# US 12,224,549 B2 · Line narrowing module, gas laser apparatus, and method for manufacturing electronic devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,549 B2 - Document ID: US12224549B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/167,611 - Filed: 2023-02-10 - Published: 2023-06-15 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-08 - Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc. - Applicants: Gigaphoton Inc. - Inventors: Junichi Maekawa; Hiroshi Furusato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224549B2 ## CPC - H01S 3/137: for stabilising of frequency - G02B 7/1805: {for prisms (G02B7/181 takes precedence)} - G02B 7/181: {with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation} - G03F 7/70025: {by lasers} - H01S 3/08004: {incorporating a dispersive element, e.g. a prism for wavelength selection (H01S3/0811, H01S3/08022 take precedence)} - H01S 3/106: by controlling devices placed within the cavity ({H01S3/10076,} H01S3/13 take precedence) - H01S 3/1305: {Feedback control systems} - H01S 3/134: in gas lasers - H01S 3/034: Optical devices within, or forming part of, the tube, e.g. windows, mirrors (reflectors having variable properties or positions for initial adjustment of the resonator H01S3/086) - H01S 3/036: Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired gas pressure within the tube, e.g. by gettering, replenishing; Means for circulating the gas, e.g. for equalising the pressure within the tube {(H01S3/031 takes precedence)} - H01S 3/08009: {using a diffraction grating} - H01S 3/0971: transversely excited (H01S3/0975 takes precedence) - H01S 3/225: comprising an excimer or exciplex - H01S 3/2251: {ArF, i.e. argon fluoride is comprised for lasing around 193 nm} - 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 - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - 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 line narrowing module includes an enclosure, a prism which is disposed in an internal space of the enclosure and through which light passes, a mounter which is disposed in the internal space and on which the prism is mounted, a fixing unit which is disposed in the internal space and fixes the prism to the mounter, and a light blocking member. The light blocking member is disposed in the internal space and blocks scattered light in the internal space, the scattered light produced from the light and traveling to the fixing unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A line narrowing module comprising: an enclosure; a prism which is disposed in an internal space of the enclosure and through which light passes; a mounter which is disposed in the internal space and on which the prism is mounted; a fixing unit which is disposed in the internal space and fixes the prism to the mounter; and a light blocking member which is disposed in the internal space and blocks scattered light in the internal space, the scattered light produced from the light and traveling to the fixing unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The line narrowing module according to claim 1, wherein the light blocking member surrounds at least a portion of the fixing unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The line narrowing module according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit includes a pair of pillar members that are disposed in positions that deviate from a path along which the light incident on a light incident side surface of the prism travels and a path along which the light that exits via a light exiting side surface of the prism travels, and further disposed at the mounter so as to sandwich the prism having one bottom surface and another bottom surface, the pair of pillar members extending to a position higher than the other bottom surface on a side across the prism from the one bottom surface mounted on the mounter, a beam member disposed on a side, having the other bottom surface as a reference, opposite from the one bottom surface and extending between the pair of pillar members, a plate member mounted on the other bottom surface, and a pressing member disposed between the beam member and the plate member and pressing the plate member toward the prism, and the light blocking member surrounds a portion, of the fixing unit, on a side, having the other bottom surface as a reference, opposite from the one bottom surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The line narrowing module according to claim 3, wherein the light blocking member further surrounds portions, of the pillar members, that are closer to the one bottom surface than the other bottom surface to the one bottom surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The line narrowing module according to claim 4, wherein the light blocking member surrounds an outer circumference surface, of each of the pillar members, on a side across the pillar member from the prism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The line narrowing module according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit includes a pair of pillar members that are disposed in positions that deviate from a path along which the light incident on a light incident side surface of the prism travels and a path along which the light that exits via a light exiting side surface of the prism travels, and further disposed at the mounter so as to sandwich the prism having one bottom surface and another bottom surface, the pair of pillar members extending to a position higher than the other bottom surface on a side across the prism from the one bottom surface mounted on the mounter, a beam member disposed on a side, having the other bottom surface as a reference, opposite from the one bottom surface and extending between the pair of pillar members, a plate member mounted on the other bottom surface, and a pressing member disposed between the beam member and the plate member and pressing the plate member toward the prism, the light incident side surface and the light exiting side surface each has a region where the light travels, and the light blocking member surrounds a portion, of the fixing unit, on a side, having an upper edge of the region as a reference, opposite from a lower edge of the region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The line narrowing module according to claim 6, wherein the light blocking member further surrounds portions, of the pillar members, that are closer to the one bottom surface than the other bottom surface to the one bottom surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The line narrowing module according to claim 7, wherein the light blocking member surrounds an outer peripheral surface, of each of the pillar members, on a side across the pillar member from the prism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The line narrowing module according to claim 1, wherein the light blocking member is fixed to the enclosure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The line narrowing module according to claim 9, wherein the light blocking member is made of metal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The line narrowing module according to claim 10, wherein the metal includes stainless steel, aluminum, or copper. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The line narrowing module according to claim 11, wherein when the metal is the aluminum, a nickel plated layer is disposed at a portion, of the light blocking member, to be irradiated with the scattered light. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The line narrowing module according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation mechanism section that rotates the mounter along with the prism around an axis perpendicular to a dispersion plane of the light that exits out of the prism. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The line narrowing module according to claim 1, wherein the prism, the mounter, the fixing unit, and the light blocking member are formed of a plurality of prisms, a plurality of mounters, a plurality of fixing units, and a plurality of light blocking members, and the light blocking members individually surround the respective fixing units. ### Claim 15 A gas laser apparatus comprising a line narrowing module, the line narrowing module includes an enclosure, a prism which is disposed in an internal space of the enclosure and through which light passes, a mounter which is disposed in the internal space and on which the prism is mounted, a fixing unit which is disposed in the internal space and fixes the prism to the mounter, and a light blocking member which is disposed in the internal space and blocks scattered light in the internal space, the scattered light produced from the light and traveling to the fixing unit. ### Claim 16 An electronic device manufacturing method comprising: causing laser light outputted from a gas laser apparatus including a line narrowing module to enter an exposure apparatus, the line narrowing module including an enclosure, a prism which is disposed in an internal space of the enclosure and through which light passes, a mounter which is disposed in the internal space and on which the prism is mounted, a fixing unit which is disposed in the internal space and fixes the prism to the mounter, and a light blocking member which is disposed in the internal space and blocks scattered light in the internal space, the scattered light produced from the light and traveling to the fixing unit, and causing a light sensitive substrate to be exposed to the laser light in the exposure apparatus to manufacture electronic devices.