System and method for generating extreme ultraviolet light

1. A system comprising:

a chamber;

a laser beam apparatus configured to generate a laser beam to be introduced into the chamber;

a laser controller for the laser beam apparatus to control at least a beam intensity and an output timing of the laser beam; and

a target supply unit configured to supply a target material into the chamber, the target material being irradiated with the laser beam for generating extreme ultraviolet light, wherein the laser beam apparatus includes a first laser apparatus configured to output a first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated inside the chamber; and

the system further comprises a polarization converter provided in a beam path of the first pre-pulse laser beam for changing a polarization state of the first pre-pulse laser beam so that the target material is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam having a degree of linear polarization P defined by an expression P=∥Imax−Imin|/|Imax+Imin|×100(%) which is equal to or greater than 0% and smaller than 30% in order for the target material to improve an absorptivity of an energy of a subsequently-emitted pulse laser beam, here Imax and Imin are respectively beam intensities of first and second polarization components in the first pre-pulse laser beam, the polarization components being perpendicular to each other.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the target material is supplied in the form of a droplet.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first laser apparatus includes a YAG laser apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first laser apparatus includes a fiber laser apparatus.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first laser apparatus includes a Ti:sapphire laser apparatus.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the polarization converter conve ts the first pre-pulse laser beam into a circularly-polarized laser beam.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the polarization converter converts the first pre-pulse laser beam into a radially-polarized laser beam.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the polarization converter converts the first pre-pulse laser beam into a laser beam whose polarization state is symmetrical about a beam axis of the first pre-pulse laser beam.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the laser beam apparatus further includes a second laser apparatus, and

the second laser apparatus is configured to output a first main pulse laser beam with which the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the second laser apparatus includes a CO 2 laser apparatus.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein a wavelength of the first pre-pulse laser beam is shorter than a wavelength of the first main pulse laser beam.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the laser controller is configured to control the second laser apparatus to output the first main pulse laser beam in 0.3 μs to 3.0 μs after the target material is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein a shape of the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is either a disc-shape or a dish-shape.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is in a shape having a first length in a direction in which the first pre-pulse laser beam travels and a second length in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first pre-pulse laser beam travels, the first length being shorter than the second length.

15. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first main pulse laser beam strikes the target material in substantially the same direction as the first pre-pulse laser beam.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein a cross-section area of the first main pulse laser beam at a time of striking the target material is equal to or greater than a maximum cross-section area of the target material along a plane perpendicular to a direction in which the first main pulse laser beam travels.

17. A system comprising:

a chamber;

a laser beam apparatus configured to generate a laser beam to be introduced into the chamber;

a laser controller for the laser beam apparatus to control at least a beam intensity and an output timing of the laser beam; and

a target supply unit configured to supply a target material into the chamber, the target material being irradiated with the laser beam for generating extreme ultraviolet light, wherein the laser beam apparatus includes:

a first laser apparatus configured to output a first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated inside the chamber; and

a second laser apparatus configured to output a first main pulse laser beam with which the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated, the target supply unit is configured to supply the target material in a form of a droplet, the droplet having a diameter equal to or greater than 12 μm and equal to or smaller than 40 μm, the laser controller is configured to control the first laser apparatus to output the first pre-pulse laser beam having a beam intensity equal to or greater than 6.4×10 9 W/cm 2 and equal to or lower than 3.2×10 10 W/cm 2 ,

the laser controller controls the second laser apparatus to output the first main pulse laser beam in 0.5 μs to 2 μs after the target material is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam, and

the system further comprises a polarization converter provided in a beam path of the first pre-pulse laser beam for changing a polarization state of the first pre-pulse laser beam so that the target material is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam having a degree of linear polarization P defined by an expression P=|max−Imin|/|Imax+Imin|×100(%) which is equal to or greater than 0% and smaller than 30% in order for the target material to improve an absorptivity of an energy of a subsequently-emitted pulse laser beam, where Imax and Imin are respectively beam intensities of first and second polarization components in the first pre-pulse laser beam, the polarization components being perpendicular to each other.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein a shape of the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is symmetrical about a beam axis of the first pre-pulse laser beam and substantially annular.

19. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the laser beam apparatus further includes a second laser apparatus configured to output a second pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated, and a first main pulse laser beam with which the target material having been irradiated with the second pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the second laser apparatus includes a CO 2 laser apparatus.

21. A system comprising,

a chamber;

a laser beam apparatus configured to generate a laser beam to be introduced into the chamber;

a laser controller for the laser beam apparatus to control at least a beam intensity and an output timing of the laser beam; and

a target supply unit configured to supply a target material into the chamber, the target material being irradiated with the laser beam for generating extreme ultraviolet light, wherein the laser beam apparatus includes:

a first laser apparatus configured to output a first pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material is irradiated inside the chamber;

a second laser apparatus configured to output a second pre-pulse laser beam with which the target material having been irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated; and

a first main pulse laser beam with which the target material having been irradiated with the second pre-pulse laser beam is irradiated,

the system further comprises a polarization converter provided in a beam path of the first pre-pulse laser beam for changing a polarization state of the first pre-pulse laser beam so that the target material is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam having a degree of linear polarization P defined by an expression P=|Imax−Imin|/|Imax+Imin|×100(%) which is equal to or greater than 0% and smaller than 30% in order for the target material to improve an absorptivity of an energy of a subsequently-emitted pulse laser beam, where Imax and Imin are respectively beam intensities of first and second polarization components in the first pre-pulse laser beam, the polarization components being perpendicular to each other, and

a wavelength of the first pre-pulse laser beam is shorter than a wavelength of the second pre-pulse laser beam.

22. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the second pre-pulse laser beam and the first main pulse laser beam travel along substantially the same path as the first pre-pulse laser beam to strike the target material.

23. The system according to claim 22 , wherein a cross-section area of the first main pulse laser beam at a time of striking the target material is equal to or greater than a maximum cross-section area of the target material along a plane perpendicular to a direction in which the first main pulse laser beam travels.

24. A system comprising:

a laser beam apparatus configured to generate a pre-pulse laser beam and a main pulse laser beam;

a polarization converter provided in a beam path of the pre-pulse laser beam for controlling a polarization state of the pre-pulse laser beam to be a state other than a linear polarization; and

a target supply unit configured to supply a target material to be irradiated with the pre-pulse laser beam and the main pulse laser beam for generating extreme ultraviolet light,

wherein the polarization converter converts a polarization state of the pre-pulse laser beam so that the target material is irradiated with the pre-pulse laser beam having a degree of linear polarization P defined by an expression P=|Imax−Imin|/|Imax+Imin|×100(%) which is equal to or greater than 0% and smaller than 30% in order for the target material to improve an absorptivity of an energy of the main pulse laser beam, where Imax and Imin are respectively beam intensities of first and second polarization components in the pre-pulse laser beam, the polarization components being perpendicular to each other.

25. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the polarization converter converts a linearly-polarized pre-pulse laser beam to a circularly-polarized pre-pulse laser beam.

26. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the polarization converter converts a linearly-polarized pre-pulse laser beam to an elliptically-polarized pre-pulse laser beam.

27. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the polarization converter converts a linearly-polarized pre-pulse laser beam to an unpolarized pre-pulse laser beam.

28. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the polarization converter converts a linearly-polarized pre-pulse laser beam to a radially-polarized pre-pulse laser beam.

29. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the polarization converter converts a linearly-polarized pre-pulse laser beam to an azimuthally-polarized pre-pulse laser beam.

30. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the degree of linear polarization P=100% indicates a perfectly linear-polarized beam, the degree of linear polarization P=0% indicates a circular polarized beam, and the degree of linear polarization P between 0% and 100% indicates an elliptically-polarized beam.

31. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the degree of linear polarization P=100% indicates a perfectly linear-polarized beam, the degree of linear polarization P=0% indicates a circular polarized beam, and the degree of linear polarization P between 0% and 100% indicates an elliptically-polarized beam.

32. The system according to claim 21 , wherein the degree of linear polarization P=100% indicates a perfectly linear-polarized beam, the degree of linear polarization P=0% indicates a circular polarized beam, and the degree of linear polarization P between 0% and 100% indicates an elliptically-polarized beam.

33. The system according to claim 24 , wherein the degree of linear polarization P=100% indicates a perfectly linear-polarized beam, the degree of linear polarization P=0% indicates a circular polarized beam, and the degree of linear polarization P between 0% and 100% indicates an elliptically-polarized beam.