Patent ID: 6735232
Filing Date: 2004-05-11
Classification: G03F,H01S

Abstract:
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including molecular fluorine and a buffer gas, the laser chamber including at least one window for emitting wavelengths of radiation generated in the laser chamber; a plurality of electrodes disposed within the laser chamber and defining a discharge region therebetween; a pulsed discharge circuit coupled to the plurality of electrodes, the pulsed discharge circuit including a pulser module and a high voltage power supply, wherein the pulsed discharge circuit operates to apply discharge pulses to the electrodes for energizing the gas mixture occupying the discharge region; a resonator, for receiving wavelengths of radiation emitted from the window, the resonator including the laser chamber and a line-narrowing module, the resonator including a pair of resonator reflector surfaces for generating a line-narrowed laser beam, and outputting the beam on a laser beam path which is directed to an object which is lithographically processed, by the beam being incident on the object; an attenuator disposed in the beam path such that the laser beam traverses the attenuator, whereby an energy of the laser beam is reduced to a predetermined energy for lithographic processing; and wherein said attenuator includes an attenuator plate for reflecting away a first portion of the beam and for transmitting a second portion of said beam as an output beam of said laser system, and wherein said laser system further comprises a compensator plate for compensating a shift of the beam produced by refraction through said attenuator plate.