Extreme ultraviolet light source device and control method for extreme ultraviolet light source device

An extreme ultraviolet light source device that generates an extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target material with a main pulsed laser beam after irradiating the target material with a pre-pulsed laser beam, comprising:

• a laser device that outputs the pre-pulsed laser beam;
• a guide laser device that outputs the pre-pulsed guide laser beam;
• an optical system that irradiates the target material with the pre-pulsed laser beam;
• a guide that introduces the pre-pulsed guide laser beam into the optical system;
• a detector that detects the pre-pulsed guide laser beam;
• a correction device including at least one optical element to which the pre-pulsed guide laser beam and the pre-pulsed laser beam are introduced, the correction part being configured to rotate, move, or deform the at least one optical element to correct the pre-pulsed laser beam;
• and
• a correction controller that controls the correction device based on the detection by the detector.

An extreme ultraviolet light source device for irradiating a target material in a chamber with a driver pulsed laser beam to generate an extreme ultraviolet light, the extreme ultraviolet light source device comprising:

• a driver laser configured to generate the driver pulsed laser beam;
• an optical system configured to guide the driver pulsed laser beam to the target material;
• a guide laser configured to generate a guide laser beam;
• a guide laser beam guide configured to introduce the guide laser beam to the optical system;
• a detector configured to detect the guide laser beam that is introduced into the optical system;
• a correction device including at least one optical element to which the driver pulsed laser beam and the guide laser beam are introduced, the correction device being configured to rotate, move, or deform the at least one optical element to correct the driver pulsed laser beam;
• and
• a correction controller configured to control the correction device based on the detection by the detector, wherein
• the guide laser is configured to be used as a pre-pulsed laser device to generate a pre-pulsed laser beam which reaches the target material in advance of the driver pulsed laser beam.

A control method for controlling at least one optical element in an extreme ultraviolet light source device in which a target material is irradiated with a driver pulsed laser beam to turn the target material into plasma, the method comprising the steps of:

• continuously outputting a guide laser beam that travels along a light path of the driver pulsed laser beam while the driver pulsed laser beam is output and while the driver pulsed laser beam is not output;
• detecting an optical performance of the guide laser beam;
• and
• rotating, moving, and deforming the at least one optical element based on the detection by the detecting step.

A control method for controlling an optical performance of a laser beam that is used for an extreme ultraviolet light source device, the method comprising the steps of:

• outputting a pre-pulsed laser beam for irradiating a target material prior to a driver pulsed laser beam along a light path of the driver pulsed laser beam;
• detecting an optical performance of the pre-pulsed laser beam;
• correcting the detected optical performance of the pre-pulsed laser beam to be a predetermined value;
• irradiating the target material with the pre-pulsed laser beam to expand the target material;
• and
• irradiating the expanded target material with the driver pulsed laser beam to turn the target material into plasma for generating an extreme ultraviolet light.

A laser pulsed device for generating a pulsed laser beam and amplifying the generated pulsed laser beam, the pulsed laser device comprising:

• a guide laser device that outputs a guide laser beam;
• a guide laser beam guide that introduces the guide laser beam into an optical system in which the guide laser beam travels along a light path which is substantially the same as that of the pulsed laser beam;
• a guide laser beam detector that detects an optical performance of the guide laser beam that is introduced into the optical system;
• a correction device that is provided for the optical system and that corrects the optical performance of the guide laser beam;
• and
• a correction controller that controls the correction device to control the optical performance of the guide laser beam to be a predetermined value.

A laser pulsed device for generating a pulsed laser beam and amplifying the generated pulsed laser beam, the pulsed laser device comprising:

• a guide laser device that outputs a guide laser beam;
• a guide laser beam guide that introduces the guide laser beam into an optical system in which the guide laser beam travels along a light path which is substantially the same as that of the pulsed laser beam;
• a guide laser beam detector that detects an optical performance of the guide laser beam that is introduced into the optical system;
• a correction device that corrects the optical performance of the guide laser beam;
• and
• a correction controller that controls the correction device to control the optical performance of the guide laser beam to be a predetermined value, wherein
• the guide laser device is configured to be used as a pre-pulsed laser device that generate a pre-pulsed laser beam to irradiate the target material prior to the generation of the pulsed laser beam.

An extreme ultraviolet light source device for irradiating a target material in a chamber with a pre-pulsed laser beam and irradiating the target material with a driver pulsed laser beam to generate an extreme ultraviolet light, the extreme ultraviolet light source device comprising:

• a driver laser configured to generate the driver pulsed laser beam:
• a first optical system configured to guide the driver pulsed laser beam to the target material;
• a guide laser configured to generate a guide laser beam;
• a guide laser guide configured to introduce the guide laser beam to the first optical system;
• a first detector configured to detect the guide laser beam that is introduced into the first optical system;
• a first correction device including at least one optical element to which the driver pulsed laser beam and the guide laser beam are introduced, the first correction device being configured to rotate, move, or deform the at least one optical element to correct the driver pulsed laser beam;
• a first correction controller configured to control the first correction device based on the detection by the first detector;
• a pre-pulsed laser configured to generate the pre-pulsed laser beam;
• a second optical system configured to guide the pre-pulsed laser beam to the target material;
• a pre-pulsed guide laser configured to generate a pre-pulsed guide laser beam;
• a pre-pulsed guide laser guide configured to introduce the pre-pulse guide laser beam to the second optical system;
• a second detector configured to detect the pre-pulsed guide laser beam that is introduced into the second optical system;
• a second correction device including at least one optical element to which the pre-pulsed laser beam and the pre-pulsed guide laser beam are introduced, the second correction device being configured to rotate, move, or deform the at least one optical element to correct the pre-pulsed laser beam;
• and
• a second correction controller configured to control the second correction device based on the detection by the second detector.

An amplification system for amplifying laser light comprising:

• amplifiers configured for amplifying the laser light;
• an optical system including one of a saturable absorber, a polarization isolator, and optics for adjusting a single transverse mode of the laser light;
• a guide laser configured for generating a guide laser light at a wavelength shorter than that of the laser light;
• a guide laser guide configured for introducing the guide laser light into the amplifiers or the optical system;
• a correction device including at least one optical element to which the laser light and the guide laser light is introduced, the correction device being configured to rotate, move, or deform the at least one optical element to correct the laser light, the correction device being provided to one of an input side and an output side of the optical system, or one of an input side and an output side of one of the amplifiers;
• and
• a detector configured to detect the guide laser light that is introduced into the optical system or the amplifiers.

A driver laser oscillator for generating a driver laser light, comprising:

• at least one pair of resonating mirrors including an output mirror and a rear mirror;
• a guide laser configured to generate a guide laser light at a wavelength different from that of an oscillation wavelength of the driver laser oscillator;
• and
• a guide laser guide, the rear mirror being used as a part of the guide laser guide, wherein
• the rear mirror reflects the driver laser light and allows the guide laser light to transmit therethrough.