DIRK LUDWIG BASTING
Pilots at Ocean Ln, Fort Lauderdale, FL

6426966, Jul 30, 2002

Sep 8, 2000

09/657396

Dirk Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL
Sergei V. Govorkov - Boca Raton FL
Uwe Stamm - Goettingen, DE

Lambda Physik AG - Goettingen

H01S 3098

372 19, 372 20, 372 60, 372 99, 372100, 372 55, 372 57

A molecular fluorine (F ) laser is provided wherein the gas mixture comprises molecular fluorine for generating a spectral emission including two or three closely spaced lines around 157 nm. An etalon provides line selection such that the output beam only includes one of these lines. The etalon may also serve to outcouple the beam and/or narrow the selected line. Alternatively, a prism provides the line selection and the etalon narrows the selected line. The etalon may be a resonator reflector which also selects a line, while another element outcouples the beam. The etalon plates comprise a material that is substantially transparent at 157 nm, such as CaF , MgF , LiF , BaF , LiF, SrF , quartz and fluorine doped quartz. The etalon plates are separated by spacers comprising a material having a low thermal expansion constant, such as invar, zerodur®, ultra low expansion glass, and quartz. A beam expander is preferably provided before the etalon for expanding the beam before the beam is incident on the etalon.

6717973, Apr 6, 2004

Jun 13, 2001

09/883097

Dirk Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL
Sergei Govorkov - Boca Raton FL
Juergen Kleinschmidt - Weissenfels, DE
Peter Lokai - Goettingen, DE
Uwe Stamm - Göttingen, DE

Lambda Physik AG - Goettingen

H01S 320

372 52, 372 58, 372 3802, 372 3804

A F -laser includes a discharge chamber filled with a gas mixture including molecular fluorine for generating a spectral emission in a wavelength range between 157 nm and 158 nm including a primary line and a secondary line, multiple electrodes coupled with a power supply circuit for producing a pulsed discharge to energize the molecular fluorine, a resonator including the discharge chamber and an interferometric device for generating a laser beam having a bandwidth of less than 1 pm, and a wavelength monitor coupled in a feedback loop with a processor for monitoring a spectral distribution of the laser beam. The processor controls an interferometric spectrum of the interferometric device based on the monitored spectral distribution such that sidebands within the spectral distribution are substantially minimized.

6515741, Feb 4, 2003

Dec 3, 1999

09/454803

Dirk L. Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL
Sergei V. Govorkov - Boca Raton FL

Lambda Physik AG - Goettingen

G01N 2100

3562371, 372 32, 372102

An apparatus and method for testing the quality of a line narrowing and/or selection module that has been particularly assembled for use with a line-narrowed excimer or molecular fluorine laser is described. The method includes providing a test beam which has been previously line-narrowed using an installed line-narrowing and/or selection module. Then, the test beam is directed into the test module. Next, the one or more properties of the retroreflected beam are measured, i. e. , after the beam has traversed the test module. The quality of the test module and one or more of its components may be determined based on the measurements. Such properties as wavefront distortions, excessive scattering, total reflectivity, total dispersion and aging of components of the test module may be measured for making this quality determination.

7308013, Dec 11, 2007

Nov 3, 2003

10/699763

Dirk Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL, US
Sergei Govorkov - Boca Raton FL, US
Rainer Paetzel - Dransfeld, DE
Igor Bragin - Goettingen, DE
Andreas Targsdorf - Gardelegen, DE

Lambda Physik AG - Goettingen

H01S 3/22

372 57, 372 55

A Master Oscillator (MO)—Power Amplifier (PA) configuration (MOPA) can be used advantageously in an excimer laser system for micro-lithography applications, where semiconductor manufacturers demand powers of 40 W or more in order to support the throughput requirements of advanced lithography scanner systems. The timing of discharges in discharge chambers of the MO and PA can be precisely controlled using a common pulser to drive the respective chambers. The timing of the discharges further can be controlled through the timing of the pre-ionization in the chambers, or through control of the reset current in the final compression stages of the pulser. A common pulser, or separate pulser circuits, also can be actively controlled in time using a feedback loop, with precision timing being achieved through control of the pre-ionization in each individual discharge chamber. Yet another system provides for real-time compensation of time delay jitter of discharge pulses in the chambers.

6154470, Nov 28, 2000

May 24, 1999

9/317527

Dirk Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL
Sergei V. Govorkov - Boca Raton FL
Uwe Stamm - Gottingen, DE

Lamba Physik GmbH - Goettingen

H01S 3098

372 19

A molecular fluorine (F. sub. 2) laser is provided wherein the gas mixture comprises molecular fluorine for generating a spectral emission including two or three closely spaced lines around 157 nm. An etalon provides line selection such that the output beam only includes one of these lines. The etalon may also serve to outcouple the beam and/or narrow the selected line. Alternatively, a prism provides the line selection and the etalon narrows the selected line. The etalon may be a resonator reflector which also selects a line, while another element outcouples the beam. The etalon plates, preferably uncoated, comprise a material that is transparent at 157 nm, such as CaF. sub. 2, MgF. sub. 2, LiF. sub. 2, BaF. sub. 2, SrF. sub. 2, quartz and fluorine doped quartz. The etalon plates are separated by spacers comprising a material having a low thermal expansion constant, such as invar, zerodur. RTM.

7075963, Jul 11, 2006

Jan 25, 2001

09/771366

Dirk Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL, US
Wolfgang Zschocke - Noerten-Hardenberg, DE
Thomas Schröeder - Göttingen, DE
Juergen Kleinschmidt - Weissenfels, DE
Matthias Kramer - Göttingen, DE
Uwe Stamm - Göttingen, DE

Lambda Physik AG - Goettingen

H01S 3/22

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

A line-narrowing module for a laser includes a prism beam expander and a grating preferably attached to a heat sink. A pressure-controlled enclosure filled with an inert gas seals the grating and/or other elements of the line-narrowing module. The pressure in the enclosure is adjusted for tuning the wavelength. Preferably, the pressure is controlled by controlling the flow of an inert gas through the enclosure. A pump may be used, or an overpressure flow may be used. Alternatively, a prism of the beam expander or an etalon may be rotatable for tuning the wavelength.

7253905, Aug 7, 2007

Nov 20, 2003

10/718484

Dirk L. Basting - Fort Lauderdale FL, US
Kai Schmidt - 37327 Leiuelelde, DE
Holger Bald - 37081 Göttinger, DE
Christian Schramm - 37120 Bouenden, DE

G01B 9/02

356450, 356451, 25033907, 25033908, 25033909

A process for the determination and correction of laser induced damages of the optical and electronic components within the beam path of a monitor module of a 193 nm excimer lasers is provided herein. Especially state of the art detectors like CCD cameras degrade under UV radiation. With a special correction of the sensitivity of each camera pixel this problem can be solved.