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).

  • Publication number: 20160037616
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a target supplier configured to output a target into a chamber as a droplet, the target generating extreme ultraviolet light when being irradiated with a laser beam in the chamber; a droplet measurement unit configured to measure a parameter for a state of the droplet outputted into the chamber; a pressure regulator configured to regulate a pressure in the target supplier in which the target is accommodated; and a target generation controller configured to control the pressure regulator, based on the parameter measured by the droplet measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takashi SAITO, Fumio IWAMOTO, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Takayuki YABU
  • Patent number: 9097434
    Abstract: A target supply apparatus used in an extreme ultraviolet light apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a laser beam may include a tank, a nozzle that includes a through-hole and is disposed so that the through-hole communicates with the interior of the tank, a first heater disposed along a wall of the tank, a second heater disposed along a wall of the tank in a position that is further from the nozzle than the first heater, and a control unit configured to control the first heater and the second heater so that a temperature of the first heater is greater than a temperature of the second heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8841639
    Abstract: A control method for a target supply device may employ a target supply device, provided in an EUV light generation apparatus including an image sensor, that includes a target generator having a nozzle and configured to hold a target material and a pressure control unit configured to control a pressure within the target generator, and the method may include outputting the target material in the target generator from a nozzle hole in the nozzle by pressurizing the interior of the target generator using the pressure control unit, determining whether or not a difference between an output direction of the target material outputted from the nozzle hole that is detected by the image sensor and a set direction is within a predetermined range, and holding the pressure in the target generator using the pressure control unit until the difference falls within the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takeshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 8809819
    Abstract: A target supply unit may include: a target storage unit for storing a target material thereinside; a target output unit having a through-hole formed therein, through which the target material stored inside the target storage unit is outputted; an electrode having a through-hole formed therein arranged to face the target output unit, the electrode being coated with an electrically conductive material at least on a part of a surface facing the target output unit; and a voltage generator for applying a voltage between the target material and the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Hiroshi Umeda, Hakaru Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 8779401
    Abstract: A target supply unit includes a nozzle unit having a through-hole to allow a target material to be outputted therethrough. A cover is provided to cover the nozzle unit, the cover having a through-hole to allow the target material to pass therethrough. A discharge device is included to pump out gas inside a space defined by the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON Inc.
    Inventors: Hakaru Mizoguchi, Takayuki Yabu, Toshihiro Nishisaka
  • Patent number: 8779402
    Abstract: A target supply device includes a target supply device body including a nozzle having a through-hole through which a target material is discharged, a piezoelectric member having first and second surfaces and connected to the target supply device body at the first surface, the piezoelectric member being configured such that a distance between the first and second surfaces changes in according with an externally supplied electric signal, an elastic member having first and second ends and connected to the second surface of the piezoelectric member at the first end, the elastic member being configured such that a distance between the first and second ends extends or contract in accordance with an externally applied force, and a regulating member configured to regulate a distance between the second end of the elastic member and the target supply device body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Yukio Watanabe, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8710472
    Abstract: A target output device may include: a main body for storing a target material; a nozzle unit, connected to the main body, for outputting the target material as a target; an electrode unit provided so as to face the nozzle unit; a voltage control unit that applies predetermined voltage between the electrode unit and the target material to generate electrostatic force therebetween for pulling out the target material through the nozzle unit; a pressure control unit that applies predetermined pressure to the target material; and an output control unit that causes the target to be outputted through the nozzle unit by controlling signal output timing of each of a first timing signal and a second timing signal, the first timing signal causing the voltage control unit to apply the predetermined voltage between the target material and the electrode unit at first timing, and the second timing signal causing the pressure control unit to apply the predetermined pressure to the target material at second timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takanobu Ishihara, Youichi Sasaki, Kouji Kakizaki, Masahiro Inoue, Takayuki Yabu, Hideo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 8698112
    Abstract: An apparatus, configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target material by a laser beam from a laser apparatus to turn the target material into plasma, includes a chamber with an inlet for introducing the laser beam into the chamber, the chamber including an electrically conductive structural member; and a target generator including an electrode having a first through-hole through which a charged target passes, an electrical insulator for holding the electrode, and a shielding member having a second through-hole, through which the charged target passes, the shielding member being positioned between a plasma generation region and at least the electrical insulator. The target generator generates the charged target of a liquid target material and output the charged target toward the plasma generation region inside the chamber, and the shielding member has electrically conductive properties and is connected electrically to the electrically conductive structural member of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Kouji Kakizaki, Takanobu Ishihara, Tamotsu Abe, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20140098830
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include an optical device configured to cause an optical path of a pulse laser beam to approximately match one of a first optical path in which the pulse laser beam is focused at a plasma generation region and a second optical path in which the pulse laser beam passes outside the plasma generation region, and a control unit configured to output a control signal to the optical device so that the optical device sets the optical path of the pulse laser beam to the second optical path from when a predetermined time starts to when the number of pulses contained in a timing signal reaches a predetermined value and sets the optical path of the pulse laser beam to the first optical path from when the number of pulses reaches the predetermined value to when the predetermined time ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Takashi SAITO, Hideyuki HAYASHI, Kazuhiro SUZUKI, Hiroaki NAKARAI
  • Publication number: 20140070021
    Abstract: A control method for a target supply device may employ a target supply device, provided in an EUV light generation apparatus including an image sensor, that includes a target generator having a nozzle and configured to hold a target material and a pressure control unit configured to control a pressure within the target generator, and the method may include outputting the target material in the target generator from a nozzle hole in the nozzle by pressurizing the interior of the target generator using the pressure control unit, determining whether or not a difference between an output direction of the target material outputted from the nozzle hole that is detected by the image sensor and a set direction is within a predetermined range, and holding the pressure in the target generator using the pressure control unit until the difference falls within the predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Yoshifumi UENO, Takeshi KODAMA
  • Publication number: 20140034759
    Abstract: A target supply method uses a target supply device that includes a target generation unit having a nozzle, a pressure control unit having a pressure sensor and an actuator, an electrode, a potential application unit, and a timer; further, the method include raising the pressure inside the target generation unit to a setting pressure by the actuator, applying different potentials to the electrode and a target material from each other by the potential application unit in the case where it is detected that the pressure inside the target generation unit is halfway raised to the setting pressure, and applying a constant first potential to the target material and a first pulse voltage to the electrode by the potential application unit to extract the target material with electrostatic force in the case where it is detected that the pressure inside the target generation unit has been raised to the setting pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Tamotsu ABE
  • Patent number: 8610095
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source device in accordance with the present invention suppresses a surface that comes into contact with a target material in a molten state from being eroded by the target material, being reacted with the target material, and being cut by the target material. A target generating unit 120 injects molten tin in a droplet shape as a target 201 into a chamber 101. A protective coating provided with an erosion resistance property to tin is configured on a section that comes into contact with tin in a molten state for each face of a nozzle part 121 and a tank part 122. Alternatively, a part that comes into contact with tin in a molten state is made of a material provided with an erosion resistance property and a heat resistance property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Takeshi Asayama, Fumika Yoshida, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8604451
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Masaki Nakano, Hitoshi Nagano, Takanobu Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20130277452
    Abstract: A chamber apparatus used with a laser apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet for introducing thereinto a laser beam outputted from the laser apparatus; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region in the chamber; a recovery control unit for instructing the target supply unit to execute recovery operation if a predetermined condition is met; a recovery unit for executing the recovery operation in response to the instruction from the recovery control unit; and a position measuring unit for measuring a position of the target material supplied from the target supply unit into the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Yukio WATANABE, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8497489
    Abstract: A chamber apparatus used with a laser apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet for introducing thereinto a laser beam outputted from the laser apparatus; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region in the chamber; a recovery control unit for instructing the target supply unit to execute recovery operation if a predetermined condition is met; a recovery unit for executing the recovery operation in response to the instruction from the recovery control unit; and a position measuring unit for measuring a position of the target material supplied from the target supply unit into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Kouji Kakizaki, Yukio Watanabe, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20130134326
    Abstract: A target collection device may include a collection container having an opening through which a target material is collected into the collection container, and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the collection container to a temperature that is equal to or higher than a melting point of the target material. The target collection device may be part of an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus. Methods of target collection are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Youichi Sasaki, Yulaka Shiraishi, Shinji Nagai, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8450706
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus in which only particles having a high transmittance for EUV light adhere to an EUV collector mirror even if fast ions emitted from plasma collide with a structural member in a vacuum chamber, and thereby, the reflectance thereof is not easily degraded. The apparatus includes: a vacuum chamber; a target supply unit for supplying a target to a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target to generate the plasma; a collector mirror for collecting and outputting extreme ultraviolet light emitted from the plasma; a collector mirror holder for supporting the collector mirror; and a shielding member formed of a material having a high transmittance for the extreme ultraviolet light, for shielding the structural member such as the collector mirror holder from the ions generated from the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Hiroshi Someya, Takashi Suganuma, Takayuki Yabu
  • Publication number: 20130075625
    Abstract: A target supply unit includes a nozzle through which a target material is outputted, and a first electrically conductive member having a first opening formed therein and positioned to face the nozzle in a direction into which the target material is outputted through the nozzle. The first electrically conductive member is positioned so that the first opening is located below the nozzle in a gravitational direction. The target supply unit includes a voltage generator which applies a voltage between the target material and the first electrically conductive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Yoshifumi UENO, Junichi FUJIMOTO, Yukio WATANABE, Toshihiro NISHISAKA
  • Publication number: 20130048878
    Abstract: A target supply unit includes a nozzle unit having a through-hole to allow a target material to be outputted therethrough. A cover is provided to cover the nozzle unit, the cover having a through-hole to allow the target material to pass therethrough. A discharge device is included to pump out gas inside a space defined by the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventors: Hakaru MIZOGUCHI, Takayuki Yabu, Toshihiro Nishisaka
  • Publication number: 20130032640
    Abstract: An apparatus for physically cleaning a nozzle inside a chamber may include a cleaning member disposed inside the chamber. The nozzle is configured to output a target material into the chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated. The cleaning member is configured to remove the target material deposited around the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Takeshi Kodama, Osamu Wakabayashi, Junichi Fujimoto