Patents by Inventor Yoshifumi Ueno

Yoshifumi Ueno 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: 20130284949
    Abstract: An EUV (Extreme Ultra Violet) light source device ionizes a target material in an ionizer, and supplies the ionized target material to a point of generating a plasma. This reduces the generation of debris. The ionizer simultaneously irradiates laser beams of plural wavelengths corresponding to the excited level of tin on a target material to ionize the target material. The ionized target material is extracted from the ionizer with a high voltage applied from an ion beam extractor, and accelerated and supplied to a plasma generation chamber. When driver laser beam is irradiated on the ionized target material, a plasma is generated, thereby emitting EUV radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Hiroshi KOMORI, Tatsuya YANAGIDA, Yoshifumi UENO, Akira SUMITANI, Akira ENDO, Tsukasa HORI
  • Publication number: 20130256568
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus, which is to generate an extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a main pulse laser light after irradiating the target with a prepulse laser light, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises: a prepulse laser light source generating a pre-plasma by irradiating the target with the prepulse laser light while a part of the target remains, the pre-plasma being generated at a different region from a target region, the different region being located on an incident side of the prepulse laser light; and a main pulse laser light source generating the extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the pre-plasma with the main pulse laser light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Akira ENDO, Yoshifumi UENO, Youichi SASAKI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8513630
    Abstract: In an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from a plasma generated by irradiating a target, which is a droplet D of molten Sn, with a laser light, and controlling the flow direction of ion generated at the generation of the extreme ultraviolet light by a magnetic field or an electric field, an ion collection cylinder 20 is arranged for collecting the ion, and ion collision surfaces Sa and Sb of the ion collection cylinder 20 are provided with or coated with Si, which is a metal whose sputtering rate with respect to the ion is less than one atom/ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne, Shinji Nagai, Akira Endo, Tatsuya Yanagida
  • 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: 8471226
    Abstract: An EUV (Extreme Ultra Violet) light source device ionizes a target material in an ionizer, and supplies the ionized target material to a point of generating a plasma. This reduces the generation of debris. The ionizer simultaneously irradiates laser beams of plural wavelengths corresponding to the excited level of tin on a target material to ionize the target material. The ionized target material is extracted from the ionizer with a high voltage applied from an ion beam extractor, and accelerated and supplied to a plasma generation chamber. When driver laser beam is irradiated on the ionized target material, a plasma is generated, thereby emitting EUV radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Komori, Tatsuya Yanagida, Yoshifumi Ueno, Akira Sumitani, Akira Endo, Tsukasa Hori
  • Patent number: 8455850
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus, which is to generate an extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a main pulse laser light after irradiating the target with a prepulse laser light, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises: a prepulse laser light source generating a pre-plasma by irradiating the target with the prepulse laser light while a part of the target remains, the pre-plasma being generated at a different region from a target region, the different region being located on an incident side of the prepulse laser light; and a main pulse laser light source generating the extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the pre-plasma with the main pulse laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Endo, Yoshifumi Ueno, Youichi Sasaki, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20130075625
    Abstract: A target supply unit includes a nozzle through which a target material is outputted, and a first electrically conductive member having a first opening formed therein and positioned to face the nozzle in a direction into which the target material is outputted through the nozzle. The first electrically conductive member is positioned so that the first opening is located below the nozzle in a gravitational direction. The target supply unit includes a voltage generator which applies a voltage between the target material and the first electrically conductive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Takayuki YABU, Yoshifumi UENO, Junichi FUJIMOTO, Yukio WATANABE, Toshihiro NISHISAKA
  • Patent number: 8399867
    Abstract: An EUV light source apparatus in which contamination or damage of optical elements and other component elements by debris can be suppressed to realize longer lives of them. The EUV light source apparatus is an apparatus for radiating extreme ultraviolet light by generating plasma of a target material within a chamber, and includes: a first laser unit for applying a first laser beam to the target material to generate pre-plasma; a second laser unit for applying a second laser beam to the pre-plasma to generate a main plasma for radiating the extreme ultraviolet light; and a magnetic field generating unit for generating a magnetic field within the chamber to control a state of at least one of the pre-plasma and the main plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai, Kouji Kakizaki, Osamu Wakabayashi, Yoshifumi Ueno
  • Patent number: 8354657
    Abstract: In an extreme ultra violet light source apparatus of a laser produced plasma type, charged particles such as ions emitted from plasma are promptly ejected to the outside of a chamber. The apparatus includes a chamber, a target supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber, a collector mirror for collecting extreme ultra violet light radiated from plasma generated by irradiating the target material with a laser beam to output the extreme ultra violet light, an electromagnet arranged outside of the chamber, and a charged particle collection mechanism provided on at least one of two surfaces of the chamber to which lines of magnetic force generated by the electromagnet extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc., Osaka University
    Inventors: Georg Soumagne, Yoshifumi Ueno, Hiroshi Komori, Akira Sumitani, Katsunobu Nishihara, Young Gwang Kang, Masanori Nunami
  • Publication number: 20120324437
    Abstract: In service providing apparatus and method, system identification data for specifying a service target device and the user of the device concerned are issued to the device concerned, and authentication processing is carried out on the basis of the system identification data to provide a service to the device concerned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Sakaguchi, Tomihiko Nakajima, Yoshifumi Ueno, Tetsuo Sasaki, Osamu Aoki, Akinori Iida, Masayuki Kobuna, Shinichiro Taya, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Toshiyuki Gotoh, Motohiro Ohama
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8300819
    Abstract: In service providing apparatus and method, system identification data for specifying a service target device and the user of the device concerned are issued to the device concerned, and authentication processing is carried out on the basis of the system identification data to provide a service to the device concerned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Haruhiko Sakaguchi, Tomihiko Nakajima, Yoshifumi Ueno, Tetsuo Sasaki, Osamu Aoki, Akinori Iida, Masayuki Kobuna, Shinichiro Taya, Kazuhiro Gotoh, Toshiyuki Gotoh, legal representative, Motohiro Ohama
  • Publication number: 20120261596
    Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source device of a laser produced plasma type, in which charged particles such as ions emitted from plasma can be efficiently ejected. The extreme ultra violet light source device includes: a target nozzle that supplies a target material; a laser oscillator that applies a laser beam to the target material supplied from the target nozzle to generate plasma; collector optics that collects extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field forming unit that forms an asymmetric magnetic field in a position where the laser beam is applied to the target material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Komatsu Ltd./Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi KOMORI, Yoshifumi UENO, Georg SOUMAGNE
  • 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
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20120161040
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus, which is to generate an extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a main pulse laser light after irradiating the target with a prepulse laser light, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises: a prepulse laser light source generating a pre-plasma by irradiating the target with the prepulse laser light while a part of the target remains, the pre-plasma being generated at a different region from a target region, the different region being located on an incident side of the prepulse laser light; and a main pulse laser light source generating the extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the pre-plasma with the main pulse laser light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Endo, Yoshifumi Ueno, Youichi Sasaki, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20120097869
    Abstract: In an extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus generating an extreme ultraviolet light from a plasma generated by irradiating a target, which is a droplet D of molten Sn, with a laser light, and controlling the flow direction of ion generated at the generation of the extreme ultraviolet light by a magnetic field or an electric field, an ion collection cylinder 20 is arranged for collecting the ion, and ion collision surfaces Sa and Sb of the ion collection cylinder 20 are provided with or coated with Si, which is a metal whose sputtering rate with respect to the ion is less than one atom/ion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Gigaphoton, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne, Shiniji Nagai, Akira Endo, Tatsuya Yanagida
  • Patent number: 8164076
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus, which is to generate an extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a main pulse laser light after irradiating the target with a prepulse laser light, the extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus comprises: a prepulse laser light source generating a pre-plasma by irradiating the target with the prepulse laser light while a part of the target remains, the pre-plasma being generated at a different region from a target region, the different region being located on an incident side of the prepulse laser light; and a main pulse laser light source generating the extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the pre-plasma with the main pulse laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Endo, Yoshifumi Ueno, Youichi Sasaki, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8143606
    Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source device of a laser produced plasma type, in which charged particles such as ions emitted from plasma can be efficiently ejected. The extreme ultra violet light source device includes: a target nozzle that supplies a target material; a laser oscillator that applies a laser beam to the target material supplied from the target nozzle to generate plasma; collector optics that collects extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; and a magnetic field forming unit that forms an asymmetric magnetic field in a position where the laser beam is applied to the target material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignees: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Komori, Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne