation region in a chamber. The laser system is configured to generate a first pre-pulse laser beam, a second pre-pulse laser beam, and a main pulse laser beam so that the target is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam, the second pre-pulse laser beam, and the main pulse laser beam in this order. In addition, the EUV generation system includes a controller configured to control the laser system so that a fluence of the second pre-pulse laser beam is equal to or higher than 1 J/cm2 and equal to or lower than a fluence of the main pulse laser beam.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a placement base on which a processing receiving object is placed, an optical system that guides laser light to the processing receiving object, a gas supply port via which a gas is supplied to a laser light irradiated region of the processing receiving object, a gas recovery port via which the supplied gas is recovered, a mover that moves the irradiated region, and a controller that controls, in accordance with the moving direction of the irradiated region, the direction of the flow of the gas flowing from the gas supply port to the gas recovery port, and the controller changes the direction of the gas flow in response to a change in the moving direction of the irradiated region in such a way that the gas flows in the direction opposite the moving direction of the irradiated region.

Abstract: A laser gas purifying system to purify laser gas emitted from a laser apparatus and return purified gas to the laser apparatus may include a first pipe configured to pass the laser gas emitted from the laser apparatus, a purifying apparatus connected to the first pipe and configured to purify the laser gas emitted from the laser apparatus, a second pipe connected to the purifying apparatus and configured to return the purified gas purified by the purifying apparatus to the laser apparatus, and an exhausting device provided in at least one of the first pipe, the purifying apparatus, and the second pipe.

Abstract: A laser gas regeneration system for an excimer laser includes a first pipe capable of supplying a laser chamber with a first laser gas, a second pipe capable of supplying the laser chamber with a second laser gas having a halogen gas concentration higher than that of the first laser gas, a third pipe allowing a gas exhausted from the laser chamber to pass therethrough, a gas refiner that refines the gas having passed through the third pipe, a branch that causes the refined gas to divide and flow into a fourth pipe and a fifth pipe, a first regenerated gas supplier that supplies the first pipe with a gas having divided and flowed into the fourth pipe, and a second regenerated gas supplier that adds a halogen gas to a gas having divided and flowed into the fifth pipe and supplies the second pipe with the halogen-added gas.

Abstract: A laser gas regenerating apparatus regenerates a discharged gas discharged from at least one ArF excimer laser apparatus and supplies the regenerated gas to the at least one ArF excimer laser apparatus connected to a first laser gas supply source that supplies a first laser gas and to a second laser gas supply source that supplies a second laser gas. The laser gas regenerating apparatus includes a data obtaining unit that obtains data on a supply amount of the second laser gas supplied to the at least one ArF excimer laser apparatus; a xenon adding unit that adds, to the regenerated gas, a third laser gas; and a control unit that controls, based on the supply amount, an addition amount of the third laser gas by the xenon adding unit.

Abstract: An EUV light generator including the following components: A. an electron storage ring including a first linear section and a second linear section; B. an electron supplier configured to supply the electron storage ring with an electron bunch; C. a high-frequency acceleration cavity disposed in the first linear section and configured to accelerate the electron bunch in such a way that a length Lez of the electron bunch satisfies “0.09 m?Lez?3 m;” and D. an undulator disposed in the second linear section and configured to output EUV light when the electron bunch enters the undulator.

Abstract: A laser gas management system includes a gas regeneration apparatus connected to a plurality of excimer laser apparatuses and configured to regenerate a laser gas discharged from the plurality of excimer laser apparatuses into a regenerated gas and supply the plurality of excimer laser apparatuses with the regenerated gas and a controller configured to evaluate whether or not at least one parameter of any of the plurality of excimer laser apparatuses has exceeded a range determined in advance and determine that abnormality has occurred in the gas regeneration apparatus when the at least one parameter has exceeded the range determined in advance in two or more of the excimer laser apparatuses.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system includes: a target supply unit configured to output a target toward a predetermined region; a drive laser configured to output a drive laser beam in a first duration; a guide laser configured to output a guide laser beam; a beam combiner configured to substantially align the optical path axes of the drive and guide laser beams and output the laser beams; a laser beam focusing optical system configured to focus the laser beams output from the beam combiner to the predetermined region; an actuator configured to change the focusing positions of the laser beams through the laser beam focusing optical system; an optical sensor configured to detect reflected light of the guide laser beam from the target; and a control unit configured to control the actuator so that the light amount of the reflected light thus detected increases in a second duration.

Abstract: A laser apparatus includes first and second wavelength dispersion elements, an optical element, first and second actuators, and a control unit. The first wavelength dispersion element generates wavelength dispersion in a direction orthogonal to an electric discharge direction between a pair of electric discharge electrodes. The second wavelength dispersion element generates wavelength dispersion in a direction parallel to the electric discharge direction. The optical element corrects wavelength dispersion generated by the second wavelength dispersion element. The first actuator drives the first wavelength dispersion element. The second actuator drives the optical element. The control unit controls the first actuator so that the center wavelength of the laser light approaches to a target wavelength and controls the second actuator so as to correct the wavelength dispersion generated by the second wavelength dispersion element.

Abstract: A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light includes: A. a positioning step of performing positioning so that a transfer position of a transfer image is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ?Zsf from a surface of the transparent material in an optical axis direction; B. an irradiation condition acquisition step; C. a determination step of determining whether a maximum fluence of a pulse laser beam at the surface of the transparent material is within a predetermined range based on irradiation conditions; and D. a control step of allowing irradiation with the pulse laser beam when the maximum fluence is determined to be in the predetermined range.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light used with a laser apparatus and connected to an external device so as to supply the extreme ultraviolet light thereto includes a chamber provided with at least one inlet through which a laser beam is introduced into the chamber; a target supply unit provided on the chamber configured to supply a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber; a discharge pump connected to the chamber; at least one optical element provided inside the chamber; an etching gas introduction, unit provided on the chamber through which an etching gas passes; and at least one temperature control mechanism for controlling a temperature of the at least one optical element.