Patents by Inventor Takayuki Yabu

Takayuki Yabu 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).

  • Patent number: 11924954
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a target supply unit supplying a target to a plasma generation region in a chamber, a laser system emitting first laser light having a polarization direction deflected in one direction and second laser light to generate a secondary target that is the target diffused by irradiating the target with the first laser light from a direction perpendicular to a travel axis of the target and to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the secondary target with the second laser light, a polarization direction adjustment unit arranged on an optical path of the first laser light and configured to adjust the polarization direction of the first laser light, a secondary target observation unit configured to observe a distribution of the secondary target, and a processor controlling the polarization direction adjustment unit based on an observation result of the secondary target observation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yuta Takashima
  • Publication number: 20230413411
    Abstract: An EUV light generation system includes a chamber, a target supply device supplying a target to a plasma generation region in the chamber, a laser device outputting pulse laser light, a beam sensor measuring one of a position and an angle of an optical axis of the pulse laser light as a first optical characteristic, a first reflection control mirror whose angle is controlled, and a processor controlling the laser device. The processor calculates a first corrected angle based on a first attenuation curve defined by the angle of the first reflection control mirror at an end of an immediately preceding irradiation period, the angle of the first reflection control mirror at a cold state, an elapsed time from a start of the pause period, and a first time constant, and to change the angle of the first reflection control mirror to the first corrected angle, during a pause period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Shogo KITASAKA, Yuichi NISHIMURA, Takayuki YABU
  • Patent number: 11778721
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system includes a target supply unit configured to supply a target substance to a first predetermined region, a laser system configured to output pulse laser light to be radiated to the target substance in the first predetermined region, a first sensor configured to detect an arrival timing at which the target substance has reached a second predetermined region between the target supply unit and the first predetermined region, an optical adjuster arranged on an optical path of the pulse laser light between the laser system and the first predetermined region, and a processor configured to control transmittance of the pulse laser light through the optical adjuster based on the arrival timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi Nishimura, Takayuki Yabu, Hiroaki Nakarai
  • Publication number: 20230266677
    Abstract: A target supply system includes a load lock chamber configured to contain a solid target substance, a solid target supply pipe connected to the load lock chamber, a pressure regulator configured to regulate an externally supplied gas pressure, a gas pressure supply pipe connected to the pressure regulator, a melting tank connected to both the solid target supply pipe and the gas pressure supply pipe, and configured to melt the solid target substance supplied from the load lock chamber via the solid target supply pipe to generate a liquid target substance, a nozzle configured to discharge the liquid target substance by a gas pressure supplied from the pressure regulator to the melting tank via the gas pressure supply pipe, and a buffer tank configured to communicate with the melting tank and supply a gas pressure thereto when the solid target substance is supplied to the melting tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Fumio IWAMOTO, Atsushi UEDA, Takayuki YABU
  • Patent number: 11553583
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include a laser device configured to emit pulse laser light, an EUV light concentrating mirror configured to reflect and concentrate extreme ultraviolet light generated by irradiating a target with the pulse laser light, and a processor configured to receive a first energy parameter of the extreme ultraviolet light and control an irradiation frequency of the pulse laser light with which the target is irradiated so that change in a second energy parameter related to energy per unit time of the extreme ultraviolet light reflected by the EUV light concentrating mirror is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yoshifumi Ueno
  • Publication number: 20220232690
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system includes a target supply unit configured to supply a target substance to a first predetermined region, a laser system configured to output pulse laser light to be radiated to the target substance in the first predetermined region, a first sensor configured to detect an arrival timing at which the target substance has reached a second predetermined region between the target supply unit and the first predetermined region, an optical adjuster arranged on an optical path of the pulse laser light between the laser system and the first predetermined region, and a processor configured to control transmittance of the pulse laser light through the optical adjuster based on the arrival timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi NISHIMURA, Takayuki YABU, Hiroaki NAKARAI
  • Publication number: 20220110205
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include a laser device configured to emit pulse laser light, an EUV light concentrating mirror configured to reflect and concentrate extreme ultraviolet light generated by irradiating a target with the pulse laser light, and a processor configured to receive a first energy parameter of the extreme ultraviolet light and control an irradiation frequency of the pulse laser light with which the target is irradiated so that change in a second energy parameter related to energy per unit time of the extreme ultraviolet light reflected by the EUV light concentrating mirror is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Yoshifumi UENO
  • Publication number: 20220078898
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a target supply unit supplying a target to a plasma generation region in a chamber, a laser system emitting first laser light having a polarization direction deflected in one direction and second laser light to generate a secondary target that is the target diffused by irradiating the target with the first laser light from a direction perpendicular to a travel axis of the target and to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the secondary target with the second laser light, a polarization direction adjustment unit arranged on an optical path of the first laser light and configured to adjust the polarization direction of the first laser light, a secondary target observation unit configured to observe a distribution of the secondary target, and a processor controlling the polarization direction adjustment unit based on an observation result of the secondary target observation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Yuta TAKASHIMA
  • Patent number: 11219116
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include an irradiation position adjustment mechanism adjusting an irradiation position of the laser light; an extreme ultraviolet light sensor measuring energy of extreme ultraviolet light; a return light sensor measuring energy of return light traveling backward on the laser light path; and a processor controlling the irradiation position adjustment mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuta Takashima, Yuichi Nishimura, Takayuki Yabu, Yoshifumi Ueno
  • Publication number: 20210410262
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include an irradiation position adjustment mechanism adjusting an irradiation position of the laser light; an extreme ultraviolet light sensor measuring energy of extreme ultraviolet light; a return light sensor measuring energy of return light traveling backward on the laser light path; and a processor controlling the irradiation position adjustment mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuta TAKASHIMA, Yuichi NISHIMURA, Takayuki YABU, Yoshifumi UENO
  • Publication number: 20210333718
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first actuator that changes a travel direction of prepulse laser light to be output from a first optical element arranged on an optical path of the prepulse laser light between a prepulse laser device and a beam combiner, and a second actuator that changes irradiation positions of the prepulse laser light and main pulse laser light to be output from a light concentrating optical system, a plurality of sensors that detect light radiated from a predetermined region by a target being irradiated with the main pulse laser light, and a controller. Here, the controller controls the first actuator so that an evaluation value calculated from output of the plurality of sensors approaches a target value, and thereafter, controls the second actuator so that the evaluation value approaches the target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi NISHIMURA, Takayuki YABU, Tsukasa HORI
  • Patent number: 11043784
    Abstract: A laser apparatus includes: a plurality of envelope blocks each provided with an optical element and a first temperature sensor and covering part of a laser beam path, the optical element being disposed on the laser beam path, the first temperature sensor being configured to measure a first temperature of gas at a position away from the optical element; an envelope body including the envelope blocks and covering the laser beam path; and a control unit connected with each first temperature sensor and configured to specify an envelope block at which increase of the first temperature is measured in the envelope body as an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Hori, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takayuki Yabu, Yoshiaki Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 10908429
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a pulse laser apparatus configured to output a pulse laser beam, the pulse laser beam being supplied to a predetermined region in a chamber in which plasma containing extreme ultraviolet light is to be generated; a sensor configured to detect a beam size of the pulse laser beam; an actuator configured to change the beam size; and a controller. The controller performs, based on a first algorithm, first control that controls the actuator by a first control amount in a beam size minifying direction when the beam size has exceeded a first upper limit threshold in one burst duration, and then performs, based on a second algorithm, second control that controls the actuator by a second control amount smaller than the first control amount so that the beam size becomes closer to a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yuichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20200393687
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a pulse laser apparatus configured to output a pulse laser beam, the pulse laser beam being supplied to a predetermined region in a chamber in which plasma containing extreme ultraviolet light is to be generated; a sensor configured to detect a beam size of the pulse laser beam; an actuator configured to change the beam size; and a controller. The controller performs, based on a first algorithm, first control that controls the actuator by a first control amount in a beam size minifying direction when the beam size has exceeded a first upper limit threshold in one burst duration, and then performs, based on a second algorithm, second control that controls the actuator by a second control amount smaller than the first control amount so that the beam size becomes closer to a target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Yuichi NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 10869378
    Abstract: A target measuring apparatus includes: an image capturing unit configured to capture a picture image of a target output from a target supply unit; a moving unit configured to move at least a part of the image capturing unit; and a control unit configured to perform a first process of updating information on a coordinate system in the picture image based on an amount of movement of the image capturing unit by the moving unit, and a second process of measuring a parameter of the target based on the image captured by the image capturing unit and the information on the coordinate system. Updating the information on the coordinate system can calibrate a deviation of a measurement result of the target due to movement of the image capturing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takayuki Yabu
  • Patent number: 10842010
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 10609803
    Abstract: An EUV light generating apparatus includes: EUV light sensors configured to measure energy of EUV light from mutually different directions, the EUV light being generated by applying laser light to a target supplied to a predetermined region in a chamber; an application position adjusting unit configured to adjust an application position of the laser light to the target supplied to the predetermined region; and a controller configured to control the application position adjusting unit such that a centroid of the EUV light becomes a target desired centroid, the centroid of the EUV light being specified from measurement results of the EUV light sensors. The controller calibrates the target desired centroid based on EUV light centroids obtained from the energy of the EUV light measured by the EUV light sensors, and a parameter related to the measured energy of the EUV light corresponding to the EUV light centroids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yuichi Nishimura, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takayuki Yabu
  • Publication number: 20200044407
    Abstract: A laser apparatus includes: a plurality of envelope blocks each provided with an optical element and a first temperature sensor and covering part of a laser beam path, the optical element being disposed on the laser beam path, the first temperature sensor being configured to measure a first temperature of gas at a position away from the optical element; an envelope body including the envelope blocks and covering the laser beam path; and a control unit connected with each first temperature sensor and configured to specify an envelope block at which increase of the first temperature is measured in the envelope body as an envelope block at which anomaly is occurring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Tsukasa HORI, Yoshifumi UENO, Takayuki YABU, Yoshiaki KUROSAWA
  • Publication number: 20200037429
    Abstract: A target measuring apparatus includes: an image capturing unit configured to capture a picture image of a target output from a target supply unit; a moving unit configured to move at least a part of the image capturing unit; and a control unit configured to perform a first process of updating information on a coordinate system in the picture image based on an amount of movement of the image capturing unit by the moving unit, and a second process of measuring a parameter of the target based on the image captured by the image capturing unit and the information on the coordinate system. Updating the information on the coordinate system can calibrate a deviation of a measurement result of the target due to movement of the image capturing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takayuki YABU
  • Patent number: 10531550
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation device may include: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated from plasma generated by irradiating a target with laser light output by a laser device, in a generation region therein; a target supply unit configured to output the target as a droplet toward the generation region; a droplet detector configured to detect the droplet in a detection region; and a controller. The droplet detector may transmit, to the controller, a pass timing signal indicating a timing when the droplet passes through the detection region. The controller may include a noise compensation unit configured to compensate for noise of the pass timing signal caused by an electromagnetic wave from the plasma, and transmit a trigger signal that gives a trigger to output the laser light to the laser device based on the pass timing signal in which the noise is compensated for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takayuki Yabu