Fedor B Trintchouk

US Patent:

7471708, Dec 30, 2008

Filed:

Mar 31, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/095293

Inventors:

Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA, US
William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Fedor B. Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US
Hao Ton That - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/13
H01S 3/00
H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 29013, 372 3802, 372 3808, 372 55

Abstract:

A line narrowed gas discharge laser system and method of operation are disclosed which may comprise: an oscillator cavity; a laser chamber comprising a chamber housing containing a lasing medium gas; at least one peaking capacitor electrically connected to the chamber housing and to a first one of a pair of electrodes; a second one of the pair of electrodes connected to an opposite terminal of the at least one peaking capacitor; a current return path connected to the chamber housing; the one terminal, the first one of the electrodes, the lasing medium gas, the second one of the electrodes, the current return path and the second terminal forming a head current inductive loop having an inductance unique to the particular head current inductive loop; a spectral quality tuning mechanism comprising a mechanism for changing the particular head current inductive loop inductance value for the particular head current inductance loop.

US Patent:

7522650, Apr 21, 2009

Filed:

Mar 31, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/815387

Inventors:

William N. Partlo - Poway CA, US
Yoshiho Amada - San Diego CA, US
James A. Carmichael - Valley Center CA, US
Timothy S. Dyer - Oceanside CA, US
Walter D. Gillespie - Poway CA, US
Bryan G. Moosman - San Marcos CA, US
Richard G. Morton - San Diego CA, US
Curtis L. Rettig - Vista CA, US
Brian D. Strate - San Diego CA, US
Thomas D. Steiger - San Diego CA, US
Fedor Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US
Richard C. Ujazdowski - Poway CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 59, 372 55, 372 58

Abstract:

A method and apparatus if disclosed which may comprise a high power high repetition rate gas discharge laser UV light source which may comprise: a gas discharge chamber comprising an interior wall comprising a vertical wall and an adjacent bottom wall; a gas circulation fan creating a gas flow path adjacent the interior vertical wall and the adjacent bottom wall; an in-chamber dust trap positioned a region of low gas flow, which may be along an interior wall and may comprise at least one meshed screen, e. g. , a plurality of meshed screens, which may comprise at least two different gauge meshed screens. The dust trap may extend along the bottom interior wall of the chamber and/or a vertical portion of the interior wall. The dust trap may comprise a first meshed screen having a first gauge; a second meshed screen having a second gauge smaller than the first gauge; and the second meshed screen intermediate the first meshed screen and the interior wall. The chamber may comprise a plurality of dust collecting recesses in at least one of the vertical interior wall and the bottom wall of the chamber which may be selected from a group comprising a one-part recess and a multi-part recess, which may comprise two sections angled with respect to each other.

US Patent:

7643522, Jan 5, 2010

Filed:

Oct 20, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/254282

Inventors:

Fedor B. Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US
Robert N. Jacques - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/10
H01S 3/13
H01S 3/00
H01S 3/04
H01S 3/22
H01S 3/223
H01S 3/08

US Classification:

372 2902, 372 25, 372 2901, 372 29011, 372 29016, 372 29023, 372 32, 372 33, 372 34, 372 381, 372 3801, 372 3802, 372 3809, 372 55, 372 98, 372 99, 372102

Abstract:

A gas discharge laser system bandwidth control mechanism and method of operation for controlling bandwidth in a laser output light pulse generated in the gas discharge laser system is disclosed which may comprise a bandwidth controller which may comprise an active bandwidth adjustment mechanism; a controller actively controlling the active bandwidth adjustment mechanism utilizing an algorithm implementing bandwidth thermal transient correction based upon a model of the impact of laser system operation on the wavefront of the laser light pulse being generated and line narrowed in the laser system as it is incident on the bandwidth adjustment mechanism. The controller algorithm may comprises a function of the power deposition history in at least a portion of an optical train of the gas discharge laser system, e. g. , a linear function, e. g. , a combination of a plurality of decay functions each comprising a respective decay time constant and a respective coefficient.

US Patent:

7741639, Jun 22, 2010

Filed:

Sep 29, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/953100

Inventors:

Herve A. Besaucele - San Diego CA, US
Wayne J. Dunstan - San Diego CA, US
Toshihiko Ishihara - San Diego CA, US
Robert N. Jacques - San Diego CA, US
Fedor B. Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

257 55, 372 57, 372 58, 372 86

Abstract:

A multi-chambered excimer or molecular halogen gas discharge laser system comprising at least one oscillator chamber and at least one amplifier chamber producing oscillator output laser light pulses that are amplified in the at least one power chamber, having a fluorine injection control system and a method of using same is disclosed, which may comprise: a halogen gas consumption estimator: estimating the amount of halogen gas that has been consumed in one of the at least one oscillator chamber based upon at least a first operating parameter of one of the least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and the difference between a second operating parameter of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and estimating the amount of halogen gas that has been consumed in the other of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber based upon at least a third operating parameter of the other of the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber, and producing an output representative of an estimated halogen gas consumption in the at least one oscillator chamber and of the halogen gas consumption in the at least one amplifier chamber, and a halogen gas injection controller determining the amount of halogen gas injection for the at least one oscillator chamber and the at least one amplifier chamber based upon the estimated fluorine consumption outputs from the fluorine consumption estimator and a cost function comprising a plurality of weighted injection decision determinations.

US Patent:

7852889, Dec 14, 2010

Filed:

Aug 25, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/510037

Inventors:

Wayne J. Dunstan - San Diego CA, US
Robert N. Jacques - San Diego CA, US
Rajasekhar M. Rao - San Diego CA, US
Fedor B. Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/086
H01S 3/097
H01S 3/1055
H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372 3801, 372 2902, 372 3807, 372 55, 372 57, 372102

Abstract:

According to aspects of an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, a line narrowed high average power high pulse repetition laser micro-photolithography light source bandwidth control method and apparatus are disclosed which may comprise a bandwidth metrology module measuring the bandwidth of a laser output flight pulse beam pulse produced by the light source and providing a bandwidth measurement; a bandwidth error signal generator receiving the bandwidth measurement and a bandwidth setpoint and providing a bandwidth error signal; an active bandwidth controller providing a fine bandwidth correction actuator signal and a coarse bandwidth correction actuator signal responsive to the bandwidth error. The fine bandwidth correction actuator and the coarse bandwidth correction actuator each may induce a respective modification of the light source behavior that reduces bandwidth error. The coarse and fine bandwidth correction actuators each may comprise a plurality of bandwidth correction actuators.

US Patent:

20040022293, Feb 5, 2004

Filed:

Jan 31, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/356168

Inventors:

John Rule - Hingham MA, US
Thomas Hofmann - San Diego CA, US
Richard Morton - San Diego CA, US
Daniel Brown - San Diego CA, US
Vladimir Fleurov - Escondido CA, US
Fedor Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US
Toshihiko Ishihara - San Diego CA, US
Alexander Ershov - San Diego CA, US
Christian Wittak - San Diego CA, US

International Classification:

H01S003/22
H01S003/223

US Classification:

372/058000

Abstract:

An automatic Flaser gas control, for a modular high repetition rate ultraviolet gas discharge laser. The laser gas control includes techniques, monitors, and processor for monitoring the Fconsumption rates through the operating life of the laser system. These consumption rates are used by a processor programmed with an algorithm to determine Finjections needed to maintain laser beam quality within a delivery range. Preferred embodiments include Fcontrols for a two-chamber MOPA laser system.

US Patent:

20060114956, Jun 1, 2006

Filed:

Nov 30, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/000571

Inventors:

Richard Sandstrom - Encinitas CA, US
William Partlo - Poway CA, US
Daniel Brown - San Diego CA, US
J. Martin Algots - San Diego CA, US
Fedor Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US

International Classification:

H01S 3/22

US Classification:

372055000

Abstract:

A line narrowing apparatus and method for a narrow band DUV high power high repetition rate gas discharge laser producing output laser light pulse beam pulses in bursts of pulses is disclosed, which may comprise a dispersive center wavelength selection optic contained within a line narrowing module, selecting at least one center wavelength for each pulse determined at least in part by the angle of incidence of the laser light pulse beam containing the respective pulse on a dispersive wavelength selection optic dispersive surface; a first dispersive optic bending mechanism operatively connected to the dispersive center wavelength selection optic and operative to change the curvature of the dispersive surface in a first manner; and, a second dispersive optic bending mechanism operatively connected to the dispersive center wavelength selection optic and operative to change the curvature of the dispersive surface in a second manner. The first manner may modify a first measure of bandwidth and the second manner may modify a second measure of bandwidth such that the ratio of the first measure to the second measure substantially changes. The first measure may be a spectrum width at a selected percentage of the spectrum peak value (FWX % M) and the second measure may be width within which some selected percentage of the spectral intensity is contained (EX %). The first dispersive optic bending mechanism may change the curvature of the dispersive surface in a first dimension and the second in a second dimension generally orthogonal to the first dimension. The laser system may comprise a beam path insert comprising a material having an different index of refraction and an index of refraction thermal gradient opposite from that of a neighboring optical element. The first dispersive optic bending mechanism may change the curvature of the dispersive surface in a first dimension and the second a second dimension generally parallel to the first dimension. An optical beam twisting element in the lasing cavity may optically twist the laser light pulse beam to present a twisted wavefront to the dispersive center wavelength selection optic. Bending may change the curvature and wavelength selection, e.g., in a burst may create two center wavelength peaks to select FWX % M and EX % independently.

US Patent:

20110249691, Oct 13, 2011

Filed:

Apr 7, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/755772

Inventors:

Kevin M. O'Brien - San Diego CA, US
Fedor B. Trintchouk - San Diego CA, US

Assignee:

Cymer Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3/10

US Classification:

372 25

Abstract:

An apparatus includes a light source that produces a light beam, a bandwidth measurement system, a plurality of bandwidth actuation systems, and a control system. Each bandwidth actuation system includes one or more bandwidth actuators and each bandwidth actuation system is connected to an optical feature that is optically coupled to the produced light beam and operable to modify the connected optical feature to select a bandwidth within a bandwidth range of the produced light beam. The control system is connected to the bandwidth measurement system and to the plurality of bandwidth actuation systems. The control system is configured to switch between activating and operating a first bandwidth actuation system and activating and operating a second bandwidth actuation system independently and separately of activating and operating the first bandwidth actuation system based on a provided bandwidth measurement and a selected target bandwidth.