Active bandwidth control for a laser
US7653095B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jan 26, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/225
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In a first aspect, a lithography apparatus may comprise a mask designed using optical proximity correction (OPC), a pulsed laser source, and an active bandwidth control system configured to increase the bandwidth of a subsequent pulse in response to a measured pulse bandwidth that is below a predetermined bandwidth range and increase a bandwidth of a subsequent pulse in response to a measured pulse bandwidth that is above the predetermined bandwidth range. In another aspect an active bandwidth control system may include an optic for altering a wavefront of a laser beam in a laser cavity of the laser source to selectively adjust an output laser bandwidth in response to the control signal. In yet another aspect, the bandwidth of a laser having a wavelength variation across an aperture may be actively controlled by an aperture blocking element that is moveable to adjust a size of the aperture.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.