Part 1: Gas, Chemical, and Free-Electron Lasers 1. Carbon Dioxide Lasers 2. Excimer Lasers 3. Chemical Lasers 4. High-Power Free-Electron Lasers Part 2: Diode Lasers 5. Diode Lasers 6. High-Power Diode Laser Arrays Part 3: Solid-State Lasers 7. Introduction to High-Power Solid-State Lasers 8. Zigzag Slab Lasers 9. Nd:YAG Ceramic ThinZag High-Power Laser 10. Thin-Disc Lasers 11. Heat-Capacity Lasers 12. Ultrafast Solid-State Lasers 13. Ultrafast Lasers in Thin-Disk Geometry 14. The National Ignition Facility Laser Part 4: Fiber Lasers 15. Introduction to Optical Fiber Lasers 16. Pulsed Fiber Lasers 17. High-Power Ultrafast Fiber Laser Systems 18. High-Power Fiber Lasers for Industry and Defense Part 5: Beam Combining 19. Beam Combining Index

High Power Laser Handbook

We have obtained an average output power as much as 1.2 W at 200 nm by using a 2.71-mm thick KBe2BO3F2 crystal optically contacted by CaF2 and SiO2 prisms on the both sides. Watt-level average-power was generated tunably in the deep ultraviolet region from 185 nm to 200 nm. The average power is the highest, to our knowledge, ever obtained by nonlinear crystals in the wavelength region below 200 nm.

Watt-level tunable deep ultraviolet light source by a KBBF prism-coupled device.

Methods and systems for providing illumination of a specimen for a process performed on the specimen are provided One system configured to provide illumination of a specimen for a process performed on the specimen includes a laser configured to generate excitation light The system also includes focusing optics configured to focus the excitation light to a plasma in an electrodeless lamp such that the plasma generates light The system is also configured such that the light illuminates the specimen during the process

Methods and systems for providing illumination of a specimen for a process performed on the specimen

We have developed a 157-nm coherent light source by two-photon resonant four-wave mixing in Xe, with two tunable single-mode 1-kHz Ti:sapphire laser systems at 768 and 681 nm. This light source has been developed to determine the instrumental function of a vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer and to evaluate optical designs for ultra-line-narrowed F(2) laser lithography. The spectral linewidth of the source was less than 0.008 pm (FWHM), with an average power of 0.6 mW.

157-nm coherent light source as an inspection tool for F(2) laser lithography.

The design of fluoride-based optical devices for deep ultraviolet applications is discussed. Variations in the band-gap energy and band structure with respect to composition are investigated for Li(1−x)KxBa(1−y)MgyF3 perovskites. The band-gap energy, lattice constant, and band structure of perovskitelike fluorides are estimated based on ab initio calculations within the local-density approximation. The lattice-matched double heterostructure with direct band-gap compounds (Li(1−x)KxBa(1−y)MgyF3 on either LiBaF3 or KMgF3 substrates) is promising for fabrication.

Design of wide-gap fluoride heterostructures for deep ultraviolet optical devices

ArF immersion technology is spotlighted as the enabling technology for below 45nm node. Recently, double exposure
technology is also considered for below 32nm node. We have already released an injection lock ArF excimer laser with
ultra-line narrowed and stabilized spectrum performance: GT61A (60W/6kHz/ 10mJ/0.35pm) to ArF immersion market
in Q4 2006. The requirements are: i) higher power ii) lower cost of downtime for higher throughput iii) greater
wavelength stability for improved overlay and iv) increased lifetimes for lower operation costs.
We have developed high power and high energy stability injection lock ArF excimer laser for double patterning: GT62A
(90W/6000Hz/15mJ/0.35pm) based on the technology of GT61A and the reliability of GigaTwin (GT) platform. A high
power operation of 90W is realized by development of high durability optical elements. Durability of the new optics is at
least 3 times as long as that of the conventional optics used in the GT61A. The energy stability is improved more than
1.5 times of performance in the GT61A by optimizing laser operational conditions of the power oscillator. This
improvement is accomplished by extracting potential efficiency of injection lock characteristic. The lifetime of power
oscillator, which is one of the major parts in cost of ownership, is maintained by using higher output of the power supply.

High-power and high-energy stability injection lock laser light source for double exposure or double patterning ArF immersion lithography

The roadmap of semiconductor fabrication predicts that the semiconductor market will demand 65 nm node devices from 2004/2005. Therefore, an Ultra-Line-Narrowed F2 laser for dioptric projection systems has been developed under the ASET project of "The F2 Laser Lithography Development Project". The target of this project is to achieve a F2 laser spectral bandwidth below 0.2 pm (FWHM) and an average power of 25 W at a repetition rate of 5 kHz. The energy stability (3-sigma) target is less than 10%. Simultaneously, it is also required to establish the technology of evaluating the optical performance. An Oscillator-Amplifier arrangement at 2 kHz was developed as a first step of an Ultra-Line-Narrowed F2 laser system. With this laser system, we achieved the basic study of the synchronization technology for line narrowing operation using two system arrangements: MOPA (Master Oscillator/Power Amplifier) and Injection Locking. Based on this experience we have developed the 5 kHz system. With the 5 kHz Line-Narrowed Injection Locking system, we have achieved a spectral bandwidth of 5 mJ and a pulse to pulse energy stability of <10%. The feasibility of a 5 kHz Ultra-Line-Narrowed F2 Laser for Dioptric Projection Systems has been demonstrated.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Development of 5-kHz ultra-line-narrowed F 2 laser for dioptric projection system

We investigated a pump scheme to establish a practical Ar2 excimer laser operating at 128 nm. In this scheme, electrons generated by preionization of Ar gas at high pressure were heated by intense pulsed CO2 laser radiation. The resultant high-density plasma in the high-pressure Ar gas was used to create excited Ar dimers. In the experiment, a CO2 laser beam from a transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser was focused on a narrow line, 100 mm in length, in Ar gas at a pressure of 2 MPa. A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) signal was observed only when the Ar was preionized, and the VUV signals were identified as the emission of Ar2 excimers from the features of the spectrum which was centered on 128 nm.

Ar2 excimer emission from a laser-heated plasma in a high-pressure argon gas

It is predicted that the semiconductor market will demand 70 nm devices from 2004 or 2005. Hence, F2 laser microlithography systems have to be developed according to this time frame. At ASET, 'The F2 Laser Lithography Development Project' started in March 2000, as a 2-year project to fulfill this market requirement. The final target of this project is to achieve a F2 laser spectral bandwidth of 0.2 pm (FWHM) at a repetition rate of 5000 Hz and an average power of 25 W. These specifications meet the demand of dioptric projection system. We have done a feasibility study for a high efficiency line narrowing design to achieve the ultra narrow spectral bandwidth and the high output power. In addition, we have developed an intermediate engineering laser system consisting of an oscillator laser and an amplifier. With this laser system we have performed the line-narrowed operation using two arrangements: Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) and Injection Locking. With this Oscillator-Amplifier system and have achieved a spectral bandwidth (convoluted) of FWHM 20 mJ for MOPA and >15 mJ for Injection Locked operation.

Challenge of the F2 Laser for Dioptric Projection System

Reliable high power 193nm ArF light source is desired for the successive growth of ArF-immersion technology for 45nm node generation. In 2006, Gigaphoton released GT60A, high power injection locked 6kHz/60W/0.5pm (E95) laser system, to meet the demands of semiconductor markets. In this paper, we report key technologies for reliable mass production GT laser systems and GT60A high durability performance test results up to 20 billion pulses.

https://www.gigaphoton.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/6520-111_GT60A_Manuscript.pdf

Ryoichi Nohdomi

Papers

High-power and high-energy stability injection lock laser light source for double exposure or double patterning ArF immersion lithography

Development of 5-kHz ultra-line-narrowed F 2 laser for dioptric projection system

Ar2 excimer emission from a laser-heated plasma in a high-pressure argon gas

Challenge of the F2 Laser for Dioptric Projection System

Reliable high-power injection locked 6kHz 60W laser for ArF immersion lithography