Reliable modular production quality narrow-band high REP rate excimer laser

US6128323A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Cymer, LLC · US

Inventors

• David W. Myers · Poway, US
• Herve A. Besaucele · San Diego, US
• Palash P. Das · Vista, US
• Thomas Patrick Duffey · San Diego, US
• Alexander I. Ershov · Escondido, US
• Igor V. Fomenkov · San Diego, US
• Thomas Hofmann · San Diego, US
• Richard G. Morton · San Diego, US
• Richard M. Ness · San Diego, US
• Peter Clarke Newman · San Diego, US
• Robert G. Ozarski · Livermore, US
• Gamaralalage G. Padmabandu · San Diego, US
• William N. Partlo · Poway, US
• Daniel A. Rothweil · San Diego, US
• Richard L. Sandstrom · Encinitas, US
• Paul St. Mark Shadforth Thompson · Stephentown, US
• Richard C. Ujazdowski · Poway, US
• Tom A. Watson · Carlsbad, US
• R. Kyle Webb · Escondido, US
• Paolo Zambon · Campbell, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 18, 1998
• Grant date: Oct 3, 2000
• Expiry date: Sep 18, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/2256
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention provides a reliable modular production quality excimer laser capable of producing 10 mJ laser pulses at 2000 Hz with a full width half, maximum bandwidth of about 0.6 pm or less. Replaceable modules include a laser chamber; a pulse power system comprised of three modules; an optical resonator comprised of a line narrowing module and an output coupler module; a wavemeter module, an electrical control module, a cooling water module and a gas control module. Improvements in the laser chamber permitting the higher pulse rates and improved bandwidth performance include a single upstream preionizer tube and a high efficiency chamber. The chamber is designed for operation at lower fluorine concentration. Important improvements have been provided in the pulse power unit to produce faster rise time and improved pulse energy control. These improvements include an increased capacity high voltage power supply with a voltage bleed-down circuit for precise voltage trimming, an improved commutation module that generates a high voltage pulse from the capacitors charged by the high voltage power supply and amplifies the pulse voltage 23 times with a very fast voltage transform…