JPH06310789A - Position regulator of spare ionization pin for excimer laser - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a position regulator of a spare ionization pin for an excimer laser in which the position of a spare ionization pin can be regulated correctly while sustaining the laser oscillation when the operational conditions of laser oscillation are regulated. CONSTITUTION:The inventive positional regulator is characterized in that the position of a spare ionization pin 6 is regulated from the outside of a laser chamber 2. The position regulator comprises a section 17 for driving the base 14 of spare ionization pin with respect to a base 15 of main electrode wherein the base 14 is driven from the outside of the laser chamber 2 thus allowing positional regulation between the spare ionization pin 6 and the main discharge electrode 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser, and more particularly to a position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser which facilitates the position adjustment of the preionization pin. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional gas laser such as a discharge-excited excimer laser, it is necessary to pre-ionize the gas around the main electrode before the main discharge occurs between the main electrodes consisting of two electrodes, an anode and a cathode. There is.

In order to cause this preionization, it is usual to arrange a large number of pairs of preionization pins slightly apart from the main electrode.

One of the preionization pins is directly connected to a keeping capacitor (discharging capacitor), and the keeping capacitor is arranged on the stand for the preionization pins.

The preionization pin mount is fixed to the main electrode mount supporting the main electrode with screws.

Laser oscillation is performed by the main discharge between the two main electrodes. Depending on the position of the preionization pin, discharge, that is, dielectric breakdown occurs between the preionization pin and the main electrode (for example, the cathode). There is a problem that it will end up.

Therefore, although it is important for laser oscillation whether or not the position of the preionization pin is appropriate, there is a problem that this can be confirmed only after the laser operation is started.

That is, once assembled as an excimer laser, the gas is filled in the laser chamber and then oscillated to determine whether the operating condition is good or not. If it is not good, it is disassembled again to adjust the position of the preliminary ionization pin. I had to take trial and error to do it.

Further, if the preionization pins are arranged at a distance sufficiently away from the main electrode so as not to cause dielectric breakdown, the distance from the preionization pins to the main electrode is large.
There is a drawback that the ultraviolet rays generated by the preliminary ionization do not reach the main electrodes sufficiently, and the gas existing between the main electrodes is not uniformly ionized.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in order to adjust the operating state of laser oscillation, the position of the preionization pin is set properly while the laser oscillation is being performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser that can be adjusted.

[0011]

That is, the present invention focuses on the movement adjustment of the preionization pin from the outside of the laser chamber.
A pair of main electrodes facing each other, a main electrode mount supporting one of the main electrodes, a pair of preionization pins facing each other, and a preionization pin mount supporting one of the preionization pins. A pre-ionization pin position adjusting device for an excimer laser, wherein the pre-ionization pin mount is movable with respect to the main electrode mount, and a mount drive unit is provided for driving the pre-ionization pin mount. A position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser, which is capable of adjusting a position between the preionization pin and the main electrode by driving an ionization pin mount from the outside of the laser chamber. .

The pair of preionization pins can be arranged on both left and right sides of the main electrode.

A plurality of pairs of the preionization pins can be provided.

The other part of the preionization pin may have an L-shaped cross section.

The pedestal drive unit can be constituted by at least two pedestals for the auxiliary ionization pin pedestal.

[0016]

In the position adjusting device for the preionization pin for the excimer laser according to the present invention, the preionization pin can be moved with respect to the main electrode and the position can be adjusted from the outside of the laser chamber. It is possible to determine the optimum position while performing the above, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of operation of gas lasers such as excimer lasers, and also to expect an improvement in output.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an excimer laser 1 equipped with a preionization pin position adjusting device for the excimer laser.
2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the excimer laser 1. The excimer laser 1 includes a laser chamber 2, an anode 4 and a cathode 5 constituting a main discharge electrode 3, and a preionization pin 6. A fixed plate member 7 and a pin member 8 having an L-shaped cross section, a total reflection mirror 9, and
It has a partial reflection mirror 10 (phantom line in FIG. 2), a line flow fan 11, and a heat exchanger 12 for cooling.

The position adjusting device 13 for the preionization pin for the excimer laser is for moving and adjusting the pin member 8 of the preionization pin 6, and the preionization pin mount 14 for supporting the pin member 8 and the main discharge electrode 3 are provided. It has a main electrode mount 15 supporting the cathode 5, a spring 16 provided between the preliminary ionization pin mount 14 and the main electrode mount 15, and a mount drive unit 17.

The plate member 7 of the preionization pin 6 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the main discharge electrode 3 having a length of about 60 cm on the left and right sides thereof, and the pin member 8 is the main discharge electrode. A plurality of them are arranged so as to face the plate member 7 at intervals of about 5 cm in the longitudinal direction of 3.

Preliminary ionization pin mount 14 and main electrode mount 1
5 is that these are provided separately, and the preionization pin mount 14 is movable with respect to the main electrode mount 15.

That is, the pre-ionization pin 6 is positioned with respect to the main electrode base 15, that is, the main discharge electrode 3 (cathode 5), by pushing or pulling the pre-ionization pin base 14 by the base drive unit 17.

As a mechanism of the gantry driving section 17 having a pushing or pulling function, a linear actuator or a magnetic coupling may be used, and the spring 16 may be used.
The position of the pedestal drive unit 17 and the pedestal 1 for the preliminary ionization pin
It may be between 4 and 4.

The gantry driving unit 17 is a gantry 1 for the preliminary ionization pin.
Two of them are provided along the line 4, but any number may be used.

The gantry driving unit 17 may be disposed inside the laser chamber 2, but when the inside of the laser chamber 2 is filled with a reaction gas, when there is a problem in the surface material and structure of these. However, it may be installed outside the laser chamber 2.

In the position adjusting device 13 for the preionization pin for the excimer laser having the above structure, the gantry driving unit 17
By pushing or pulling the stand 14 for the preionization pin with the stand 14, the stand 14 for the preionization pin and the stand 1 for the main electrode
Fine-tune the distance between 5 and.

Since the plate member 7 is L-shaped in cross section, the distance between the pin member 8 and the pin member 8 does not substantially change even if the pin member 8 is moved, and the discharge characteristics of the preionization pin 6 change. There is no such thing.

Thus, it is not necessary to perform the position adjustment by the conventional trial and error as described above, and the excimer laser 1
Since it is possible to optimize the position of the preionization pin 6 while operating the excimer laser 1, the position adjustment work is easy and the output can be improved. Become.

In the configuration of FIG. 1, one electrode (plate member 7) on the positive electrode 4 side of the pair of preionization pins 6 is fixed and the electrode on the cathode 5 side (pin member 8) is driven. However, the plate member 7 on the side of the anode 4 is used instead.
May be configured to be driven.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the gantry driving unit is provided between the preliminary ionization pin and the main discharge electrode, which can be finely adjusted from the outside of the laser chamber, the efficiency of operation adjustment work of the excimer laser is improved. Can be improved.

[0031]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an excimer laser 1 equipped with a position adjusting device 13 for a preionization pin for an excimer laser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the excimer laser 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Excimer laser 2 Laser chamber 3 Main discharge electrode 4 Anode 5 Cathode 6 Pre-ionization pin 7 Fixed plate member with L-shaped cross section 8 Pin member 9 Total reflection mirror 10 Partial reflection mirror 11 Line flow fan 12 Cooling heat exchanger 13 Pre-ionization pin position adjustment device for excimer laser 14 Pre-ionization pin stand 15 Main electrode stand 16 Spring 17 Stand drive unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A laser chamber, a pair of main electrodes facing each other, a main electrode mount for supporting one of the main electrodes, a pair of preionization pins facing each other, and one of the preionization pins supported. A preliminary ionization pin position adjusting device for an excimer laser having a preliminary ionization pin mount, wherein the preliminary ionization pin mount is movable with respect to the main electrode mount, and the preliminary ionization pin mount is driven. For excimer laser, characterized in that it is possible to adjust the position between the preliminary ionization pin and the main electrode by driving the preliminary ionization pin mount from the outside of the laser chamber. Pre-ionization pin position adjustment device. 2. The position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser according to claim 1, wherein the pair of preionization pins are arranged on both left and right sides of the main electrode. 3. The position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pairs of the preionization pins are provided. 4. The position adjusting device for a preionization pin for an excimer laser according to claim 1, wherein the other part of the preionization pin has an L-shaped cross section. 5. The position adjusting device for the preionization pin for an excimer laser according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the gantry driving units are integrated with the gantry for the preionization pin.