Extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus and control method for laser apparatus in extreme ultraviolet light generation system

摘要

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include a chamber containing a plasma generation region irradiated by a pulse laser beam from a laser apparatus, a target supply device configured to supply a plurality of targets consecutively to the plasma generation region in the chamber, a target detection unit configured to detect a target outputted from the target supply device, and a laser controller configured to control the laser apparatus; the laser controller generating a light emission trigger instructing a laser device included in the laser apparatus to emit a pulse laser beam, and outputting the generated light emission trigger to the laser apparatus, in accordance with a detection signal from the target detection unit; and the laser controller adjusting generation of the light emission trigger outputted consecutively to the laser apparatus so that a time interval of the light emission trigger is within a predetermined range.

主权项

1. An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam and producing plasma, the apparatus comprising,
a chamber containing a plasma generation region irradiated by a pulse laser beam from a laser apparatus; a target supply device configured to supply a plurality of targets consecutively to the plasma generation region in the chamber; a target detection unit configured to detect a target outputted from the target supply device that has passed a predetermined position between the target supply device and the plasma generation region; and laser control circuitry configured to control the laser apparatus, the laser control circuitry including a light emission trigger generation circuit configured to generate a light emission trigger instructing a laser device included in the laser apparatus to emit a pulse laser beam, and output the generated light emission trigger to the laser apparatus, the light emission trigger generation circuit including a first circuit configured to output a first signal that changes from OFF to ON after a first time has passed from a detection signal indicating target detection from the target detection unit, and a first AND circuit configured to output an AND signal of the first signal and the detection signal, the light emission trigger generation circuit outputting the light emission trigger to the laser apparatus based on an output from the first AND circuit, and the laser control circuitry outputting the light emission trigger to the laser apparatus in response to a next detection signal received immediately after the first time has passed following the detection signal.