Back to results
US 12,586,978 B2Granted
Apparatus for and method of generating multiple laser beams
AssigneeCymer, Inc.
InventorsWalter Dale Gillespie, Joshua Jon Thornes, Thomas Patrick Duffey, Eric Anders Mason, Rabin Paudel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for and method of generating multiple laser beams using multiple laser chambers. The relative timing of the beams is controllable so they may, for example, be interleaved, may overlap, or be prevented from overlapping, or may occur in rapid sequence. The beams may have different spectral and power characteristics such as different wavelengths. Also disclosed is a system in which at least one of the multiple laser chambers is configured to generate radiation of two different wavelengths.
Claims38
A gas discharge laser system comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- and
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path;
- and
- a discharge timing circuit arranged to control a relative timing of discharge in the first laser chamber module with respect to the second laser chamber module.
3 more elements
A lithography apparatus comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path;
- and
- a scanner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam, wherein the scanner is configured to provide an instruction for adjusting the first and second wavelengths.
2 more elements
A method of exposing a substrate in a lithography apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength using a first laser chamber module for a first number of pulses and propagating the pulses along an output beam path to the substrate;
- and
- generating a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength using a second laser chamber module for a second number of pulses and propagating the pulses along the output beam path to the substrate.
A gas discharge laser system comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate a first beam of laser radiation having a first spectrum having a first wavelength and a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation having a second spectrum having a third wavelength different from the first and second wavelength and a fourth wavelength different from the first, second, and third wavelength;
- and
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path.
1 more element
A method of exposing a substrate in a lithography apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, from a scanner, an indication of one or more target wavelengths;
- generating, in response to the indication, a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength using a first laser chamber module;
- generating, in response to the indication, a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength using a second laser chamber module;
- causing the first beam and the second beam to propagate along a common output beam path;
- and
- using the first beam and the second beam in the scanner to expose the substrate to radiation at the first wavelength and radiation at the second wavelength in a single pass.
3 more elements
A method of exposing a substrate in a lithography apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength and a second wavelength using a first laser chamber module;
- generating a second beam of laser radiation at a third wavelength and a fourth wavelength, the first, second, third, and fourth wavelengths being different from one another;
- causing the first beam and the second beam to propagate along a common output beam path;
- and
- using the first beam and the second beam in the scanner to expose the substrate to radiation at the first wavelength and radiation at the second wavelength in a single pass.
2 more elements
A gas discharge laser system comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- and
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path,
- the first laser chamber module being fired at a first repetition rate and the second laser chamber module is fired at a second repetition rate different from the first repetition rate.
2 more elements
A gas discharge laser system comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path;
- and
- a combined beam metrology unit arranged to measure a parameter of a combination of the light beam generated by the first laser chamber module and the light beam generated by the second laser chamber module.
2 more elements
A gas discharge laser system comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path;
- and
- a gas supply system adapted to supply gas to both the first laser chamber module and the second laser chamber module.
2 more elements
A gas discharge laser system comprising:
- a first laser chamber module adapted to generate a first beam of laser radiation at a first wavelength;
- a second laser chamber module adapted to generate a second beam of laser radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- a beam combiner arranged to receive the first beam and the second beam and adapted to propagate the first beam and the second beam along a common output beam path;
- and
- a first laser chamber line narrowing module arranged to receive the light beam from the first laser chamber module and configured to narrow the bandwidth of the light beam from the first laser chamber module.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.