Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source comprising an optic, a target material, and a laser beam passing through said optic along a beam path to irradiate said target material. The EUV light source further includes a system generating a gas flow directed toward said target material along said beam path, said system having a tapering member surrounding a volume and a plurality of gas lines, each gas line outputting a gas stream into said volume.

Abstract: A system for producing EUV light using a drive laser beam to irradiate a stream of material droplets. There is included a monitoring system for monitoring at least one of drive laser beam reflection from the drive laser beam and EUV radiation pulses and producing a detector signal, the detector signal being a pulse train. There is also included an arrangement for analyzing the detector signal to ascertain whether there exists at least one satellite droplet in the stream of material droplets.

Abstract: A system for an extreme ultraviolet light source includes one or more optical elements positioned to receive a reflected amplified light beam and to direct the reflected amplified light beam into first, second, and third channels, the reflected amplified light beam including a reflection of at least a portion of an irradiating amplified light beam that interacts with a target material; a first sensor that senses light from the first channel; a second sensor that senses light from the second channel and the third channel, the second sensor having a lower acquisition rate than the first sensor; and an electronic processor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium, the medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor, and determine, based on the received data, a location of the irradiating amplified light beam relative to the target material in more than one dimension.

Abstract: A system for an extreme ultraviolet light source includes one or more optical elements positioned to receive a reflected amplified light beam and to direct the reflected amplified light beam into first, second, and third channels, the reflected amplified light beam including a reflection of at least a portion of an irradiating amplified light beam that interacts with a target material; a first sensor that senses light from the first channel; a second sensor that senses light from the second channel and the third channel, the second sensor having a lower acquisition rate than the first sensor; and an electronic processor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium, the medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor, and determine, based on the received data, a location of the irradiating amplified light beam relative to the target material in more than one dimension.

Abstract: A system for producing EUV light using a drive laser beam to irradiate a stream of material droplets. There is included a monitoring system for monitoring at least one of drive laser beam reflection from the drive laser beam and EUV radiation pulses and producing a detector signal, the detector signal being a pulse train. There is also included an arrangement for analyzing the detector signal to ascertain whether there exists at least one satellite droplet in the stream of material droplets.

Abstract: A system for an extreme ultraviolet light source includes one or more optical elements positioned to receive a reflected amplified light beam and to direct the reflected amplified light beam into first, second, and third channels, the reflected amplified light beam including a reflection of at least a portion of an irradiating amplified light beam that interacts with a target material; a first sensor that senses light from the first channel; a second sensor that senses light from the second channel and the third channel, the second sensor having a lower acquisition rate than the first sensor; and an electronic processor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium, the medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor, and determine, based on the received data, a location of the irradiating amplified light beam relative to the target material in more than one dimension.

Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source is described herein comprising an optic; a primary EUV light radiator generating an EUV light emitting plasma and producing a deposit on said optic; and a cleaning system comprising a gas and a secondary light radiator, the secondary light radiator generating a laser produced plasma and producing a cleaning species with the gas.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a high repetition rate gas discharge laser system. The system includes a gas discharge chamber having a hot chamber output window heated by the operation of the gas discharge laser chamber, an output laser light pulse beam path enclosure downstream of the hot chamber window and comprising an ambient temperature window, a cooling mechanism cooling the beam path enclosure intermediate the output window and the ambient window. The gas discharge chamber can include a longitudinally and axially compliant ground rod, including a first end connected to a first chamber wall, a second end connected to a second chamber wall, the second chamber wall opposite the first chamber wall and a first portion formed into a helical spring, the ground rod providing mechanical support for a preionizer tube.

Abstract: A system for an extreme ultraviolet light source includes one or more optical elements positioned to receive a reflected amplified light beam and to direct the reflected amplified light beam into first, second, and third channels, the reflected amplified light beam including a reflection of at least a portion of an irradiating amplified light beam that interacts with a target material; a first sensor that senses light from the first channel; a second sensor that senses light from the second channel and the third channel, the second sensor having a lower acquisition rate than the first sensor; and an electronic processor coupled to a computer-readable storage medium, the medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor, and determine, based on the received data, a location of the irradiating amplified light beam relative to the target material in more than one dimension.

Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source is described herein comprising an optic; a primary EUV light radiator generating an EUV light emitting plasma and producing a deposit on said optic; and a cleaning system comprising a gas and a secondary light radiator, the secondary light radiator generating a laser produced plasma and producing a cleaning species with the gas.

Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source is described herein comprising an optic; a primary EUV light radiator generating an EUV light emitting plasma and producing a deposit on said optic; and a cleaning system comprising a gas and a secondary light radiator, the secondary light radiator generating a laser produced plasma and producing a cleaning species with the gas.

Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source comprising an optic, a target material, and a laser beam passing through said optic along a beam path to irradiate said target material. The EUV light source further includes a system generating a gas flow directed toward said target material along said beam path, said system having a tapering member surrounding a volume and a plurality of gas lines, each gas line outputting a gas stream into said volume.

Abstract: An extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source is described herein comprising an optic; a primary EUV light radiator generating an EUV light emitting plasma and producing a deposit on said optic; and a cleaning system comprising a gas and a secondary light radiator, the secondary light radiator generating a laser produced plasma and producing a cleaning species with the gas.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a high repetition rate gas discharge laser system. The system includes a gas discharge chamber having a hot chamber output window heated by the operation of the gas discharge laser chamber, an output laser light pulse beam path enclosure downstream of the hot chamber window and comprising an ambient temperature window, a cooling mechanism cooling the beam path enclosure intermediate the output window and the ambient window. The gas discharge chamber can include a longitudinally and axially compliant ground rod, including a first end connected to a first chamber wall, a second end connected to a second chamber wall, the second chamber wall opposite the first chamber wall and a first portion formed into a helical spring, the ground rod providing mechanical support for a preionizer tube.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed which may comprise a pulsed gas discharge laser lithography light source which may comprise a seed laser portion providing a seed laser output light beam of seed pulses; an amplifier portion receiving the seed laser output light beam and amplifying the optical intensity of each seed pulse to provide a high power laser system output light beam of output pulses; the amplifier portion may comprise a ring power amplifier comprising amplifier portion injection optics comprising at least one beam expanding prism, a beam reverser and an input/output coupler; the beam expansion optics and the output coupler may be mounted on an optics assembly with the beam expansion optics rigidly mounted with respect to the optics assembly and the input/output coupler mounted for relative movement with respect to the optics assembly for optical alignment purposes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method which may comprise a pulsed gas discharge laser which may comprise a seed laser portion; an amplifier portion receiving the seed laser output and amplifying the optical intensity of each seed pulse; a pulse stretcher which may comprise: a first beam splitter operatively connected with the first delay path and a second pulse stretcher operatively connected with the second delay path; a first optical delay path tower containing the first beam splitter; a second optical delay path tower containing the second beam splitter; one of the first and second optical delay paths may comprise: a plurality of mirrors defining the respective optical delay path including mirrors located in the first tower and in the second tower; the other of the first and second optical delay paths may comprise: a plurality of mirrors defining the respective optical delay path including mirrors only in one of the first tower and the second tower.

Abstract: An apparatus and method which may comprise a pulsed gas discharge laser which may comprise a seed laser portion; an amplifier portion receiving the seed laser output and amplifying the optical intensity of each seed pulse; a pulse stretcher which may comprise: a first beam splitter operatively connected with the first delay path and a second pulse stretcher operatively connected with the second delay path; a first optical delay path tower containing the first beam splitter; a second optical delay path tower containing the second beam splitter; one of the first and second optical delay paths may comprise: a plurality of mirrors defining the respective optical delay path including mirrors located in the first tower and in the second tower; the other of the first and second optical delay paths may comprise: a plurality of mirrors defining the respective optical delay path including mirrors only in one of the first tower and the second tower.

Abstract: The present invention provides an excimer laser capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. A preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. An improved wavemeter with special software monitors output beam parameters and controls a very fast PZT driven tuning mirror and the pulse power charging voltage to maintain wavelength and pulse energy within desired limits. In a preferred embodiment two fan motors drive a single tangential fan which provides sufficient gas flow to clear discharge debris from the discharge region during the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.

Abstract: An automatic F2 laser gas control, for a modular high repetition rate ultraviolet gas discharge laser. The laser gas control includes techniques, monitors, and processor for monitoring the F2 consumption rates through the operating life of the laser system. These consumption rates are used by a processor programmed with an algorithm to determine F2 injections needed to maintain laser beam quality within a delivery range. Preferred embodiments include F2 controls for a two-chamber MOPA laser system.

Abstract: A reliable modular production quality ArF excimer laser capable of producing laser pulses at repetition rates in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 Hz or greater with pulse energies in the range of about 2 mJ to 5 mJ or greater with a full width half, maximum bandwidth of about 0.4 pm or less and dose stability of less than 0.4 percent. Using this laser as an illumination source, stepper or scanner equipment can produce integrated circuit resolution of 0.10 &mgr;m (100 nm) or less. Replaceable modules include a laser chamber; a modular pulse power system; and a line narrowing module. For a given laser power output, the higher repetition rate provides two important advantages. The lower per pulse energy means less optical damage and the larger number of pulses for a specified illumination dose means better dose stability.