Patents by Inventor William G. Hulburd
William G. Hulburd 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: 7567607Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output ligType: GrantFiled: February 1, 2006Date of Patent: July 28, 2009Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 7218661Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2004Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 7061961Abstract: An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output ligType: GrantFiled: August 9, 2005Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 7058107Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2004Date of Patent: June 6, 2006Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 6985508Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2003Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Meyers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Publication number: 20040258122Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2004Publication date: December 23, 2004Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scot T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 6801560Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2002Date of Patent: October 5, 2004Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 6795474Abstract: An excimer laser with a purged beam path capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates in excess of 2,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. The entire purged beam path through the laser system is sealed to minimize contamination of the beam path. A preferred embodiment comprises a thermally decoupled LNP aperture element to minimize thermal distortions in the LNP. This preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. An improved wavemeter is provided with a special purge of a compartment exposed to the output laser beam.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2001Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Holzer K. Glatzel, Raymond F. Cybulski, Peter C. Newman, James K. Howey, William G. Hulburd, John T. Melchior, Alex P. Ivaschenko
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Publication number: 20040174919Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Publication number: 20040047385Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2003Publication date: March 11, 2004Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J.W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 6625191Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2001Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. W. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Patent number: 6496528Abstract: A grating based line narrowing device for line narrowing lasers producing high energy laser beams. Techniques are provided for minimizing adverse effects of heat produced by the laser beam inside the line narrowing device. A flexural grating mount is provided which virtually eliminates stress on the grating caused by differential thermal expansion between the grating and the LNP housing structure. In a preferred embodiment the grating which is comprised of a very thin lined aluminum surface on a thick ultra low expansion glass substrate is attached to an aluminum housing structure using a flexural grating mount. At least one flexure joint is provided in the grating mount which permits thermal expansion and contraction of the aluminum housing without producing undesirable mechanical stresses in the glass substrate of the grating. In some embodiments the mount comprises a metal plate and the flexure joint is a H-Flex joint which is machined into the metal plate.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2001Date of Patent: December 17, 2002Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: Clay C. Titus, William G. Hulburd, Raymond F. Cybulski, John M. Algots, Michael S. Lysik
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Publication number: 20020154671Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F2 laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2002Publication date: October 24, 2002Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J.W. Brown, Richard L. Sandstrom, German E. Rylov, Eckehard D. Onkels, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd
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Publication number: 20020154668Abstract: An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0.25 milliseconds between pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2001Publication date: October 24, 2002Inventors: David S. Knowles, Daniel J. w. Brown, Herve A. Besaucele, David W. Myers, Alexander I. Ershov, William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Palash P. Das, Stuart L. Anderson, Igor V. Fomenkov, Richard C. Ujazdowski, Eckehard D. Onkels, Richard M. Ness, Scott T. Smith, William G. Hulburd, Jeffrey Oicles
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Publication number: 20020105994Abstract: An excimer laser with a purged beam path capable of producing a high quality pulsed laser beam at pulse rates in excess of 2,000 Hz at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. The entire purged beam path through the laser system is sealed to minimize contamination of the beam path. A preferred embodiment comprises a thermally decoupled LNP aperture element to minimize thermal distortions in the LNP. This preferred embodiment is an ArF excimer laser specifically designed as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. An improved wavemeter is provided with a special purge of a compartment exposed to the output laser beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2001Publication date: August 8, 2002Inventors: William N. Partlo, Richard L. Sandstrom, Holger K. Glatzel, Raymond F. Cybulski, Peter C. Newman, James K. Howey, William G. Hulburd, John T. Melchior, Alex P. Ivaschenko
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Publication number: 20020034208Abstract: A grating based line narrowing device for line narrowing lasers producing high energy laser beams. Techniques are provided for minimizing adverse effects of heat produced by the laser beam inside the line narrowing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2001Publication date: March 21, 2002Inventors: Clay C. Titus, William G. Hulburd, Raymond F. Cybulski, John M. Algots, Michael S. Lysik
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Patent number: 5263536Abstract: A miniature heat exchanger. A small housing provides a heat exchanger surface, contains a spray shower head. A cooling fluid enters through a base plate and is sprayed through holes in the shower head on to the underside of the cooling surface. The heated coolant exists through exit holes in the nozzle and out a coolant outlet in the base plate. The device may also be used as a heater to provide temperature control to localized areas or large surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1991Date of Patent: November 23, 1993Assignee: Thermo Electron Technologies Corp.Inventors: William G. Hulburd, Theodore A. Picoraro
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Patent number: 5204785Abstract: An articulated arm comprising at least one compact Coude optics system simulating a shoulder joint. In this Coude optics system, two mirrors rotate on one gimbal axis and the other two mirror pivot on the other gimbal axis. The axis of the two gimbals intersect and light beams passing through the system effectively are turned at this point of intersection at a desired angle.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 1992Date of Patent: April 20, 1993Assignee: Thermo Electron Technologies Corp.Inventors: Kenneth Y. Tang, Murray R. Dunn, William G. Hulburd
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Patent number: 4944580Abstract: A low cost segmented mirror for making wavefront corrections. The segmented mirror is comprised of a large number of closely spaced mirror element assemblies. Each assembly is comprised of an essentially flat mirror surface backed by a substrate and a tubular shaped piezoelectric driver divided axially into at least three parts each part having its own independent voltage source. The independent voltages sources are variable over a voltage range including zero volts. Each driver is attached at one of its ends to a base support. During fabrication, the segmented mirrors are held in place on an essentially flat vacuum chuck while the other ends of the drivers are attached to the mirror substrates with an epoxy. The result is an essentially flat segmented mirror surface when the independent voltage sources are at zero volts. Wavefront corrections are produced by varying the voltage to each individual part of each piezoelectric driver so as to adjust each of the segmented mirror surfaces in tilt, tip, and piston.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 1988Date of Patent: July 31, 1990Assignee: Thermo Electron Technologies Corp.Inventors: MacDonald Bruce G., William G. Hulburd, Raymond A. LaBelle