Abstract: A target supply apparatus controls a gas pressure inside a tank storing a liquid target material to be outputted from a nozzle by a pressure of gas supplied from a gas supply having a pressure regulator. The target supply apparatus comprises a gas passage introducing gas supplied from the gas supply into the tank, and a high-precision pressure regulator arranged on the gas passage and regulating a pressure of gas flowing the gas passage. The high-precision pressure regulator is able to regulate pressure with accuracy higher than the pressure regulator.

Abstract: A narrow-band discharge excited laser device including a laser chamber having a laser gas sealed therein, a pair of electrodes provided within the laser chamber to face each other with a predetermined distance therebetween, a band-narrowing module having a magnifying prism and a grating and receiving laser light passing through a slit, and a cross-flow fan circulating the laser gas passing between the electrodes, in which a pulsed voltage is applied from a high-voltage power supply to the pair of electrodes to generate electric discharge between the electrodes, and the pair of electrodes have a width of 1 to 2 mm, a ratio between the electrode width and the inter-electrode distance (electrode with inter-electrode distance) being 0.25 to 0.125.

Abstract: In a target supply unit of an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet light by applying a laser beam to a target material to turn the target material into plasma, clogging of a target nozzle for supplying the target material to a laser beam application point is suppressed. The target supply unit includes: a target container for accommodating the target material; a target nozzle for injecting the target material supplied from the target container; and a reducing gas supply unit for supplying a reducing gas into the target container. Instead of using the reducing gas, a carbon-based material having a reduction action may be provided within the target container for causing reduction reaction.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus has a magnetic field generator which generates a magnetic field region around a direction of the magnetic field passing through a plasma region in which a plasma is to be generated and converges charged particles including ion emitted from the plasma region toward the direction of the magnetic field, a first charged particle collector (receiver) mounted at both sides of an axis of the magnetic field in the magnetic field region in order to collect (receive) the charged particles converged by the magnetic field, a target supply unit supplying a target from a nozzle located outside a converging region in which the charged particles are to be converged inside the magnetic field region in an extreme ultraviolet light generating chamber, and a target collector located at a position opposite to the nozzle, the target retrieval portion retrieving a residual target which does not contribute to generation of the plasma.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises a target supply unit supplying a target into a vacuum chamber, a laser oscillator outputting a laser light into the vacuum chamber, a collector mirror outputting an extreme ultraviolet light outside by reflecting the extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the target being ionized as a plasma by irradiation with the laser light at a plasma luminescence point in the vacuum chamber, and an ion debris removal unit at least a part of which is located in an obscuration region including the plasma luminescence point.

Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus provided with a magnetic field forming unit having sufficient capability of protection against ions radiated from plasma while using a relatively small magnetic source. The apparatus includes: a target nozzle for injecting a target material; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target material to generate plasma; a collector mirror for collecting extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field forming unit including at least one magnetic source and at least one magnetic material having two leading end parts projecting from the at least one magnetic source to face each other with a plasma emission point in between, and forming a magnetic field between a trajectory of the target material and the collector mirror.

Abstract: A narrow-band discharge excited laser device including a laser chamber having a laser gas sealed therein, a pair of electrodes provided within the laser chamber to face each other with a predetermined distance therebetween, a band-narrowing module having a magnifying prism and a grating and receiving laser light passing through a slit, and a cross-flow fan circulating the laser gas passing between the electrodes, in which a pulsed voltage is applied from a high-voltage power supply to the pair of electrodes to generate electric discharge between the electrodes, and the pair of electrodes have a width of 1 to 2 mm, a ratio between the electrode width and the inter-electrode distance (electrode with inter-electrode distance) being 0.25 to 0.125.

Abstract: A high efficiency injection device 4, which injects oscillation stage laser light into an optical stable resonator of an amplification stage laser 20, is provided. A discharge electrode 1a is disposed in an oscillation stage laser 10, and is connected to a 12 kHz power supply 15 for discharging the discharge electrode 1a, and also a plurality of pairs of discharge electrodes 2a, 2b are disposed within the optical stable resonator of the amplification stage laser 20, and are connected to 6 kHz power supplies 25a, 25b for discharging the respective electrode pairs 2a, 2b. Discharge voltages are applied alternately to the two pairs of electrodes 2a, 2b in synchronization with the injected light to cause discharge.

Abstract: The invention provides a discharge electrodes connecting structure for a laser apparatus in which a thickness of the return plate is set to be within an optimum range, and a laser apparatus employing the same. Accordingly, a laser apparatus is provided with a laser chamber (2) sealing a laser gas, a pair of anode (5A) and cathode (5B) provided within the laser chamber in an opposing manner, generating a discharge so as to excite a laser gas flowing therebetween and oscillating a laser beam, a conductive anode base (6) holding the anode, an insulative cathode base (8) holding the cathode, and a return plate (9) electrically connecting the anode base to the laser chamber so as to supply a current to the anode. A thickness (t) of the return plate is set to be equal to or more than 100 &mgr;m and equal to or less than 500 &mgr;m, and the return plate is arranged substantially in parallel to a gas flow of the laser gas flowing between the discharge electrodes.

Abstract: A discharge electrode for a laser device which can cause stable main discharge to occur is provided. To this end, the discharge electrode includes a cathode base (8) made of an insulating material for sealing up a chamber opening (7) provided in a laser chamber (2) for containing laser gases, a cathode (5) attached to the cathode base (8) with a bottom surface (5A) of the cathode (5) in contact therewith, and a plurality of high-voltage feeder rods (12) disposed in a longitudinal direction, penetrating through the cathode base (8) from an outside of the laser chamber (2) which supplies a high-voltage current to the cathode (5), in which an O-ring groove (22) for sealing in the laser gases is formed on the bottom surface of the cathode (5) to surround a plurality of holes (24) for fixing the high-voltage feeder rods (12) disposed on the bottom surface of the cathode (5).

Abstract: A gas laser device including a dust filter with which a flow rate of laser gas flowing between discharge electrodes is approximately uniform in a longitudinal direction of the discharge electrodes without a variation with time is provided. For this purpose, the gas laser device includes a laser chamber (2) containing laser gas, a pair of discharge electrodes (5, 5) disposed inside the laser chamber (2) to face to each other for exciting a laser medium by discharge to thereby oscillate laser light, a fan (14) for circulating the laser gas to send the same to an area between the discharge electrodes (5, 5), and a dust filter (12) for eliminating dust generated inside the laser chamber (2), and has a configuration in which a filter inlet port (15), which is formed in an inner wall (2A) of the laser chamber (2) and guides the laser gas into the dust filter (12), is formed to be approximately vertical to the inner wall (2A) of the laser chamber (2).

Abstract: The amount of pre-ionization by the pre-ionization electrode provided on the gas outflow side of the main discharge space, out of at least one pair of pre-ionization electrodes, is adjusted so as to attain the desired beam profile. As a result, the pre-ionization intensity of the laser gas remaining on the gas outflow side of the main discharge space is made lower than the pre-ionization intensity of the laser gas flowing into the main discharge space. In other words, the intensity of the laser light on the gas outflow side of the main discharge space is made weaker than the intensity of the laser light in the center of the main discharge space. Accordingly, the location of the maximum light intensity of the beam profile does not deviate from the center of the discharge width.

Abstract: A discharge electrode for a laser device allowing return plates to be easily attached/detached and a laser device with the discharge electrode are provided. To this end, structure in which a pair of an anode (5A) and a cathode (5B), provided facing each other inside a laser chamber (2) sealing in laser gases, for discharging electricity to excite the laser gases flowing through a space between them, thereby oscillating a laser beam, a conductive anode base (6) for holding the anode (5A), an insulating cathode base (8) for holding the cathode (5B), and a plurality of return plates (9B) for electrically connecting the anode base (6) and the laser chamber (2) and supplying an electric current to the anode (5A) are provided, and in which upper portions and lower portions of the return plates (9B) are connected respectively with an upper fixed plate (9A) and a lower fixed plate (9C), is given.

Abstract: In an excimer laser apparatus in which halogen gas, rare gas and buffer gas are fed into the laser chamber, before laser oscillation, the oscillation stop time is calculated, and, if the calculated oscillation stop time exceeds a prescribed time, the calculated oscillation stop time is used to calculate a feeding amount of mixed gas comprising rare gas or buffer gas, and the mixed gas is fed, prior to laser oscillation, in the calculated feeding amount; stable laser output is thereby obtained from the initial period of laser oscillation.