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).
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Patent number: 8129700Abstract: Solid tin (Sn) is used as a target, a CO2 laser is used as an excitation source for the target, and after the size of debris emitted from plasma is decreased to a nanometer or smaller size by exciting the solid tin by a laser beam outputted from the CO2 laser, the emitted debris of a nanometer or smaller size is acted upon so as not to reach the optical element. In accordance with the present invention, in the EUV light source apparatus, the debris emitted together with EUV light from plasma generated by exciting a target within a chamber by a laser beam is prevented from adhering to an optical element provided within the chamber and forming a metal film. As a result, the service life of the optical element can be extended.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Masato Moriya, Masaki Nakano, Hiroshi Komori
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Patent number: 8067756Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: November 29, 2011Assignee: Gigaphoton, Inc.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne, Shinji Nagai, Akira Endo, Tatsuya Yanagida
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Publication number: 20110284775Abstract: A chamber apparatus used with a laser apparatus may include: a chamber provided with at least one inlet through which a laser beam outputted from the laser apparatus enters the chamber; a target supply unit provided to the chamber for supplying a target material to a predetermined region inside the chamber; a magnetic field generation unit for generating a magnetic field in the predetermined region; and a charged particle collection unit disposed in a direction of a magnetic flux of the magnetic field for collecting a charged particle thereinto, the charged particle being generated when the target material is irradiated with the laser beam inside the chamber and traveling along the magnetic flux.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: CIGAPHOTON INC.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Shinji Nagai, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20110163247Abstract: 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 extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated, a target supply unit for supplying a target material to a predetermined position within the chamber, a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target material supplied by the target supply unit to generate plasma, a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma to output the extreme ultra violet light, a magnetic field forming unit for forming an asymmetric magnetic field in a generation position of the plasma by using a coil, 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 coil extend.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Inventors: Georg SOUMAGNE, Yoshifumi Ueno, Hiroshi Komori, Akira Sumitani, Katsunobu Nishihara, Young Gwang Kang, Masanori Nunami
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Publication number: 20110101863Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2009Publication date: May 5, 2011Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Hiroshi Komori, Tatsuya Yanagida, Yoshifumi Ueno, Akira Sumitani, Akira Endo, Tsukasa Hori
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Patent number: 7928418Abstract: 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 extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated, a target supply unit for supplying a target material to a predetermined position within the chamber, a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target material supplied by the target supply unit to generate plasma, a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma to output the extreme ultra violet light, a magnetic field forming unit for forming an asymmetric magnetic field in a generation position of the plasma by using a coil, 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 coil extend.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2009Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignees: Gigahoton Inc., Osaka UniversityInventors: Georg Soumagne, Yoshifumi Ueno, Hiroshi Komori, Akira Sumitani, Katsunobu Nishihara, Young Gwang Kang, Masanori Nunami
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Patent number: 7915600Abstract: An extreme ultra violet light source apparatus has a relatively high output for exposure and suppresses the production of debris as much as possible instead of disposing of debris that has been produced. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a target supply unit for supplying solid tin or lithium as a target to a predetermined position within the chamber; a CO2 laser for applying a laser beam based on pulse operation to the target supplied by the target supply unit so as to generate plasma; and a collector mirror having a multilayer film on a reflecting surface thereof, for collecting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma to output the extreme ultra violet light.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2007Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignees: Komatsu Ltd., Gigaphoton Inc.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne, Akira Sumitani, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20100213395Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2009Publication date: August 26, 2010Inventors: Yoshifumi UENO, Georg Soumagne, Shinji NAGAI, Akira ENDO, Tatsuya YANAGIDA
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Publication number: 20100192973Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus that can eliminate debris adhering to a component such as optical elements provided within a chamber. The extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus includes: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated; a target material supply unit for supplying a target material into the chamber; a driver laser unit for irradiating the target material with a driver pulse laser beam to generate plasma; a cleaning laser unit for emitting a cleaning pulse laser beam; and a control unit for controlling an irradiation position of the cleaning pulse laser beam emitted from the cleaning laser unit so as to irradiate a component provided within the chamber with the cleaning pulse laser beam to remove debris adhering to a surface of the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2010Publication date: August 5, 2010Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20100176312Abstract: In a laser produced plasma type extreme ultra violet light source apparatus, charged particles such as ions emitted from plasma can be efficiently ejected by the action of a magnetic field and secondary production of contaminants can be suppressed. The extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes: a target nozzle for supplying a target material; a laser oscillator for applying a laser beam to the target material supplied by the target nozzle to generate plasma; an EUV collector mirror for collecting extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma; and an electromagnet for forming a magnetic field in a position where the laser beam is applied to the target material, wherein an aperture of the electromagnet is formed according to a shape of lines of magnetic flux of the magnetic field.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2009Publication date: July 15, 2010Inventors: Hiroshi Komori, Yoshifumi Ueno, Georg Soumagne
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Patent number: 7732794Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takayuki Yabu
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Publication number: 20100090133Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2009Publication date: April 15, 2010Inventors: Akira ENDO, Yoshifumi Ueno, Youichi Sasaki, Osamu Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20100078579Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2009Publication date: April 1, 2010Inventors: Akira Endo, Shinji Nagai, Kouji Kakizaki, Osamu Wakabayashi, Yoshifumi Ueno
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Publication number: 20100025231Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2008Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.Inventors: Masato Moriya, Yoshifumi Ueno, Tamotsu Abe, Akira Sumitani
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Publication number: 20090261242Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2009Publication date: October 22, 2009Applicants: GIGAPHOTON INC., KOMATSU LTD.Inventors: Yoshifumi UENO, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Tamotsu ABE, Akira SUMITANI, Hideo HOSHINO, Akira ENDO, Georg SOUMAGNE
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Publication number: 20090261277Abstract: 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 extreme ultra violet light source apparatus includes a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated, a target supply unit for supplying a target material to a predetermined position within the chamber, a driver laser for applying a laser beam to the target material supplied by the target supply unit to generate plasma, a collector mirror for collecting the extreme ultra violet light radiated from the plasma to output the extreme ultra violet light, a magnetic field forming unit for forming an asymmetric magnetic field in a generation position of the plasma by using a coil, 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 coil extend.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2009Publication date: October 22, 2009Inventors: Georg Soumagne, Yoshifumi Ueno, Hiroshi Komori, Akira Sumitani, Katsunobu Nishihara, Young Gwang Kang, Masanori Nunami
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Patent number: 7499482Abstract: An injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device capable of always providing stable output energy and wavelength is provided. For this purpose, the laser device includes an oscillator for exciting laser gas by oscillator discharge and oscillating seed laser light with band-narrowed wavelength, an amplifier for amplifying the seed laser light by amplification discharge to emit amplified laser light, a delay circuit for setting at least one of a delay time from light emission of the seed laser light to light emission of the amplified laser light, and a delay time from start of the oscillator discharge to start of the aforementioned amplification discharge, and a delay time compensation circuit for performing compensation of the delay circuit so that the delay time becomes an optimal delay time.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2006Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.Inventors: Kiyoharu Nakao, Yoshifumi Ueno
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Publication number: 20080267816Abstract: Solid tin (Sn) is used as a target, a CO2 laser is used as an excitation source for the target, and after the size of debris emitted from plasma is decreased to a nanometer or smaller size by exciting the solid tin by a laser beam outputted from the CO2 laser, the emitted debris of a nanometer or smaller size is acted upon so as not to reach the optical element. In accordance with the present invention, in the EUV light source apparatus, the debris emitted together with EUV light from plasma generated by exciting a target within a chamber by a laser beam is prevented from adhering to an optical element provided within the chamber and forming a metal film. As a result, the service life of the optical element can be extended.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Masato Moriya, Masaki Nakano, Hiroshi Komori
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Publication number: 20080197298Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2008Publication date: August 21, 2008Inventors: Tamotsu Abe, Yoshifumi Ueno, Takayuki Yabu
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Patent number: 7399929Abstract: A flexible flat cable is provided. The FFC comprises multiple conductors with widths of 0.3(±0.03)mm arranged in a parallel manner with a pitch of 0.5 (±0.05)mm, the first insular material and the second insular material sandwiching these conductors from both sides, shield material, and the reinforcement board. The first insular material is porous PET possessing a 34 ?m thick porous layer and the shield material is a polymer-based shield material possessing a shield layer made of a polymer-based conductive layer equal to or less than 20 ?m thick that is a prescribed resin formed including air with uniformly dispersed conductive particles. Due to this, the FFC maintains the shield effect without damaging the electrical characteristics and also, along with being compatible with existing connecters, can combine with the electrical traits by existing processes and furthermore is capable of being established with any number of wires, any length of cable, and any alignment of wiring.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2005Date of Patent: July 15, 2008Assignee: Sony Chemical & Information Device CorporationInventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Hiroshi Takamatsu, Noriaki Kudo