Matthew Joseph Ball

US Patent:

6904073, Jun 7, 2005

Filed:

Mar 8, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/384967

Inventors:

Thomas A. Yager - Encinitas CA, US
William N. Partio - Poway CA, US
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
Xiaojiang Pan - San Diego CA, US
John T. Melchior - San Diego CA, US
John Martin Algots - San Diego CA, US
Matthew Ball - Escondido CA, US
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA, US
Vladimir Fleurov - Escondido CA, US
Walter D. Gillespie - Poway CA, US
Holger K. Glatzel - San Diego CA, US
Leonard Lublin - Concord MA, US
Elizabeth Marsh - Melrose MA, US
Richard G. Morton - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - Poway CA, US
David J. Warkentin - Boston MA, US
R. Kyle Webb - Escondido CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S003/223

US Classification:

372 57, 372 55

Abstract:

The present invention provides long life optics for a modular, high repetition rate, ultraviolet gas discharge laser systems producing a high repetition rate high power output beam. The invention includes solutions to a surface damage problem discovered by Applicants on CaFoptics located in high pulse intensity sections of the output beam of prototype laser systems. Embodiments include an enclosed and purged beam path with beam pointing control for beam delivery of billions of output laser pulses. Optical components and modules described herein are capable of controlling ultraviolet laser output pulses with wavelength less than 200 nm with average output pulse intensities greater than 1. 75×10Watts/cmand with peak intensity or greater 3. 5×10Watts/cmfor many billions of pulses as compared to prior art components and modules which failed after only a few minutes in these pulse intensities. Techniques and components are disclosed for minimizing the potential for optical damage and for reducing the pulse energy density to less than 100×10J/cm.