# US 10,481,422 B2 · Laser device and extreme ultraviolet light generation device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,422 B2 - Document ID: US10481422B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/377,412 - Filed: 2019-04-08 - Published: 2019-08-01 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-18 - Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc. - Applicants: Gigaphoton Inc. - Inventors: Motoki Niwano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481422B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/0305: {Constructional arrangements (G02F1/0327 - G02F1/05 take precedence)} - H01S 3/10: Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating - H05G 2/0084: {Control of the laser beam} - G03F 7/70033: {by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources} - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - 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 - 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) - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract A laser device includes: a plurality of optical shutters (61, 62); a power source device (303n) configured to generate high voltage to be applied to the optical shutters (61, 62); a high-voltage side wire (63h) connecting the power source device (303n) and each of the optical shutters (61, 62); a ground-side wire (63g) grounding each of the optical shutters (61, 62); and a high-voltage side shared wire (64h) and a ground-side shared wire (64g) connecting the optical shutters (61, 62) in parallel. One of the high-voltage side wire (63h) and the ground-side wire (63g) is connected with the optical shutter (61) disposed on the most upstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam, and the other of the high-voltage side wire (63h) and the ground-side wire (63g) is connected with the optical shutter (62) disposed on the most downstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A laser device, comprising: a plurality of optical shutters disposed in series with each other on an optical path of a laser beam and configured to open and close in response to application of high voltage; a power source device configured to generate the high voltage to be applied to the optical shutters; a high-voltage side wire connecting the power source device and each optical shutter; a ground-side wire grounding each optical shutter; and a high-voltage side shared wire and a ground-side shared wire electrically connecting the optical shutters in parallel with each other, one of the high-voltage side wire and the ground-side wire being connected with an optical shutter disposed on a most upstream side in a traveling direction of the laser beam among the optical shutters, and another of the high-voltage side wire and the ground-side wire being connected with an optical shutter disposed on a most downstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam among the optical shutters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, further comprising a delay circuit configured to receive a trigger signal instructing application of the high voltage and generate a synchronizing signal instructing the power source device to apply the high voltage a predetermined delay time after the trigger signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The laser device according to claim 2, wherein the delay circuit sets the delay time to be a time for correcting variation in timing of the high voltage application due to wiring lengths of the high-voltage side shared wire and the ground-side shared wire. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the high-voltage side shared wire and the ground-side shared wire have lengths equal to each other. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the optical shutters include at least three optical shutters, and a plurality of the high-voltage side shared wires and a plurality of the ground-side shared wires connecting the optical shutters are provided. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The laser device according to claim 5, wherein the high-voltage side shared wires have lengths equal to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The laser device according to claim 5, wherein the high-voltage side shared wires have such lengths that a timing at which the laser beam is incident on each of the at least three optical shutters coincides with the timing of the high voltage application to the optical shutter on which the laser beam is incident. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The laser device according to claim 5, wherein the ground-side shared wires have lengths equal to each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the power source device includes a high voltage source, and a switch circuit configured to control application of high voltage generated by the high voltage source to each optical shutter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, wherein each optical shutter includes an EO pockels cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, further comprising a master oscillator configured to emit the laser beam, and an amplifier configured to amplify the laser beam emitted by the master oscillator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The laser device according to claim 11, wherein each optical shutter is disposed on a downstream side of the master oscillator and the amplifier in the traveling direction of the laser beam. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The laser device according to claim 11, comprising a plurality of the amplifiers, wherein the optical shutters are provided on a downstream side of the respective amplifiers in the traveling direction of the laser beam, so that the optical shutters are provided in a plurality of pairs with the respective amplifiers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the high-voltage side wire is connected with an optical shutter disposed on the most upstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam among the optical shutters, and the ground-side wire is connected with an optical shutter disposed on the most downstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam among the optical shutters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The laser device according to claim 1, wherein the ground-side wire is connected with an optical shutter disposed on the most upstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam among the optical shutters, and the high-voltage side wire is connected with an optical shutter disposed on the most downstream side in the traveling direction of the laser beam among the optical shutters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An extreme ultraviolet light generation device configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a droplet made of a target material with a laser beam, the extreme ultraviolet light generation device comprising the laser device according to claim 1 as a light source configured to emit the laser beam.