David Wayne Knowles

US Patent:

6625191, Sep 23, 2003

Filed:

Nov 30, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/012002

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA
David W. Myers - Poway CA
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA
William N. Partlo - Poway CA
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA
Palash P. Das - Vista CA
Stuart L. Anderson - San Diego CA
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA
Richard C. Ujazdowski - San Diego CA
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA
Scott T. Smith - San Diego CA
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA
Jeffrey Oicles - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 322

US Classification:

372 55

Abstract:

An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0. 25 milliseconds between pulses.

US Patent:

6801560, Oct 5, 2004

Filed:

Jan 23, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/056619

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA
German E. Rylov - Murrieta CA
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA
David W. Myers - Poway CA
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA
William N. Partlo - Poway CA
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA
Richard C. Ujazdowski - San Diego CA
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA
Scott T. Smith - San Diego CA
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 322

US Classification:

372 55

Abstract:

An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a F laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0. 25 milliseconds between pulses.

US Patent:

6985508, Jan 10, 2006

Filed:

Jul 24, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/627215

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA, US
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA, US
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
David W. Meyers - Poway CA, US
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA, US
William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
Palash P. Das - Vista CA, US
Stuart L. Anderson - San Diego CA, US
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - Poway CA, US
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA, US
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA, US
Scott T. Smith - San Diego CA, US
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA, US
Jeffrey Oicles - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 55, 372 25, 372 57, 372 58, 372 59

Abstract:

An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in an ArF excimer laser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0. 25 milliseconds between pulses.

US Patent:

7058107, Jun 6, 2006

Filed:

Mar 18, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/804281

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA, US
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA, US
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
German E. Rylov - Murrieta CA, US
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA, US
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
David W. Myers - Poway CA, US
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA, US
William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - San Diego CA, US
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA, US
Scott T. Smith - San Diego CA, US
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 55

Abstract:

An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a Flaser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0. 25 milliseconds between pulses.

US Patent:

7061961, Jun 13, 2006

Filed:

Aug 9, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/199691

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA, US
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA, US
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
David W. Myers - Poway CA, US
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA, US
William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
Palash P. Das - Vista CA, US
Stuart L. Anderson - San Diego CA, US
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - Poway CA, US
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA, US
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA, US
Scot T. Smith - Winter Springs FL, US
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA, US
Jeffrey Oicles - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 57, 372 55, 372 58, 372 59, 372 60

Abstract:

An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output light pulse beam pulse produced by said gas discharge laser system by controlling the timing of the occurrence of the gas discharge between the first pair of electrodes and the occurrence of the gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes.

US Patent:

7218661, May 15, 2007

Filed:

May 25, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/854614

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA, US
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA, US
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
German E. Rylov - Murrieta CA, US
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA, US
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
David W. Myers - Poway CA, US
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA, US
William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - Poway CA, US
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA, US
Scot T. Smith - San Diego CA, US
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 55

Abstract:

An injection seeded modular gas discharge laser system capable of producing high quality pulsed laser beams at pulse rates of about 4,000 Hz or greater and at pulse energies of about 5 mJ or greater. Two separate discharge chambers are provided, one of which is a part of a master oscillator producing a very narrow band seed beam which is amplified in the second discharge chamber. The chambers can be controlled separately permitting separate optimization of wavelength parameters in the master oscillator and optimization of pulse energy parameters in the amplifying chamber. A preferred embodiment in a Flaser system configured as a MOPA and specifically designed for use as a light source for integrated circuit lithography. In the preferred MOPA embodiment, each chamber comprises a single tangential fan providing sufficient gas flow to permit operation at pulse rates of 4000 Hz or greater by clearing debris from the discharge region in less time than the approximately 0. 25 milliseconds between pulses.

US Patent:

7471455, Dec 30, 2008

Filed:

Oct 28, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/261948

Inventors:

Palash P. Das - Vista CA, US
Albert P. Cefalo - San Diego CA, US
David S. Knowles - San Diego CA, US
Vitaliy Shklover - Koenigsbronn, DE
Holger Muenz - Aalen, DE

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

G02B 27/10

US Classification:

359618, 359233

Abstract:

Systems and methods are disclosed for shaping a laser beam for interaction with a film in which the laser beam travels along a beam path and defines a short-axis and a long-axis. In one aspect, the system may include a first short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, d, along the beam path from the film and a second short-axis element having an edge positioned at a distance, d, along the beam path from the film, with d

US Patent:

7567607, Jul 28, 2009

Filed:

Feb 1, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/346519

Inventors:

David S. Knowles - San Diego CA, US
Daniel J. W. Brown - San Diego CA, US
Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
David W. Myers - Poway CA, US
Alexander I. Ershov - San Diego CA, US
William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Richard L. Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
Palash P. Das - Vista CA, US
Stuart L. Anderson - San Diego CA, US
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - Poway CA, US
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA, US
Richard M. Ness - San Diego CA, US
Scot T. Smith - Winter Springs FL, US
William G. Hulburd - San Diego CA, US
Jeffrey Oicles - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22
H01S 3/223

US Classification:

372 55, 372 56, 372 57, 372 58

Abstract:

An oscillator-amplifier gas discharge laser system and method is disclosed which may comprise a first laser unit which may comprise a first discharge region which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a first pair of electrodes defining the first discharge region containing the lasing gas medium, a line narrowing unit for narrowing a spectral bandwidth of output laser light pulse beam pulses produced in said first discharge region; a second laser unit which may comprise a second discharge chamber which may contain an excimer or molecular fluorine lasing gas medium; a second pair of electrodes defining the second discharge region containing the lasing gas medium; a pulse power system providing electrical pulses to the first pair of electrodes and to the second pair of electrodes producing gas discharges in the lasing gas medium between the respective first and second pair of electrodes, and laser parameter control mechanism modifying a selected parameter of a selected laser output light pulse beam pulse produced by said gas discharge laser system by controlling the timing of the occurrence of the gas discharge between the first pair of electrodes and the occurrence of the gas discharge between the second pair of electrodes.