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).

  • Publication number: 20100140513
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Shinji Nagai, Takanobu Ishihara, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe
  • Patent number: 7732794
    Abstract: In an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus having a comparatively large output power for exposing, a solid target is supplied fast and continuously while heat dissipation for irradiation of a driver laser light is performed successfully. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a target material supplying unit which coats a wire with target material, a wire supplying unit which supplies the wire coated with the target material to a predetermined position within the chamber, a driver laser which applies a laser beam onto the wire coated with the target material to generate plasma; and a collector mirror which collects the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma and outputting the extreme ultra violet light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takayuki Yabu
  • Publication number: 20100090132
    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: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Akira ENDO, Hideo Hoshino, Kouji Kakizaki, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani, Takanobu Ishihara, Shinji Nagai, Osamu Wakabayashi, Hakaru Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 7683355
    Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus capable of preventing the efficiency of generation of EUV light from decreasing due to deterioration of a window of an EUV light generation chamber. The EUV light source apparatus includes an EUV light generation chamber provided with a window, a driver laser which generates a laser beam, a concave lens which enlarges the laser beam, a convex lens which collimates the enlarged laser beam, a parabolic concave mirror which is arranged in the EUV light generation chamber and reflects the collimated laser beam to collect the laser beam to a target material, a parabolic concave mirror adjusting mechanism which adjusts position and angle of the parabolic concave mirror, an EUV light collector mirror which collects EUV light, and a purge gas supply unit which supplies a purge gas for protecting the window and the parabolic concave mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20100025231
    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: April 24, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Yoshifumi Ueno, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20100019173
    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: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20090314967
    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: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Masato MORIYA, Osamu Wakabayshi, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Akira Endo, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20090301517
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Asayama, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Hideo Hoshino, Tamotsu Abe
  • Publication number: 20090272919
    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: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Hiroshi Someya, Takashi Suganuma, Takayuki Yabu
  • Publication number: 20090261242
    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: March 18, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicants: GIGAPHOTON INC., KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi UENO, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Tamotsu ABE, Akira SUMITANI, Hideo HOSHINO, Akira ENDO, Georg SOUMAGNE
  • Publication number: 20090232171
    Abstract: The higher efficiency and lower power consumption are realized in a laser system for generating a high-power short-pulse laser beam. The laser system includes a laser oscillator for generating a pulse laser beam by laser oscillation, plural amplifiers for sequentially inputting the pulse laser beam generated by the laser oscillator and amplifying the pulse laser beam, and a control unit for controlling the laser oscillator to perform burst oscillation and halting an amplification operation of at least one of the plural amplifiers in a burst halt period between burst oscillation periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Endo, Osamu Wakabayashi, Kouji Kakizaki
  • Publication number: 20090224181
    Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus in which debris staying and accumulating within a chamber can be prevented from contaminating the chamber and deteriorating the performance of 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: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Toshihiro Nishisaka, Hiroshi Someya, Masato Moriya, Takeshi Asayama, Hideo Hoshino, Hakaru Mizoguchi
  • Publication number: 20090103575
    Abstract: A laser device, which includes an oscillator unit having a rectangular-solid-shaped housing containing a laser oscillator for generating and outputting a laser light; an amplifier unit having a rectangular-solid-shaped housing containing an amplifier that receives and amplifies the laser light to output; and, a group of optical elements including optical elements provided on a laser light path, wherein the laser device includes one or more amplifier units, and the oscillator and the amplifier units are arranged such that surfaces having a wide area other than a surface having a smallest area of a housing of the oscillator unit and a housing of at least one amplifier unit are next to and face each other, or such that surfaces having a wide area other than a surface having a smallest area of a housing of at least two amplifier units are next to and face each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Tamotsu ABE, Hideo Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20080210889
    Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus capable of preventing deterioration and/or breakage of a filter for filtering EUV light. The EUV light source apparatus includes an EUV generation chamber in which EUV light is generated; a target material supply unit for supplying a target material into the EUV light generation chamber; a laser source for applying a laser beam to the target material supplied into the EUV light generation chamber to generate plasma; collection optics for collecting EUV light radiated from the plasma; a filter for filtering the EUV light collected by the collection optics; and a filter protecting member provided between the plasma and the filter, for protecting the filter by blocking flying matter flying from the plasma toward the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Tamotsu Abe, Hiroshi Someya, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20080197298
    Abstract: In an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus having a comparatively large output power for exposing, a solid target is supplied fast and continuously while heat dissipation for irradiation of a driver laser light is performed successfully. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a target material supplying unit which coats a wire with target material, a wire supplying unit which supplies the wire coated with the target material to a predetermined position within the chamber, a driver laser which applies a laser beam onto the wire coated with the target material to generate plasma; and a collector mirror which collects the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma and outputting the extreme ultra violet light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takayuki Yabu
  • Publication number: 20080197299
    Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus by which EUV light can be efficiently obtained by using 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: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Hideo Hoshino, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Endo
  • Publication number: 20080104828
    Abstract: A collector mirror exchanging apparatus 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: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroshi Someya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hideo Hoshino, Akira Sumitani
  • Publication number: 20080073598
    Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus capable of preventing the efficiency of generation of EUV light from decreasing due to deterioration of a window of an EUV light generation chamber. The EUV light source apparatus includes an EUV light generation chamber provided with a window, a driver laser which generates a laser beam, a concave lens which enlarges the laser beam, a convex lens which collimates the enlarged laser beam, a parabolic concave mirror which is arranged in the EUV light generation chamber and reflects the collimated laser beam to collect the laser beam to a target material, a parabolic concave mirror adjusting mechanism which adjusts position and angle of the parabolic concave mirror, an EUV light collector mirror which collects EUV light, and a purge gas supply unit which supplies a purge gas for protecting the window and the parabolic concave mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Tamotsu Abe, Takashi Suganuma, Hiroshi Someya, Takayuki Yabu, Akira Sumitani
  • Patent number: 4753969
    Abstract: A diaphragm for an electroacoustic transducer comprising stratiform mineral of layers into which a hardener or an agent for facilitating hardening is adsorbed between the layers, thermosetting resin monomer, and carbonfibers which constitute a composite material which is formed under heat and pressure. The diaphragm is increased in rigidity which is required as physical properties therefor and is easy in forming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: Onkyo Kabushikikaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Mizone, Tamotsu Abe, Minoru Adachi, Takashi Kizawa