IP Library Granted Patent US 12671221
Granted Patent B2
US 12671221 · App. 18/531,771 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Ultraviolet laser device and electronic device manufacturing method

Inventor: Atsushi Fuchimukai (Oyama, JP)
Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
H01S3/0064G02F1/0136G02F1/09G03F7/2006G03F7/70025G03F7/70566H01S3/0014H01S3/225H01S3/2308H01S2302/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12671221
App. No.
18/531,771
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ultraviolet laser device includes an oscillation stage laser outputting linearly polarized pulse laser light having an ultraviolet wavelength, an optical isolator arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and an amplifier, and a processor. The optical isolator includes a first polarizer, a first Faraday rotator rotating a polarization direction of the pulse laser light transmitted through the first polarizer in a first rotation direction, a second polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the first Faraday rotator is transmitted therethrough, a first actuator relatively moving the first magnet and the first Faraday material in an optical axis direction, and a first sensor measuring a power of pulse laser light reflected by the second polarizer among the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser. The processor controls the first actuator based on a measurement result of the first sensor.

Claims (102)

1 . An ultraviolet laser device, comprising:

an oscillation stage laser configured to output linearly polarized pulse laser light having an ultraviolet wavelength;

an amplifier including an optical resonator, and configured to amplify and output the pulse laser light;

an optical isolator arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and the amplifier; and

a processor,

the optical isolator including:

a first polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser is transmitted therethrough;

a first Faraday rotator including a first magnet and a first Faraday material, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the pulse laser light transmitted through the first polarizer in a first rotation direction;

a second polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the first Faraday rotator is transmitted therethrough;

a first actuator configured to relatively move the first magnet and the first Faraday material in an optical axis direction of the pulse laser light; and

a first sensor configured to measure a power of pulse laser light reflected by the second polarizer among the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser; and

the processor controlling the first actuator based on a measurement result of the first sensor.

2 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor controls the first actuator so that the measurement result of the first sensor becomes equal to or less than a first target value.

3 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor controls the first actuator so that the measurement result of the first sensor becomes a second target value.

4 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first actuator moves the first Faraday material with respect to the first magnet.

5 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first magnet is a permanent magnet.

6 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor controls the first actuator during operation of the oscillation stage laser.

7 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 6 ,

wherein the processor controls the first actuator when the measurement result of the first sensor becomes more than a first target value.

8 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical isolator includes: on the oscillation stage laser side of the first polarizer,

a second Faraday rotator including a second magnet and a second Faraday material and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser in a second rotation direction which is opposite to the first rotation direction;

a second actuator configured to relatively move the second magnet and the second Faraday material in an optical axis direction of the pulse laser light; and

a second sensor configured to measure a power of the pulse laser light reflected by the first polarizer, and

the processor controls the second actuator based on a measurement result of the second sensor.

9 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the processor controls the second actuator so that the measurement result of the second sensor becomes equal to or less than a third target value.

10 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the processor controls the second actuator so that the measurement result of the second sensor becomes a fourth target value.

11 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the second actuator moves the second Faraday material with respect to the second magnet.

12 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the oscillation stage laser is an ultraviolet solid-state laser.

13 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the oscillation stage laser and the amplifier are each excimer lasers.

14 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first Faraday material is calcium fluoride.

15 . An ultraviolet laser device comprising:

an oscillation stage laser configured to output linearly polarized pulse laser light having an ultraviolet wavelength;

an amplifier including an optical resonator, and configured to amplify and output the pulse laser light;

an optical isolator arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and the amplifier; and

a processor,

the optical isolator including:

a first polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser is transmitted therethrough;

a first Faraday rotator including a first magnet and a first Faraday material, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the pulse laser light transmitted through the first polarizer in a first rotation direction;

a first actuator configured to relatively move the first magnet and the first Faraday material in an optical axis direction of the pulse laser light; and

a first sensor configured to measure a power of light reflected by the first polarizer among light returning from the amplifier to the oscillation stage laser, and

the processor controlling the first actuator based on a measurement result of the first third sensor.

16 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 15 ,

wherein the processor controls the first actuator so that the measurement result of the first sensor becomes equal to or more than a fifth target value.

17 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 15 ,

wherein the processor controls the first actuator so that the measurement result of the first sensor becomes a sixth target value.

18 . An ultraviolet laser device comprising:

an oscillation stage laser configured to output linearly polarized pulse laser light having an ultraviolet wavelength;

an amplifier including an optical resonator, and configured to amplify and output the pulse laser light;

an optical isolator arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and the amplifier;

a beam splitter arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and the optical isolator;

a first sensor configured to measure a power of light reflected by the beam splitter; and

a processor,

the optical isolator including:

a first polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser is transmitted therethrough;

a first Faraday rotator including a first magnet and a first Faraday material, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the pulse laser light transmitted through the first polarizer in a first rotation direction; and

a first actuator configured to relatively move the first magnet and the first Faraday material in an optical axis direction of the pulse laser light; and

the processor controlling the first actuator based on a measurement result of the first sensor.

19 . An electronic device manufacturing method, comprising:

generating laser light amplified by an amplifier using an ultraviolet laser device;

outputting the amplified laser light to an exposure apparatus; and

exposing a photosensitive substrate to the laser light in the exposure apparatus to manufacture an electronic device,

the ultraviolet laser device including:

an oscillation stage laser configured to output linearly polarized pulse laser light having an ultraviolet wavelength;

the amplifier including an optical resonator, and configured to amplify and output the pulse laser light;

an optical isolator arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and the amplifier; and

a processor,

the optical isolator including:

a first polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser is transmitted therethrough;

a first Faraday rotator including a first magnet and a first Faraday material, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the pulse laser light transmitted through the first polarizer in a first rotation direction;

a second polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the first Faraday rotator is transmitted therethrough;

a first actuator configured to relatively move the first magnet and the first Faraday material in an optical axis direction of the pulse laser light; and

a first sensor configured to measure a power of pulse laser light reflected by the second polarizer among the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser; and

the processor controlling the first actuator based on a measurement result of the first sensor.

20 . An electronic device manufacturing method, comprising:

generating laser light amplified by an amplifier using an ultraviolet laser device;

outputting the amplified laser light to an exposure apparatus; and

exposing a photosensitive substrate to the laser light in the exposure apparatus to manufacture an electronic device,

the ultraviolet laser device including:

an oscillation stage laser configured to output linearly polarized pulse laser light having an ultraviolet wavelength;

the amplifier including an optical resonator, and configured to amplify and output the pulse laser light;

an optical isolator arranged on an optical path between the oscillation stage laser and the amplifier; and

a processor,

the optical isolator including:

a first polarizer arranged so that the pulse laser light output from the oscillation stage laser is transmitted therethrough;

a first Faraday rotator including a first magnet and a first Faraday material, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the pulse laser light transmitted through the first polarizer in a first rotation direction;

a first actuator configured to relatively move the first magnet and the first Faraday material in an optical axis direction of the pulse laser light; and

a first sensor configured to measure a power of light reflected by the first polarizer among light returning from the amplifier to the oscillation stage laser, and

the processor controlling the first actuator based on a measurement result of the first sensor.

21 . The ultraviolet laser device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the oscillation stage laser includes a line narrowing module configured to narrow a spectrum line width of the pulse laser light.