Patents by Inventor Takeshi Asayama
Takeshi Asayama 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).
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Patent number: 9742141Abstract: A laser chamber including a first space and a second space in communication with the first space may include: a first discharge electrode disposed in the first space; a second discharge electrode disposed in the first space to face the first discharge electrode; a fan disposed in the first space and configured to flow laser gas between the first discharge electrode and the second discharge electrode; a peaking condenser disposed in the second space; and an electrical insulating member configured to partition the first space and the second space from one another, and disposed to allow the laser gas to pass through between the first space and the second space.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2016Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroaki Tsushima, Kouji Kakizaki, Takashi Matsunaga, Takeshi Asayama, Hisakazu Katsuumi, Hiroshi Umeda, Hiroyuki Ikeda
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Patent number: 9601893Abstract: There may be provided a laser apparatus including: an optical resonator including an output coupler; a laser chamber containing a laser medium and disposed in an optical path inside the optical resonator; a pair of discharge electrodes disposed inside the laser chamber; an electrode gap varying section configured to vary a gap between the discharge electrodes; a laser beam measurement section disposed in an optical path of a laser beam outputted from the output coupler, the laser beam resulting from electric discharge between the discharge electrodes; and a controller configured to control the gap between the discharge electrodes through activating the electrode gap varying section, based on a beam parameter of the laser beam measured by the laser beam measurement section.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2016Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Kouji Kakizaki, Takeshi Asayama, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20170070023Abstract: The laser system may include a delay circuit unit, first and second trigger-correction units, and a clock generator. The delay circuit unit may receive a trigger signal, output a first delay signal obtained by delaying the trigger signal by a first delay time, and output a second delay signal obtained by delaying the trigger signal by a second delay time. The first trigger-correction unit may receive the first delay signal and output a first switch signal obtained by delaying the first delay signal by a first correction time. The second trigger-correction unit may receive the second delay signal and output a second switch signal obtained by delaying the second delay signal by a second correction time. The clock generator may generate a clock signal that is common to the delay circuit unit and the first and second trigger-correction units.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2016Publication date: March 9, 2017Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi UMEDA, Takeshi ASAYAMA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20160365696Abstract: A laser chamber including a first space and a second space in communication with the first space may include: a first discharge electrode disposed in the first space; a second discharge electrode disposed in the first space to face the first discharge electrode; a fan disposed in the first space and configured to flow laser gas between the first discharge electrode and the second discharge electrode; a peaking condenser disposed in the second space; and an electrical insulating member configured to partition the first space and the second space from one another, and disposed to allow the laser gas to pass through between the first space and the second space.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2016Publication date: December 15, 2016Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroaki TSUSHIMA, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Takashi MATSUNAGA, Takeshi ASAYAMA, Hisakazu KATSUUMI, Hiroshi UMEDA, Hiroyuki IKEDA
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Publication number: 20160359291Abstract: A gas laser apparatus includes a chamber containing a laser gas, a pair of electrodes disposed within the chamber, a fan disposed within the chamber, a motor connected to a rotating shaft of the fan, and a rotating speed control unit configured to control a rotating speed of the fan based on a wear-out parameter of the pair of electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2016Publication date: December 8, 2016Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi ASAYAMA, Hiroaki TSUSHIMA, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Publication number: 20160254634Abstract: The excimer laser apparatus may include a laser chamber configured to contain gas, a pair of electrodes provided in the laser chamber, a power source unit configured to supply a pulse voltage between the pair of electrodes, a gas supply unit configured to supply gas into the laser chamber, a gas exhaust unit configured to partially exhaust gas from within the laser chamber, and a gas control unit configured to control the gas supply unit and the gas exhaust unit, where a replacement ratio of gas to be replaced from within the laser chamber increases as deterioration of the pair of electrodes progresses, the deterioration being represented by a deterioration parameter of the pair of electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2016Publication date: September 1, 2016Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi ASAYAMA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Kouji KAKIZAKI
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Publication number: 20160190763Abstract: There may be provided a laser apparatus including: an optical resonator including an output coupler; a laser chamber containing a laser medium and disposed in an optical path inside the optical resonator; a pair of discharge electrodes disposed inside the laser chamber; an electrode gap varying section configured to vary a gap between the discharge electrodes; a laser beam measurement section disposed in an optical path of a laser beam outputted from the output coupler, the laser beam resulting from electric discharge between the discharge electrodes; and a controller configured to control the gap between the discharge electrodes through activating the electrode gap varying section, based on a beam parameter of the laser beam measured by the laser beam measurement section.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Kouji KAKIZAKI, Takeshi ASAYAMA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
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Patent number: 9331450Abstract: A laser apparatus according to embodiments may include a laser chamber including a laser gain medium; a power source; a first electrode to which a voltage is applied from the power source and a second electrode that is grounded, the first and second electrodes being disposed in the laser chamber; and a connector connected to the power source, and supporting the first electrode in a way that allows the first electrode to move toward a side where the second electrode is disposed.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2015Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Hakaru Mizoguchi, Kouji Kakizaki, Hiroaki Tsushima, Osamu Wakabayashi, Kazuya Takezawa
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Publication number: 20150194781Abstract: A laser apparatus according to embodiments may include a laser chamber including a laser gain medium; a power source; a first electrode to which a voltage is applied from the power source and a second electrode that is grounded, the first and second electrodes being disposed in the laser chamber; and a connector connected to the power source, and supporting the first electrode in a way that allows the first electrode to move toward a side where the second electrode is disposed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2015Publication date: July 9, 2015Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi ASAYAMA, Hakaru MIZOGUCHI, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Hiroaki TSUSHIMA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Kazuya TAKEZAWA
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Patent number: 8901524Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2013Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai
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Publication number: 20140166046Abstract: A method for cleaning collector mirrors in an EUV light generator in which a target is made into a plasma state and EUV light generated is collected by a collector mirror, the method being adopted to the EUV light generator for cleaning contaminants adhering thereto, the method comprising: preparing at least two collector mirrors; locating one of the mirrors at an EUV light condensing position while locating the other mirror at a cleaning position; determining whether the mirror at the cleaning position is cleaned while determining whether the mirror at the light condensing position requires cleaning; and once determined that the mirror at the cleaning position is cleaned and the mirror at the light condensing position requires cleaning, conveying the mirror at the light condensing position and requiring cleaning to the cleaning position while conveying the mirror at the cleaning position and having been cleaned to the light condensing position.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Hideo Hoshino, Tamotsu Abe
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Publication number: 20140008554Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2013Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INCInventors: Takeshi ASAYAMA, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Akira ENDO, Shinji NAGAI
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Patent number: 8610095Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 28, 2010Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takayuki Yabu, Takeshi Asayama, Fumika Yoshida, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Patent number: 8586954Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai
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Patent number: 8536550Abstract: A method for cleaning collector mirrors in an EUV light generator in which a target is made into a plasma state and EUV light generated is collected by a collector mirror, the method being adopted to the EUV light generator for cleaning contaminants adhering thereto, the method comprising: preparing at least two collector mirrors; locating one of the mirrors at an EUV light condensing position while locating the other mirror at a cleaning position; determining whether the mirror at the cleaning position is cleaned while determining whether the mirror at the light condensing position requires cleaning; and once determined that the mirror at the cleaning position is cleaned and the mirror at the light condensing position requires cleaning, conveying the mirror at the light condensing position and requiring cleaning to the cleaning position while conveying the mirror at the cleaning position and having been cleaned to the light condensing position.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2009Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Hideo Hoshino, Tamotsu Abe
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Patent number: 8481983Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus in which debris moving within a chamber are prevented from reducing reflectance or transmittance of optical elements of an EUV collector mirror, etc, and extreme ultra violet light can stably be generated in a long period. The apparatus includes: a target supply unit for supplying a target to a predetermined position within a chamber; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target to generate first plasma; a collector mirror provided within the chamber, for collecting extreme ultra violet light radiated from the first plasma; a gas supply unit for supplying a gas into the chamber; an excitation unit for exciting the gas to generate second plasma around a region where the first plasma is generated; and an exhaust unit for exhausting the chamber and ejecting debris emitted from the first plasma to outside of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2009Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Masato Moriya, Hiroshi Komori, Takeshi Asayama
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Publication number: 20120228527Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus prevents debris staying and accumulating within a chamber from contaminating the chamber and deteriorating the performance of an important optical component. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to a target supplied to a predetermined position within the chamber to generate plasma; a collector mirror provided within the chamber, for collecting and outputting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; an exhaust path communicating with the chamber and connected to an exhausting device, for maintaining an interior of the chamber at a certain pressure; a catching chamber provided in the exhaust path, for catching debris generated from the plasma; and a collecting unit for collecting the caught debris out of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: Komatsu Ltd./Gigaphoton, Inc.Inventors: Tamotsu ABE, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi
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Publication number: 20120176036Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi ASAYAMA, Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai
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Patent number: 8212228Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus prevents debris staying and accumulating within a chamber from contaminating the chamber and deteriorating the performance of an important optical component. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a driver laser for applying a laser beam to a target supplied to a predetermined position within the chamber to generate plasma; a collector mirror provided within the chamber, for collecting and outputting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; an exhaust path communicating with the chamber and connected to an exhausting device, for maintaining an interior of the chamber at a certain pressure; a catching chamber provided in the exhaust path, for catching debris generated from the plasma; and a collecting unit for collecting the caught debris out of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2009Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignees: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi
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Patent number: 8158959Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from plasma generated by irradiating a target material with a laser light within a chamber, and controlling a flow of ions generated together with the extreme ultraviolet light using a magnetic field or an electric field, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises an ion collector device collecting the ion via an aperture arranged at a side of the chamber, and an interrupting mechanism interrupting movement of a sputtered particle in a direction toward the aperture, the sputtered particle generated at an ion collision surface collided with the ion in the ion collector device.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2010Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai