Conical pocket laser-sustained plasma lamp
AssigneesKLA Corporation, Ushio Co., Ltd.
InventorsSumeet Kumar, Joshua Wittenberg, Mark S. Wang, Rajkeshar Singh, Yoshio Kagebayashi, Shinichiro Nozaki
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Abstract
A plasma lamp for use in a broadband plasma source of an inspection tool is disclosed. The plasma lamp includes a plasma bulb configured to contain a gas and generate a plasma within the plasma bulb. The plasma bulb is formed from a material at least partially transparent to illumination from a pump laser and at least a portion of broadband radiation emitted by the plasma. The plasma bulb includes a conical pocket. The conical pocket is configured to disrupt a plume rising from the plasma.
Claims18
A plasma lamp comprising:
- a plasma bulb configured to contain a gas and generate a plasma within the plasma bulb, the plasma bulb formed from a material at least partially transparent to illumination from a pump laser and at least a portion of broadband radiation emitted by the plasma,
- wherein the plasma bulb comprises a conical pocket, wherein the conical pocket includes at least one of a converging section or a diverging conical section and is configured to disrupt a plume rising from the plasma.
A plasma lamp comprising:
- a plasma bulb configured to contain a gas and generate a plasma within the plasma bulb, the plasma bulb formed from a material at least partially transparent to illumination from a pump laser and at least a portion of broadband radiation emitted by the plasma,
- wherein the plasma bulb comprises a multi-step tapered pocket, wherein the multi-step tapered pocket includes a series of narrowing stepped sections and is configured to disrupt a plume rising from the plasma.
A laser-sustained plasma light source comprising:
- a plasma bulb configured to contain a volume of gas;
- a laser pump source configured to generate an optical pump to sustain a plasma within the plasma bulb;
- and
- a light collector element configured to collect at least a portion of broadband light emitted from the plasma, wherein the plasma bulb is formed from a material at least partially transparent to illumination from a pump laser and at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma, wherein the plasma bulb comprises a conical pocket, wherein the conical pocket includes at least one of a converging section or a diverging conical section and is configured to disrupt a plume rising from the plasma.
A characterization system comprising:
- a laser-sustained light source comprising:
- a plasma bulb configured to contain a volume of gas;
- a laser pump source configured to generate an optical pump to sustain a plasma within the plasma bulb;
- a light collector element configured to collect at least a portion of broadband light emitted from the plasma, wherein the plasma bulb is formed from a material at least partially transparent to illumination from a pump laser and at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma, wherein the plasma bulb comprises a conical pocket, wherein the conical pocket includes at least one of a converging section or a diverging conical section and is configured to disrupt a plume rising from the plasma;
- a set of illumination optics configured to direct broadband light from the laser-sustained light source to one or more samples;
- a set of collection optics configured to collect light emanating from the one or more samples;
- and
- a detector assembly.
A method comprising:
- generating pump illumination;
- directing a portion of the pump illumination into a plasma bulb to sustain a plasma within a body of the plasma bulb;
- disrupting, with a conical pocket, wherein the conical pocket includes at least one of a converging section or a diverging conical section, a portion of a plume rising from the plasma to reduce thermal transport from the plasma to one or more walls of the plasma bulb;
- and
- collecting a portion of broadband light emitted from the plasma and directing the portion of broadband light to one or more downstream applications.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.