Reliable, modular, production quality narrow-band high rep rate ArF excimer laser
US6330261A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 11, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/2256
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides a reliable modular production quality excimer laser capable of producing 10 mJ laser pulses in the range of 1000 Hz to 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. 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 transformer having a secondary winding consisting of a single four-segment stainless steel rod. A novel design for the compression head saturable inductor greatly reduces the quantity of transformer oil required and virtually elimin…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.