# US 10,375,809 B2 · Extreme ultraviolet light generation device and method for controlling extreme ultraviolet light generation device

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- Number: US 10,375,809 B2
- Document ID: US10375809B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/156,356
- Filed: 2018-10-10
- Published: 2019-02-07
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-31
- Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc.
- Applicants: Gigaphoton Inc.
- Inventors: Yuta Takashima; Yoshifumi Ueno; Go Shirozu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375809B2

## CPC

- H05G 2/0084: {Control of the laser beam}
- H01S 3/09: Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping
- H05G 2/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays, not involving X-ray tubes, e.g. involving generation of a plasma (X-ray lasers H01S4/00)
- H05G 2/0088: {for preconditioning the plasma generating material}
- H05G: X-RAY TECHNIQUE (investigating or analysing materials by the use of X-rays G01N23/00; apparatus for X-ray photography G03B42/02; X-ray tubes H01J35/00; TV systems having X-ray input H04N5/321)
- H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL

## Abstract

An extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus includes a laser device, a target detector, and a controller. The laser device emits a pulsed laser beam. The target detector detects a target substance supplied as an application target for the laser beam to the inside of a chamber. The controller controls the laser device based on a burst signal in which a burst period and an idle period are repeated. In the burst period, an extreme ultraviolet light beam has to be generated. In the idle period, the generation of the extreme ultraviolet light beam has to be paused. When a size of a target substance detected at the target detector in the idle period is greater than a predetermined size, the controller may reduce an intensity of a laser beam entering the inside of the chamber from the laser device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus comprising:
a laser device configured to emit a pulsed laser beam;
a target detector configured to detect a target substance supplied as an application target for the laser beam to an inside of a chamber; and
a controller configured to control the laser device based on a burst signal in which are repeated a burst period for which to generate an extreme ultraviolet light beam and an idle period for which to pause the generation of the extreme ultraviolet light beam,
the controller reducing an intensity of a laser beam entering the inside of the chamber from the laser device, when a size of a target substance detected at the target detector in the idle period is greater than a predetermined size.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the laser device includes an oscillator configured to generate the laser beam, and
when a size of a target substance detected at the target detector in the idle period is greater than the predetermined size, the controller stops the oscillator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the laser device includes
an oscillator configured to generate the laser beam,
an amplifier configured to amplify the laser beam generated by the oscillator,
an optical shutter configured to open or close a transmission line of a laser beam outputted from the amplifier, and
a secondary shutter placed on a propagation path of a laser beam emitted from the optical shutter, and
when a size of a target substance detected at the target detector in the idle period is greater than the predetermined size, the controller closes the secondary shutter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein,
after closing the secondary shutter, the controller opens the secondary shutter in the burst period and closes the secondary shutter in the idle period based on the burst signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the laser device includes
an oscillator configured to generate the laser beam, and
an amplifier configured to amplify the laser beam generated by the oscillator, and
when a size of a target substance detected at the target detector in the idle period is greater than the predetermined size, the controller stops the amplifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the laser device includes a prepulse laser device and a main pulse laser device, and
the controller controls the laser device in a manner such that after applying a prepulsed laser beam emitted from the prepulse laser device to a target substance supplied to the inside of the chamber, the laser device applies a main pulsed laser beam emitted from the main pulse laser device to the target substance.

### Claim 7

A method for controlling an extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus comprising:
detecting a target substance supplied as an application target for a laser beam to an inside of a chamber in an idle period, of the idle period for which generation of the extreme ultraviolet light beam has to be paused and a burst period for which an extreme ultraviolet light beam has to be generated; and
reducing an intensity of a laser beam entering the inside of the chamber when a size of the target substance is greater than a predetermined size.