Patents by Inventor Tamotsu Abe

Tamotsu Abe 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: 8507883
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Endo, Hideo Hoshino, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani, Takanobu Ishihara, Shinji Nagai, Osamu Wakabayashi, Hakaru Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 8492738
    Abstract: An ion withdrawal apparatus that withdraws ions emitted from a plasma in an EUV light production apparatus in which a target at an EUV light production point is irradiated with laser light to be made in a plasma state and the target emits EUV light, the ion withdrawal apparatus which includes: a collector mirror that is disposed in a direction opposite to a laser light incidence direction to collect the EUV light and has a hole for the ions to pass therethrough; magnetic line of force production means that produces a magnetic line of force that is parallel or approximately parallel to the laser light incidence direction at or in the vicinity of the EUV light production point; and ion withdrawal means that is disposed on the opposite side of the collector mirror from the EUV light production point and withdraws the ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Osamu Wakabayashi, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Endo, Georg Soumagne
  • Patent number: 8481984
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus using a spectrum purity filter capable of obtaining EUV light with high spectrum purity. The apparatus includes a chamber; a target supply unit for supplying a target material; a driver laser using a laser gas containing a carbon dioxide gas as a laser medium, for applying a laser beam to the target material to generate plasma; a collector mirror for collecting and outputting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a spectrum purity filter provided in an optical path of the extreme ultraviolet light, for transmitting the extreme ultraviolet light and reflecting the laser beam, the spectrum purity filter including a mesh having electrical conductivity and formed with an arrangement of apertures having a pitch not larger than a half of a shortest wavelength of the laser beam applied by the driver laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Osamu Wakabayashi, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Akira Endo, Akira Sumitani
  • Patent number: 8477412
    Abstract: A collector mirror exchanging apparatus is capable of safely and easily exchanging a collector mirror for collecting extreme ultra violet light emitted from plasma generated within a chamber of an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus. The collector mirror exchanging apparatus includes: a supporting base for supporting a collector mirror or a collector mirror structure; and a guiding rail disposed on the supporting base and regulating a moving direction of the collector mirror or the collector mirror structure; wherein at least the collector mirror is taken out of the chamber by moving the collector mirror or the collector mirror structure along the guiding rail on the supporting base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Sumitani
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8445877
    Abstract: A nozzle protection device capable of protecting a target nozzle from heat of plasma without disturbing formation of a stable flow of a target material in an LPP type EUV light source apparatus. This nozzle protection device includes a cooling unit which is formed with an opening for passing the target material therethrough, and which is formed with a flow path for circulating a cooling medium inside, and an actuator which changes a position or a shape of the cooling unit between a first state of evacuating the cooling unit from a trajectory of the target material and a second state of blocking heat radiation from the plasma to the nozzle by the cooling unit while securing a path of the target material in the cooling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 8445876
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source apparatus in which a location or posture shift of an EUV collector mirror can be detected. The apparatus includes: a chamber; a target supply mechanism for supplying a target material into the chamber; a driver laser for irradiating the target material with a laser beam to generate plasma; a collector mirror having a first focal point and a second focal point, for reflecting light, which is generated at the first focal point, toward the second focal point; a splitter optical element provided in an optical path of the light reflected by the collector mirror, for splitting a part of the light reflected by the collector mirror; and an image sensor provided in an optical path of the light split by the splitter optical element, for detecting a profile of the light split by the splitter optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Kouji Kakizaki, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8436328
    Abstract: In an EUV light source apparatus, a collector mirror is protected from debris damaging a mirror coating. The EUV light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated; a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber; a plasma generation laser unit for irradiating the target material within the chamber with a plasma generation laser beam to generate plasma; an ionization laser unit for irradiating neutral particles produced at plasma generation with an ionization laser beam to convert the neutral particles into ions; a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultraviolet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field or electric field forming unit for forming a magnetic field or an electric field within the chamber so as to trap the ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yanagida, Akira Endo, Hiroshi Komori, Shinji Nagai, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 8324601
    Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus by which EUV light can be efficiently obtained uses a driver laser which can realize a desired pulse width with substantially homogeneous intensity. The apparatus generates extreme ultra violet light by applying a laser beam to a target, and includes a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a target supply unit which supplies a liquid or solid metal target to a predetermined position within the chamber; a laser beam generating unit which synthesizes pulse laser beams having delays different from one another to generate a single pulse laser beam or a pulse train laser beam having substantially homogeneous intensity, and applies the laser beam to the target supplied by the target supply unit to generate plasma; and a collector mirror which collects the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma and outputs it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Hoshino, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Endo
  • Publication number: 20120298134
    Abstract: A method for cleaning an optical element of an extreme ultraviolet light source device for removing, from the optical element in a chamber, scattered matter generated together with extreme ultraviolet light by plasma formed through laser beam excitation of a target in the chamber, the method which comprises: making the scattered matter generated by the plasma no larger than nanosize by using solid tin as the target and using a CO2 laser as an excitation source of the solid tin; and imparting, to the scattered matter no larger than the nanosize adhered to the optical element, an effect of overcoming the adherence of the scattered matter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Yoshifumi Ueno, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20120267553
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus used in combination with a laser system, the apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet port for introducing a laser beam outputted from the laser system into the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber, where the target material is irradiated with the laser beam; at least one optical element disposed inside the chamber; a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field around the predetermined region; an ion collection unit disposed in a direction of a line of magnetic force of the magnetic field for collection an ion which is generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam and is flowing along the line of magnetic force; and a gas introduction unit for introducing an etching gas into the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Tamotsu ABE, Takanobu ISHIHARA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8294129
    Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus can reliably detect and accurately judge deterioration of an optical element in a laser beam focusing optics disposed within an EUV light generation chamber. This EUV light source apparatus includes: the EUV light generation chamber; a target material supply unit; an EUV light collector mirror; a driver laser; a window; a parabolic mirror which focuses collimated laser beam by reflection and is disposed within the EUV light generation chamber; an energy detector detecting energy of the laser beam diffused without being applied to a target material after being focused by the laser beam focusing optics when the EUV light is not generated; and a processing unit for judging the deterioration of the window and the parabolic mirror according to the laser beam energy detected by the energy detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8288743
    Abstract: An ion withdrawal apparatus that withdraws ions emitted from a plasma in an EUV light production apparatus in which a target at an EUV light production point is irradiated with laser light to be made in a plasma state and the target emits EUV light, the ion withdrawal apparatus which includes: a collector mirror that is disposed in a direction opposite to a laser light incidence direction to collect the EUV light and has a hole for the ions to pass therethrough; magnetic line of force production means that produces a magnetic line of force that is parallel or approximately parallel to the laser light incidence direction at or in the vicinity of the EUV light production point; and ion withdrawal means that is disposed on the opposite side of the collector mirror from the EUV light production point and withdraws the ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Osamu Wakabayashi, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Endo, Georg Soumagne
  • Publication number: 20120228527
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Komatsu Ltd./Gigaphoton, Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu ABE, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi
  • Publication number: 20120223257
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Shinji NAGAI, Tamotsu Abe, Hitoshi Nagano, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8256441
    Abstract: A method for cleaning an optical element of an extreme ultraviolet light source device for removing, from the optical element in a chamber, scattered matter generated together with extreme ultraviolet light by plasma formed through laser beam excitation of a target in the chamber, the method which comprises: making the scattered matter generated by the plasma no larger than nanosize by using solid tin as the target and using a CO2 laser as an excitation source of the solid tin; and imparting, to the scattered matter no larger than the nanosize adhered to the optical element, an effect of overcoming the adherence of the scattered matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Yoshifumi Ueno, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20120217422
    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: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Kouji Kakizaki, Takanobu Ishihara, Tamotsu Abe, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20120217414
    Abstract: An ion withdrawal apparatus that withdraws ions emitted from a plasma in an EUV light production apparatus in which a target at an EUV light production point is irradiated with laser light to be made in a plasma state and the target emits EUV light, the ion withdrawal apparatus which includes: a collector mirror that is disposed in a direction opposite to a laser light incidence direction to collect the EUV light and has a hole for the ions to pass therethrough; magnetic line of force production means that produces a magnetic line of force that is parallel or approximately parallel to the laser light incidence direction at or in the vicinity of the EUV light production point; and ion withdrawal means that is disposed on the opposite side of the collector mirror from the EUV light production point and withdraws the ions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicants: GIGAPHOTON INC., KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi UENO, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Tamotsu ABE, Akira SUMITANI, Hideo HOSHINO, Akira ENDO, Georg SOUMAGNE
  • Patent number: 8242474
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus used in combination with a laser system, the apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet port for introducing a laser beam outputted from the laser system into the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber, where the target material is irradiated with the laser beam; at least one optical element disposed inside the chamber; a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field around the predetermined region; an ion collection unit disposed in a direction of a line of magnetic force of the magnetic field for collection an ion which is generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam and is flowing along the line of magnetic force; and a gas introduction unit for introducing an etching gas into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji Nagai, Tamotsu Abe, Takanobu Ishihara, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8212228
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignees: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi