Patent Description:
A lithographic apparatus is a machine constructed to apply a desired pattern onto a substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). A lithographic apparatus may, for example, project a pattern (also often referred to as "design layout" or "design") at a patterning device (e.g., a mask) onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on a substrate (e.g., a wafer).

To project a pattern on a substrate a lithographic apparatus may use electromagnetic radiation. The wavelength of this radiation determines the minimum size of features which can be formed on the substrate. Typical wavelengths currently in use are <NUM> (i-line), <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. A lithographic apparatus, which uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, having a wavelength within the range <NUM>-<NUM>, for example <NUM> or <NUM>, may be used to form smaller features on a substrate than a lithographic apparatus which uses, for example, radiation with a wavelength of <NUM>.

Low-k<NUM> lithography may be used to process features with dimensions smaller than the classical resolution limit of a lithographic apparatus. In such process, the resolution formula may be expressed as CD = k<NUM>×λ/NA, where λ is the wavelength of radiation employed, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection optics in the lithographic apparatus, CD is the "critical dimension" (generally the smallest feature size printed, but in this case half-pitch) and k<NUM> is an empirical resolution factor. In general, the smaller k<NUM> the more difficult it becomes to reproduce the pattern on the substrate that resembles the shape and dimensions planned by a circuit designer in order to achieve particular electrical functionality and performance. To overcome these difficulties, sophisticated fine-tuning steps may be applied to the lithographic projection apparatus and/or design layout. These include, for example, but not limited to, optimization of NA, customized illumination schemes, use of phase shifting patterning devices, various optimization of the design layout such as optical proximity correction (OPC, sometimes also referred to as "optical and process correction") in the design layout, or other methods generally defined as "resolution enhancement techniques" (RET). Alternatively, tight control loops for controlling a stability of the lithographic apparatus may be used to improve reproduction of the pattern at low k1.

In the field of lithography, many measurement systems may be used, both within a lithographic apparatus and external to a lithographic apparatus. Generally, such a measurements system may use a radiation source to irradiate a target with radiation, and a detection system operable t< measure at least one property of a portion of the incident radiation that scatters from the target. An example of a measurement system that is external to a lithographic apparatus is an inspection apparatus or a metrology apparatus, which may be used to determine properties of a pattern previously projected onto a substrate by the lithographic apparatus. Such an external inspection apparatus may, for example, comprise a scatterometer. Examples of measurement systems that may be provided within a lithographic apparatus include: a topography measurement system (also known as a level sensor); a position measurement system (for example an interferometric device) for determining position of a reticle or wafer stage; and an alignment sensor for determining a position of an alignment mark. These measurement devices may use electromagnetic radiation to perform the measurement.

Different types of radiation may be used to interrogate different types of properties of a pattern. Some measurements system may use a broadband radiation source. Such a broadband radiation source may be a supercontinuum source and may comprise a waveguide (for example, an optical fiber) having a non-linear medium through which a pulsed pump radiation beam is propagated to broaden a spectrum of the radiation.

One challenge associated with implementing such a supercontinuum source is the lifetime of the waveguide, and one factor that can severely limit the lifetime of the waveguide is damage that can occur when light exits the waveguide due to the high peak intensities of the broadened radiation spectrum.

In the case of an optical fiber, damage at the exit can take the form of deposited particles of fiber material that are produced by ionization, resulting in glassy structures "growing" at the output of the fiber due to sputtering. Without wishing to be bound by theory, for the example of a hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF), typically comprising fused silica glass and filled with a non-linear optical medium in the form of a gas such as that described in <CIT>, such damage may be caused by ionization of the gas induced by the intense pump radiation. The ions that are produced may etch the glass, and the etched glass may then redeposit preferentially at edges and protrusions. The density of such edges and protrusions may be particularly high at the end of the fiber due to the fact that the fiber will have been produced by a cleaving process, which introduces defect centers and structural flaws. In addition, inside the fiber, the plasma is constrained, meaning that the electrons that are produced in the ionization process will recombine quickly at nearby walls. However at the exit of the fiber, the electrons are unconstrained and form a plasma with a higher density of free electrons, which in turn can absorb more power from the radiation pulses propagating through the plasma. This has an amplifying effect that leads to more plasma, and consequentially more etching of the fiber and further redeposition of the etched glass. Other examples of waveguides are provided in publications <CIT> and <CIT>.

It may therefore be desirable to provide an alternative waveguide (for example an optical fiber) for receiving input radiation and broadening a frequency range of the input radiation so as to provide (broadband) output radiation that at least partially addresses one or more problems associated with the prior art whether identified herein or otherwise.

We describe herein a waveguide comprising a core extending axially along the waveguide, and further comprising:: a first section, the first section being configured to generate, by a non-linear optical process, a broadened wavelength spectrum of pulsed radiation provided to an input end of the waveguide; a second section, the second section comprising an output end of the waveguide, the core of the second section having a diameter greater than a diameter of the core in the first section in order to exhibit a larger absolute value of group velocity dispersion than the first section; wherein a length of the second section is between <NUM> and <NUM> and configured to reduce a peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum by at least <NUM>%.

Advantageously, reducing the peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum may lead to reduced damage at the output end of the waveguide caused by the intense peaks. Reducing the damage caused by individual spectral peaks advantageously increases the number of spectral peaks that can pass through the output of the waveguide before the waveguide is damaged to the point that it is no longer usable, thereby increasing the overall lifetime of the waveguide.

In some examples, the peak intensity of the one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum may be reduced even further by the second section of the waveguide, for example by <NUM>%, <NUM>%, or even <NUM>%.

In some examples, the waveguide may be an optical fiber, for example a hollow core optical fiber such as a hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF). In embodiments where the waveguide is a HC-PCF, the second section may be configured to exhibit normal group velocity dispersion. In some examples, the waveguide may be a solid core optical fiber.

It will be appreciated that the first section of the waveguide may be configured to generate a broadened wavelength spectrum by an interaction between the pulsed radiation provided to the input end of the waveguide and a non-linear medium inside the waveguide. In some examples, the non-linear medium may be a gas. In some examples, generating the broadened wavelength spectrum may comprise one or more of four-wave mixing, modulation instability, ionisation of the working gas, Raman effects, Kerr nonlinearity, soliton formation, soliton fission, and/or soliton self-compression.

It will be understood that "normal dispersion" corresponds to a regime of positive group velocity dispersion, also represented as β<NUM>. In some examples, the first section of the waveguide is configured to exhibit "anomalous dispersion", i.e. negative group velocity dispersion (β<NUM>). It will be further understood that the peak intensity of the peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum generally decreases over the length of the second section as the peaks propagate through the second section of the waveguide. It will be understood that the decrease in the intensity of the peaks is caused by the stretching of the peaks in time due to the normal dispersion of the second section.

The core diameter may alternatively be referred to as an inner diameter of the waveguide.

The changing core diameter between the first and second sections of the waveguide advantageously changes the dispersive properties of the waveguide in relation to the propagating radiation pulse such that the pulses are stretched in time and the peak intensities are reduced.

In some examples, the diameter of the core in the second section is constant over the length of the second section. Advantageously, a waveguide comprising a second section having a constant core diameter over its length may be straightforward to manufacture. For example, where the waveguide is an optical fiber, the first and second sections of the waveguide may be formed by attaching two pieces of optical fiber together.

In some examples, the diameter of the core in the second section increases with increasing distance from the first section over at least a portion of the second section. For example, the second section may include upwardly-tapered section(s).

Since the peak intensity of the peaks in the broadened spectrum scale with the inverse square of the inner (core) diameter of the waveguide, even a weakly upwardly-tapered second section would advantageously lead to strongly reduced peak intensity, resulting in further improvements in the lifetime of the waveguide.

In some examples, the waveguide further comprises a plurality of anti-resonant elements surrounding the core in the first section. It will be understood that the anti-resonant elements serve to confine radiation that propagates through the waveguide and to guide the radiation along the waveguide. The anti-resonant elements may further serve to suppress coupling of the fundamental optical mode to higher order optical modes, thus reducing losses in the waveguide. In some examples, the anti-resonant elements may be capillaries.

In some examples, the plurality of anti-resonant elements may surround the core in at least a portion of the second section, and a cross-sectional area of each of the anti-resonant elements may decrease in the second section with increasing distance from the first section. For example, the anti-resonant elements may be collapsed over at least a portion of the length of the second section of the waveguide.

It will be appreciated that the decreasing cross-sectional area of the anti-resonant elements may correspond to an alternative form of an upwardly-tapered inner diameter of the waveguide. Advantageously, a second section comprising anti-resonant elements having decreasing cross-sectional area may be straightforwardly manufactured, for example by heating and stretching an existing portion of waveguide comprising anti-resonant elements.

In some examples, the cross-sectional area of the anti-resonant elements may decrease over at least a portion of the length of the second section at a rate that is sufficient to meet the adiabaticity criterion, thus preventing coupling of the fundamental optical mode to higher-order modes that would otherwise occur as a result of a sudden change in inner waveguide diameter and would cause losses in the waveguide.

In some examples, the first section may comprise a plurality of anti-resonant elements surrounding the core, and the second section may be provided without any anti-resonant elements.

Advantageously, a second section without any anti-resonant elements may be straightforwardly manufactured, for example by attaching a portion of a baseline optical fiber to a portion of an optical fiber having anti-resonant elements.

We also describe herein a method of manufacturing a waveguide, the method comprising: forming a first section of the waveguide, the first section being configured to broaden, by a non-linear optical process, a wavelength spectrum of pulsed radiation provided to an input end of the waveguide; and forming a second section of the waveguide, the second section comprising an output end of the waveguide, the second section being configured to exhibit a larger absolute value of group velocity dispersion than the first section; wherein a length of the second section is between <NUM> and <NUM> and configured to reduce a peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum by at least <NUM>%, wherein forming the first and second sections of the waveguide comprises receiving a waveguide and modifying a section of the waveguide comprising the output end of the waveguide; wherein the first and second sections of the waveguide comprise a plurality of anti-resonant elements surrounding a core, and wherein forming the second section comprises collapsing the plurality of anti-resonant elements in the second section; and wherein collapsing the plurality of anti-resonant elements in the second section comprises heating the second section and elongating the second section by applying a pulling force.

In some examples, the method may be a method of manufacturing a waveguide that is an optical fiber, for example a hollow core optical fiber such as a hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF). In embodiments where the waveguide is a HC-PCF, the second section may be configured to exhibit normal group velocity dispersion. In some examples, the method may be applied to manufacturing a waveguide that is a solid core optical fiber.

It will be understood that modifying the section of the waveguide that comprises the output end of the waveguide may comprise attaching a further section of waveguide to the output end of the waveguide, and/or making adjustments directly to the output end of the received waveguide.

In some examples, forming the second section of the waveguide may comprise attaching the second section to the first section, for example by splicing the second section to the first section and/or coupling the second section to the first section.

Advantageously, attaching the second section to the first section may enable a simplified manufacturing process, for example whereby the two sections of the waveguide can be manufactured separately according to the specific requirements of the two sections, and then brought together at the end of the manufacturing process.

Advantageously, collapsing the anti-resonant elements in the second section enables forming the first and second sections from a single existing piece of a waveguide comprising anti-resonant elements.

In the present document, the terms "radiation" and "beam" are used to encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet radiation (e.g. with a wavelength of <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> or <NUM>) and EUV (extreme ultra-violet radiation, e.g. having a wavelength in the range of about <NUM>-<NUM>).

The term "reticle", "mask" or "patterning device" as employed in this text may be broadly interpreted as referring to a generic patterning device that can be used to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of the substrate. The term "light valve" can also be used in this context. Besides the classic mask (transmissive or reflective, binary, phase-shifting, hybrid, etc.), examples of other such patterning devices include a programmable mirror array and a programmable LCD array.

<FIG> schematically depicts a lithographic apparatus LA. The lithographic apparatus LA includes an illumination system (also referred to as illuminator) IL configured to condition a radiation beam B (e.g., UV radiation, DUV radiation or EUV radiation), a mask support (e.g., a mask table) MT constructed to support a patterning device (e.g., a mask) MA and connected to a first positioner PM configured to accurately position the patterning device MA in accordance with certain parameters, a substrate support (e.g., a wafer table) WT constructed to hold a substrate (e.g., a resist coated wafer) W and connected to a second positioner PW configured to accurately position the substrate support in accordance with certain parameters, and a projection system (e.g., a refractive projection lens system) PS configured to project a pattern imparted to the radiation beam B by patterning device MA onto a target portion C (e.g., comprising one or more dies) of the substrate W.

In operation, the illumination system IL receives a radiation beam from a radiation source SO, e.g. via a beam delivery system BD. The illumination system IL may include various types of optical components, such as refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic, and/or other types of optical components, or any combination thereof, for directing, shaping, and/or controlling radiation. The illuminator IL may be used to condition the radiation beam B to have a desired spatial and angular intensity distribution in its cross section at a plane of the patterning device MA.

The term "projection system" PS used herein should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive, reflective, catadioptric, anamorphic, magnetic, electromagnetic and/or electrostatic optical systems, or any combination thereof, as appropriate for the exposure radiation being used, and/or for other factors such as the use of an immersion liquid or the use of a vacuum. Any use of the term "projection lens" herein may be considered as synonymous with the more general term "projection system" PS.

The lithographic apparatus LA may be of a type wherein at least a portion of the substrate may be covered by a liquid having a relatively high refractive index, e.g., water, so as to fill a space between the projection system PS and the substrate W - which is also referred to as immersion lithography. More information on immersion techniques is given in <CIT>.

The lithographic apparatus LA may also be of a type having two or more substrate supports WT (also named "dual stage"). In such "multiple stage" machine, the substrate supports WT may be used in parallel, and/or steps in preparation of a subsequent exposure of the substrate W may be carried out on the substrate W located on one of the substrate support WT while another substrate W on the other substrate support WT is being used for exposing a pattern on the other substrate W.

In addition to the substrate support WT, the lithographic apparatus LA may comprise a measurement stage. The measurement stage is arranged to hold a sensor and/or a cleaning device. The sensor may be arranged to measure a property of the projection system PS or a property of the radiation beam B. The measurement stage may hold multiple sensors. The cleaning device may be arranged to clean part of the lithographic apparatus, for example a part of the projection system PS or a part of a system that provides the immersion liquid. The measurement stage may move beneath the projection system PS when the substrate support WT is away from the projection system PS.

In operation, the radiation beam B is incident on the patterning device, e.g. mask, MA which is held on the mask support MT, and is patterned by the pattern (design layout) present on patterning device MA. Having traversed the mask MA, the radiation beam B passes through the projection system PS, which focuses the beam onto a target portion C of the substrate W. With the aid of the second positioner PW and a position measurement system IF, the substrate support WT can be moved accurately, e.g., so as to position different target portions C in the path of the radiation beam B at a focused and aligned position. Similarly, the first positioner PM and possibly another position sensor (which is not explicitly depicted in <FIG>) may be used to accurately position the patterning device MA with respect to the path of the radiation beam B. Patterning device MA and substrate W may be aligned using mask alignment marks M1, M2 and substrate alignment marks P1, P2. Although the substrate alignment marks P1, P2 as illustrated occupy dedicated target portions, they may be located in spaces between target portions. Substrate alignment marks P1, P2 are known as scribe-lane alignment marks when these are located between the target portions C.

As shown in <FIG> the lithographic apparatus LA may form part of a lithographic cell LC, also sometimes referred to as a lithocell or (litho)cluster, which often also includes apparatus to perform pre- and post-exposure processes on a substrate W. Conventionally these include spin coaters SC to deposit resist layers, developers DE to develop exposed resist, chill plates CH and bake plates BK, e.g. for conditioning the temperature of substrates W e.g. for conditioning solvents in the resist layers. A substrate handler, or robot, RO picks up substrates W from input/output ports I/O1, I/O2, moves them between the different process apparatus and delivers the substrates W to the loading bay LB of the lithographic apparatus LA. The devices in the lithocell, which are often also collectively referred to as the track, are typically under the control of a track control unit TCU that in itself may be controlled by a supervisory control system SCS, which may also control the lithographic apparatus LA, e.g. via lithography control unit LACU.

In order for the substrates W exposed by the lithographic apparatus LA to be exposed correctly and consistently, it is desirable to inspect substrates to measure properties of patterned structures, such as overlay errors between subsequent layers, line thicknesses, critical dimensions (CD), etc. For this purpose, inspection tools (not shown) may be included in the lithocell LC. If errors are detected, adjustments, for example, may be made to exposures of subsequent substrates or to other processing steps that are to be performed on the substrates W, especially if the inspection is done before other substrates W of the same batch or lot are still to be exposed or processed.

An inspection apparatus, which may also be referred to as a metrology apparatus, is used to determine properties of the substrates W, and in particular, how properties of different substrates W vary or how properties associated with different layers of the same substrate W vary from layer to layer. The inspection apparatus may alternatively be constructed to identify defects on the substrate W and may, for example, be part of the lithocell LC, or may be integrated into the lithographic apparatus LA, or may even be a stand-alone device. The inspection apparatus may measure the properties on a latent image (image in a resist layer after the exposure), or on a semi-latent image (image in a resist layer after a post-exposure bake step PEB), or on a developed resist image (in which the exposed or unexposed parts of the resist have been removed), or even on an etched image (after a pattern transfer step such as etching).

Typically the patterning process in a lithographic apparatus LA is one of the most critical steps in the processing which requires high accuracy of dimensioning and placement of structures on the substrate W. To ensure this high accuracy, three systems may be combined in a so called "holistic" control environment as schematically depicted in <FIG>. One of these systems is the lithographic apparatus LA which is (virtually) connected to a metrology tool MT (a second system) and to a computer system CL (a third system). The key of such "holistic" environment is to optimize the cooperation between these three systems to enhance the overall process window and provide tight control loops to ensure that the patterning performed by the lithographic apparatus LA stays within a process window. The process window defines a range of process parameters (e.g. dose, focus, overlay) within which a specific manufacturing process yields a defined result (e.g. a functional semiconductor device) - typically within which the process parameters in the lithographic process or patterning process are allowed to vary.

The computer system CL may use (part of) the design layout to be patterned to predict which resolution enhancement techniques to use and to perform computational lithography simulations and calculations to determine which mask layout and lithographic apparatus settings achieve the largest overall process window of the patterning process (depicted in <FIG> by the double arrow in the first scale SC1). Typically, the resolution enhancement techniques are arranged to match the patterning possibilities of the lithographic apparatus LA. The computer system CL may also be used to detect where within the process window the lithographic apparatus LA is currently operating (e.g. using input from the metrology tool MT) to predict whether defects may be present due to e.g. sub-optimal processing (depicted in <FIG> by the arrow pointing "<NUM>" in the second scale SC2).

The metrology tool MT may provide input to the computer system CL to enable accurate simulations and predictions, and may provide feedback to the lithographic apparatus LA to identify possible drifts, e.g. in a calibration status of the lithographic apparatus LA (depicted in <FIG> by the multiple arrows in the third scale SC3).

The metrology tool MT (for example a scatterometer, topography measurement system, or position measurement system) may use radiation originating from a radiation source to perform a measurement. The properties of the radiation used by a metrology tool may affect the type and quality of measurements that may be performed. For some applications, it may be advantageous to use multiple radiation frequencies to measure a substrate, for example broadband radiation may be used. Multiple different frequencies may be able to propagate, irradiate, and scatter off a metrology target with no or minimal interference with other frequencies. Therefore different frequencies may for example be used to obtain more metrology data simultaneously. Different radiation frequencies may also be able to interrogate and discover different properties of a metrology target. Broadband radiation may be useful in metrology systems MT such as for example level sensors, alignment mark measurement systems, scatterometry tools, or inspection tools. A broadband radiation source may be a supercontinuum source.

One method for generating broadband radiation may be to broaden high-power narrow band or single frequency input radiation, for example making use of non-linear, higher order effects. The input radiation (which may be produced using a laser) may be referred to as pump radiation. To obtain high power radiation for broadening effects, radiation may be confined into a small area (such as in a waveguide) so that strongly localized high intensity radiation is achieved. In those areas, the radiation may interact with broadening structures and/or materials forming a non-linear medium so as to create broadband output radiation. In the high intensity radiation areas, different materials and/or structures may be used to enable and/or improve radiation broadening by providing a suitable non-linear medium.

As described above, there are many nonlinear optical processes involved in generation of broadband output radiation (e.g., supercontinuum or white light). Which nonlinear optical process has a more pronounced spectral broadening effect over the others will depend on how the operating parameters are set. For example, by selecting a pump wavelength and/or an waveguide such that the pump pulse propagates through the waveguide in a normal dispersion region (positive group velocity dispersion (GVD), represented by β<NUM>), self-phase modulation is the dominant nonlinear optical process and is responsible for spectral expansion of the pump pulse. However in most cases, spectral broadening of input radiation provided by the pulsed pump radiation source is driven by soliton dynamics which require a pump pulse to propagate in a waveguide in the anomalous dispersion region (negative β<NUM>). This is because, in the anomalous dispersion region, the effects of Kerr nonlinearity and dispersion act in opposition to each other. When the pulse parameters of a pump pulse, which is launched into a waveguide such as an optical fiber (e.g., HC-PCF) with anomalous chromatic dispersion, do not exactly match those of a soliton, the pump pulse will evolve into a soliton pulse with a certain soliton order and a dispersive wave. Further details of mechanisms for spectral broadening in soliton driven broadband radiation generation are provided in co-pending PCT application No. <CIT>.

As an example, one particular method for generating broadband output radiation by an interaction between the input radiation and the non-linear medium known in the prior art is modulation instability. In a particular example, modulation instability of an ultrashort (e.g. ~ <NUM> of fs) infrared laser pulse (referred to as pump radiation) may be achieved by directing the laser pulse into a waveguide (e.g. a hollow core optical fiber), where the waveguide is filled with a non-linear medium, e.g. Kr gas at <NUM> bar of pressure. Such a waveguide features weakly anomalous (e.g. β<NUM> = -<NUM> fs<NUM>/cm) group-velocity dispersion at the central wavelength of the pump laser, i.e. the situation in which shorter-wavelength components of the pulse travel faster than longer-wavelength components, which is exploited to access the soliton regime. As an example, pump radiation entering the waveguide may typically have a pulse duration of around <NUM> fs. At this point, the bandwidth of the radiation is relatively small (around a few nm), and the peak intensity (e.g. around <NUM> TW/cm<NUM>) is insufficient to ionize the gas. In the course of broadband radiation generation by modulation instability as the pulse travels along the waveguide, the temporal structure of the pulse develops very sharp peaks which can have a duration of only a few fs or even a few hundred attoseconds, and yield a broad optical spectrum (tens to hundreds of nm) and high peak intensities, which can ionize the gas and lead to damage to the waveguide (such as glass deposition at the output of a fiber) as described above.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an improved waveguide for confining input radiation for use in a broadband radiation source. An example of a waveguide <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG>. In general, a waveguide <NUM> according to the present disclosure comprises an elongate body, which is longer in one dimension compared to the other two dimensions of the waveguide <NUM>. In use, the waveguide <NUM> may contain a non-linear optical medium (such as a gas) that is pumped by the input radiation to create broadband output radiation.

The received input radiation may be electromagnetic radiation. The input radiation may be received as pulsed radiation. For example, the input radiation may comprise ultrafast pulses. The mechanism for the spectral broadening as the radiation interacts with the non-linear medium may be for example one or more of four-wave mixing, modulation instability, ionisation of the working gas, Raman effects, Kerr nonlinearity, soliton formation, or soliton fission. In particular, the spectral broadening may be achieved through one or both of soliton formation, or soliton fission. In some examples, generating the broadband output radiation may comprise soliton self-compression.

The input radiation may be coherent radiation. The input radiation may be collimated radiation, an advantage of which may be to facilitate and improve the efficiency of coupling the input radiation into the waveguide <NUM>. The input radiation may comprise a single frequency, or a narrow range of frequencies. The input radiation may be generated by a laser. Similarly, the output radiation may be collimated and/or may be coherent.

The broadband range of the output radiation may be a continuous range, comprising a continuous range of radiation frequencies. The output radiation may comprise supercontinuum radiation. Continuous radiation may be beneficial for use in a number of applications, for example in metrology applications. For example, the continuous range of frequencies may be used to interrogate a large number of properties. The continuous range of frequencies may for example be used to determine and/or eliminate a frequency dependency of a measured property. The supercontinuum output radiation may comprise for example electromagnetic radiation over a wavelength range of <NUM> - <NUM>. The broadband output radiation frequency range may be for example <NUM> - <NUM>, <NUM> - <NUM>, or <NUM> - <NUM>. The supercontinuum output radiation may comprise white light.

In some examples, as illustrated in <FIG>, the waveguide may be an optical fiber <NUM> forming part of an apparatus <NUM> for receiving input radiation <NUM> (i.e. pump radiation) and broadening a frequency range of the input radiation <NUM> so as to provide broadband output radiation <NUM>.

In the example illustrated in <FIG>, the waveguide is a hollow core optical fiber <NUM>, specifically a hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF), comprising a hollow core <NUM> for guiding radiation propagating through the optical fiber <NUM>. It will be appreciated that the fiber illustrated in <FIG> is shown in cross-section.

In use, a non-linear optical medium in the form of a gas <NUM> is disposed within the hollow core <NUM>, wherein the gas <NUM> comprises a working component which enables the broadening of the frequency range of the received input radiation <NUM> so as to provide broadband output radiation <NUM>. The working component of the gas <NUM> may be a noble gas. The working component may comprise one or more of Argon, Krypton, Neon, Helium and Xenon. Alternatively or additionally to the noble gas, the working component may comprise a molecular gas (e.g. N<NUM>, O<NUM>, CH<NUM>, SF<NUM>). In some examples, the apparatus <NUM> may further comprise a reservoir containing the gas <NUM>, and the optical fiber <NUM> may be disposed within the reservoir, wherein the reservoir may be configured to control, regulate, and/or monitor the composition of the gas <NUM> inside the reservoir.

The optical fiber <NUM> may have any length and it will be appreciated that the length of the optical fiber <NUM> may be dependent on the application (for example the amount of spectral broadening that is desired in applications within a supercontinuum radiation source). The optical fiber <NUM> may have a length between <NUM> and <NUM>, for example, the optical fiber <NUM> may have a length between <NUM> and <NUM>.

A further example of a HC-PCF (fiber) <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG>. The fiber <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> comprises a plurality of anti-resonant elements <NUM> surrounding the hollow core <NUM>. The anti-resonance elements <NUM> are arranged to confine radiation that propagates through the optical fiber <NUM> predominantly inside the hollow core <NUM> and to guide the radiation along the optical fiber <NUM>. The hollow core <NUM> of the optical fiber <NUM> may be disposed substantially in a central region of the optical fiber <NUM>, so that the axis of the optical fiber <NUM> may also define an axis of the hollow core <NUM> of the optical fiber <NUM>. Further details of the function of the anti-resonant elements <NUM> are provided in <CIT> and <CIT>. In the examples illustrated in the present disclosure, the anti-resonant elements <NUM> are in the form of capillaries (for example, tubular capillaries) surrounding the hollow core <NUM>. Therefore, in the present disclosure, the terms "anti-resonant element" and "capillary" are used interchangeably. The anti-resonant elements <NUM> may also be referred to as tubes.

<FIG> illustrates a cross-section of the optical fiber <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. It will be appreciated that the cross-section illustrated in <FIG> is in the transverse plane (i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the optical fiber), which is labelled as the x-y plane, while the cross-section illustrated in <FIG> is in the z-y plane. It will be further appreciated that the optical fiber <NUM> has some degree of flexibility and therefore the direction of the axis of the optical fiber <NUM> will not, in general, be uniform along the length of the optical fiber <NUM>. Terms such as the axis, the transverse cross-section and the like will therefore be understood to mean the local axis, the local transverse cross-section and so on. Furthermore, where components are described as being cylindrical or tubular these terms will be understood to encompass such shapes that may have been distorted as the optical fiber <NUM> is flexed.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a hollow core optical fiber <NUM> may comprise: a hollow core <NUM>; an inner cladding region surrounding the hollow core <NUM>; and a jacket region <NUM> surrounding and supporting the inner cladding region.

The inner cladding region may comprise a plurality of capillaries <NUM>, for example tubular capillaries, surrounding the hollow core <NUM>. Each of the capillaries <NUM> acts as an anti-resonance element for guiding radiation propagating through the optical fiber <NUM>. In particular, in the example illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the inner cladding region comprises a single ring of six tubular capillaries <NUM>.

The capillaries <NUM> are generally configured to suppress higher order modes in the fiber <NUM>, preventing coupling of the (desired) fundamental optical mode to higher order modes, which reduces losses in the fiber <NUM>.

The capillaries <NUM> may be circular in cross section, or may have another shape. Each capillary <NUM> may comprise a generally cylindrical wall portion <NUM> that at least partially defines the hollow core <NUM> of the optical fiber <NUM> and separates the hollow core <NUM> from a cavity <NUM>. It will be appreciated that the wall portion <NUM> may act as an anti-reflecting Fabry-Perot resonator for radiation that propagates through the hollow core <NUM> (and which may be incident on the wall portion <NUM> at a grazing incidence angle). A thickness <NUM> of the wall portion <NUM> may be suitable so as to ensure that reflection back into the hollow core <NUM> is generally enhanced whereas transmission into the cavity <NUM> is generally suppressed. In some embodiments, the capillary wall portion <NUM> may have a thickness <NUM> smaller than <NUM>; smaller than <NUM>; or smaller than <NUM>.

It will be appreciated that, as used herein, the term inner cladding region is intended to mean a region of the optical fiber <NUM> for guiding radiation propagating through the optical fiber <NUM> (i.e. the capillaries <NUM> which confine said radiation within the hollow core <NUM>). The radiation may be confined in the form of transverse modes, propagating along the fiber axis.

The jacket region <NUM> may be generally tubular and may support the capillaries <NUM> of the inner cladding region. The capillaries <NUM> may be distributed evenly around an inner surface of the jacket region <NUM>. The six capillaries <NUM> may be described as surrounding the hollow core <NUM> in a symmetrical arrangement. In embodiments comprising six capillaries <NUM>, the capillaries <NUM> may be described as being disposed in a generally hexagonal formation.

The capillaries <NUM> may be arranged so that each capillary is not in contact with any of the other capillaries <NUM>. Each of the capillaries <NUM> may be in contact with the jacket region <NUM> and spaced apart from adjacent capillaries <NUM> in a ring structure. Such an arrangement may be beneficial since it may increase a transmission bandwidth of the optical fiber <NUM> (relative, for example, to an arrangement wherein the capillaries are in contact with each other). Alternatively, in some embodiments, each of the capillaries <NUM> may be in contact adjacent capillaries <NUM> in the ring structure.

The capillaries <NUM> of the inner cladding region may be disposed in a ring structure around the hollow core <NUM>. An inner surface of the ring structure of capillaries <NUM> at least partially defines the hollow core <NUM> of the optical fiber <NUM>. In some embodiments, a diameter of the hollow core <NUM> (which, in embodiments comprising capillaries <NUM>, may be defined as the smallest dimension between opposed capillaries, indicated by arrow <NUM>) may be between <NUM> and <NUM>. In some embodiments, the diameter <NUM> of the hollow core <NUM> may be between <NUM> and <NUM>. In some embodiments, the diameter <NUM> of the hollow core <NUM> may be between <NUM> and <NUM>. The diameter <NUM> of the hollow core <NUM> may affect the mode field parameter, impact loss, dispersion, modal plurality, and non-linearity properties of the hollow core optical fiber <NUM>.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the inner cladding region comprises a single ring arrangement of capillaries <NUM> (which act as anti-resonance elements). Therefore, a line in any radial direction from a center of the hollow core <NUM> to an exterior of the optical fiber <NUM> passes through no more than one capillary <NUM>.

It will be appreciated that other embodiments may be provided with different arrangements of anti-resonance elements. These may include arrangements having multiple rings of anti-resonance elements and arrangements having nested anti-resonance elements. Furthermore, although the embodiment shown in <FIG> and <FIG> comprises a ring of six capillaries <NUM> with wall portions <NUM>, in other embodiments, one or more rings comprising any number of anti-resonance elements (for example <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> or <NUM> capillaries) may be provided in the inner cladding region.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the inner cladding region comprises a circular cross-section. However, it will be appreciated that other embodiments may be provided with inner cladding regions having cross-sections of shapes other than circular. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the inner cladding region may have a hexagonal cross-section. A hexagonal cross-section may advantageously facilitate easier placement of the capillaries <NUM> in a symmetrical arrangement. For example, six capillaries <NUM> may be each placed at a vertex of the hexagonal cross-section, providing an arrangement of capillaries <NUM> having hexagonal symmetry.

The ability of the optical fiber <NUM> to achieve effective guiding and confinement of radiation in the fiber <NUM> may be largely governed by the internal dimensions of the fiber <NUM>. That is, the hollow core diameter <NUM>, the arrangement of the capillaries <NUM>, the thickness <NUM> of the capillary wall portions <NUM>, and/or the shape and dimensions of the anti-resonance cavities <NUM>. It will be understood that these parameters are therefore generally constrained within a certain range of acceptable values, outside of which a HC-PCF will not function correctly. Examples of possible such constraints on these parameters are described in <CIT>.

The the jacket region <NUM> may be formed from a material that comprises glass. That is, the material may comprise an amorphous (i.e. non-crystalline) material that exhibits a glass transition when heated to a transition temperature. For example, the material may comprise a silica glass. For example, parts of the optical fiber <NUM> (for example the capillaries <NUM> and the jacket region <NUM>) may comprise any of the following: high purity silica (SiO<NUM>) (for example the F300 material as marketed by Heraeus Holding GmbH of Germany); soft glasses such as for example lead-silicate glass (for example the SF6 glass marketed by Schott AG of Germany); or other specialty glasses such as for example chalcogenide glass or heavy metal fluoride glasses (also referred to as ZBLAN glasses). Advantageously, glass materials do not outgas. Detailed examples of methods of manufacturing HC-PCFs are known in the art, for example as described in <CIT>.

As discussed above, in the case of an optical fiber, damage (such as deposition of glass particles) can occur where the output radiation <NUM> (see <FIG>) exits the waveguide (e.g. the optical fiber). Such damage may be confined to the exit at least partly due to the high concentration of edges and protrusions, partly caused by structural defects at the end of the waveguide. This problem may therefore be partly solved by smoothing the end of the waveguide.

<FIG> illustrates a prior art example of an optical fiber <NUM> adapted to address the problem of damage caused by deposition of glass particles. It will be appreciated that the optical fiber <NUM> may be mostly the same as the optical fiber <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>: in a first, main, section <NUM>, the optical fiber <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> comprises a plurality of anti-resonant elements <NUM> distributed around an inner surface of a jacket region <NUM> and surrounding a core, such that the core diameter is defined by the inner surfaces of the anti-resonant elements <NUM>, as shown in the first inset <NUM> in cross-section at the point indicated by the arrow. (The inner cladding region of the optical fiber <NUM> of <FIG> has a hexagonal cross-section, but it will be appreciated in light of the description above that the optical fiber <NUM> could equally have a circular cross section, similarly to the optical fiber illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, or any other suitable cross section. ) However, the optical fiber <NUM> further comprises, at one or both ends (i.e., referring also to <FIG>, the end at which output radiation <NUM> would exit the fiber <NUM> and/or the end at which input radiation <NUM> would enter the fiber <NUM>), a section <NUM> in which the anti-resonant elements <NUM> have been collapsed 604X. As shown in the second inset <NUM> in cross section at the end of the fiber <NUM>, the total surface area of the end of the fiber is reduced compared to a fiber having as its end cross section that shown in the first inset <NUM>. The reduced surface area results in less deposition of etched glass following the ionization process discussed above since the surface on which the glass can be deposited is reduced. Importantly, the length(s) <NUM> of the section(s) <NUM> comprising the collapsed anti-resonant elements 604X are very short (typically ~<NUM> of µm).

While optical fibers <NUM> of the type illustrated in <FIG> have been found to exhibit improved lifetimes under certain conditions, the inventors have found that the lifetimes of such fibers are limited to ~<NUM> days under many practical operating conditions, and damage at the output due to ionization of the gas is still dominant. Further improvements to the lifetime by reducing damage at the output of the fiber are therefore required.

It is therefore proposed, according to the present disclosure, to provide a waveguide for use in the generation of broadband radiation that achieves a reduction in the intensities of the peaks of the generated broadband radiation (supercontinuum) pulse before the broadband radiation pulse exits the waveguide. While the examples described herein primarily relate to hollow core optical fibers (in particular, HC-PCFs filled with gas as the non-linear medium to achieve spectral broadening), it will be appreciated that the principles described herein may equally be applied to any type of waveguide suitable for use in broadening a wavelength spectrum of pulsed radiation applied to an input end of the waveguide. For example, the waveguide could be a solid core optical fiber.

In brief, the present disclosure aims to reduce the intensity of the generated broadband radiation quickly by stretching the spectral peaks in time, achieved by including a section of the waveguide that exhibits normal dispersive properties before the exit of the waveguide. This results in lower peak intensities and, as the density of generated free electrons depends nonlinearly on peak intensity, to strongly reduced ionization.

A Gaussian shape is often used to approximate "real" pulses, the peak intensity of a Gaussian pulse undergoing group-velocity dispersion can be written as <MAT> where z is the position along a dispersive waveguide section (in meters), β<NUM> is the group velocity dispersion at the central pump wavelength (in s<NUM>/m) and □FWHM is the full-width half-maximum duration of the Gaussian pulse. The value of β<NUM> depends on the waveguide parameters (in the case of a hollow core fiber of the type illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the waveguide parameters include the core diameter and capillary-wall thickness) and the parameters of the optical medium (in the case of a gas: species, pressure, temperature). β<NUM> must be calculated numerically.

<FIG> illustrate various examples of waveguides <NUM>, according to the claimed invention, comprising a first section <NUM> and a second section 716A-E. The first section <NUM> is configured to broaden an input radiation pulse by a non-linear process, such as any of the processes discussed above. For example, the waveguide <NUM> may be filled with a non-linear optical medium such as a gas. In the examples illustrated in <FIG>, the first section <NUM> has a particular inner diameter (e.g. core diameter) defined by a distance between opposite inner surfaces of the waveguide <NUM>. The inner diameter and other properties of the first section <NUM> are configured such that input radiation pulses arriving in the first section are broadened by a non-linear process. For example, the waveguide <NUM> may be a hollow core optical fiber comprising a jacket region <NUM>, and a plurality of anti-resonant elements <NUM> distributed around an inner surface of the jacket region <NUM> and surrounding the core, similarly to the example illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. However, it will be understood that the waveguide <NUM> may be any type of waveguide (e.g. a solid core optical fiber) in which the first section <NUM> is configured to broaden a wavelength spectrum of pulsed radiation provided to an input end of the waveguide <NUM>. While, in the examples illustrated in <FIG>, the illustrated portions of the first section <NUM> are shown having a constant inner (core) diameter, it will be appreciated that the first section <NUM> may in some cases comprise one or more tapered or waist sections having smaller inner diameters as described in <CIT>. In contrast to the first section <NUM>, the second section 716A-E is configured to exhibit normal dispersion at the central wavelength of the input radiation, which results in temporal stretching of the radiation pulses.

As a first example, illustrated in <FIG>, the second section 716A of the waveguide <NUM> may comprise a straight section having a larger inner (core) diameter than the first section <NUM>. That is, the diameter of the core in the second section 716A is constant over the length of the second section 716A. For example, where the waveguide <NUM> is a hollow core fiber comprising anti-resonant elements <NUM> in the first section <NUM>, the second section 716A may comprise a portion of hollow core fiber without any anti-resonant elements. The second section 716A could be spliced or butt-coupled to the output end of an existing fiber to form the waveguide <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. As an example, following Equation (<NUM>) (above), the intensity of a ~<NUM> fs long peak in the broadened spectrum having a peak intensity of ~<NUM> TW/cm<NUM> at z = <NUM> (where it will be understood that z = <NUM> may correspond to the dashed line in <FIG>) would be reduced by a factor of <NUM> following propagation through a second section 716A of fiber having a core diameter of <NUM> and filled with <NUM> bar of Kr gas, corresponding to β<NUM> = <NUM> fs<NUM>/cm, and a length <NUM> of - <NUM>.

There also may exist a maximum length <NUM> of the second section 716A-E of the waveguide <NUM>, beyond which the power of the radiation pulses propagating through the waveguide <NUM> falls below a useable level. In the case of a hollow core optical fiber second section 716A without any anti-resonant elements, losses are caused by light leaking through the wall surrounding the core and/or coupling to higher order optical modes, which are otherwise suppressed by the anti-resonant elements <NUM> in the first section <NUM>. The example described above of a second section 716A of fiber having a core diameter of <NUM> and filled with <NUM> bar of Kr gas exhibits a power loss of <NUM> dB/m, so half of the power of the broadened radiation would be lost over the ~ <NUM> length.

In a second example of the waveguide <NUM>, illustrated in <FIG>, the second section 716B may comprise an upwardly tapered section. That is, the diameter of the core in the second section 716B increases with increasing distance from the first section over at least a portion of the second section 716B. The peak intensity of the peaks in the broadened spectrum scale with the inverse square of the inner (core) diameter of the waveguide <NUM>. Therefore, even a weakly upwardly-tapered second section 716B would lead to strongly reduced ionization of the optical medium (gas), resulting in further improvements in the lifetime of the waveguide.

It will be appreciated that straight and tapered sections could be combined to form the second section 716C, as illustrated in the example of <FIG>. The diameters, lengths, and tapering of different sections that make up the second section 716C may be selected according to the required temporal stretching and reduction in peak intensity of the peaks of the broadened radiation. It will be appreciated that the total length <NUM> of the second section 716A-E must be considered to balance the need to maximize the reduction in the peak intensity while also minimizing power losses.

Although not shown, it will be appreciated that the examples illustrated in <FIG> may comprise collapsed (over a few <NUM> of µm) anti-resonant elements 604X of the type illustrated in <FIG>.

In a further example, illustrated in <FIG>, where the waveguide <NUM> comprises anti-resonant elements <NUM>, an upwardly-tapered second section 716D may be formed by collapsing the anti-resonant elements 704Y over a length <NUM> of the waveguide <NUM>. That is, a cross-sectional area of each of the anti-resonant elements 704Y in the second section 716D decreases with increasing distance from the first section <NUM>. It will be appreciated that the second section 716D, comprising collapsed anti-resonant elements 704Y, may be considered as an alternative form of an upwardly-tapered section such as the second section 716B illustrated in <FIG>. As discussed above, the anti-resonant elements <NUM> serve to prevent unwanted coupling of the fundamental optical mode to higher order modes. By ensuring the fiber region over which the capillaries gradually collapse to meet the adiabaticity criterion, unwanted coupling of the (desired) fundamental optical mode to higher-order modes can be suppressed. For an up-tapered core (i.e., gradually collapsed "single-ring" photonic structure), the adiabaticity criterion expresses the maximum angle θmax at which the core diameter of the fiber is allowed to increase: <MAT> where r is the core radius of the first waveguide section <NUM> , λ is the wavelength of the radiation, nfund and nHOM are the effective refractive indices of the fundamental and closest higher order optical mode at wavelength λ, respectively. Further discussion of the adiabaticity criterion is provided in<NPL>). For the example of a gas-filled fiber, nfund and nHOM can be approximated as: <MAT> (see: <NPL>)) where ngas is the refractive index of the gas filling the fiber, and u<NUM> ≈ <NUM> and u<NUM> ≈ <NUM> are the first zeros of the Bessel function of the kind <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. Calculations using Equation (<NUM>) show that the taper angle θmax is mostly restricted by the short-wavelength behaviour: at a wavelength of <NUM>, a typical value of θmax is - <NUM>°, which translates to a maximum increase in core diameter of roughly <NUM> per mm of length of the waveguide <NUM>. It will therefore be appreciated that a minimum length <NUM> of the second section 716D over which the anti-resonant elements 704Y can be collapsed exists, where said minimum length <NUM> is of the order of several mm and is therefore significantly longer than the lengths over which the anti-resonant elements 604X are collapsed in fibers <NUM> of the type illustrated in <FIG>. Where the waveguide <NUM> is an optical fiber of the type described herein and illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the length <NUM> over which the anti-resonant elements 704Y can be collapsed to meet the adiabaticity criterion may be approximately <NUM>. Therefore, for waveguides <NUM> comprising a second section 716D of the type illustrated in <FIG>, the length <NUM> of the second section 716D must be at least the length <NUM> over which the anti-resonant elements 704Y can be collapsed to meet the adiabaticity criterion.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a waveguide <NUM>, such as an optical fiber comprising anti-resonant elements <NUM>, in which the second section 716E comprises both collapsed anti-resonant elements 704Y of the kind illustrated in <FIG> in a first part 716EA of the second section 716E, and a straight section of fiber without any anti-resonant elements in a second part 716EB of the second section 716E. It will be appreciated that the second section 716E could equally be formed from a combination of sections comprising collapsed anti-resonant elements of the type illustrated in <FIG>, straight sections of the type illustrated in <FIG>, and/or tapered sections of the type illustrated in <FIG>. The diameters, lengths, and tapering of different sections that make up the second section 716C may be selected according to the required temporal stretching and reduction in peak intensity of the peaks of the broadened radiation. It will be appreciated that the total length <NUM> of the second section 716A-E must be considered to balance the need to maximize the reduction in the peak intensity while also minimizing power losses.

<FIG> illustrates, as a numerically simulated example, the evolution of (a) full-width half-maximum pulse duration and (b) peak intensity of a <NUM> fs long peak of energy ~<NUM> nJ, propagating along a <NUM> long section of a hollow core optical fiber with no anti-resonant elements. In more detail, a single (fourier-transform-limited) modulation instability peak with a duration of <NUM> fs (approximated as a Gaussian pulse) would produce a ~<NUM> bandwidth (full-width half-maximum) at <NUM> central wavelength. Assuming this spike to contain <NUM>% of the original pulse energy of <NUM>µJ, its peak power is <NUM> MW. If that spike propagates in a hollow fiber with inner diameter of <NUM> (normal group-velocity dispersion, β<NUM> = <NUM> fs<NUM>/cm), the peak intensity is -<NUM> TW/cm<NUM>. After propagation over a length of only <NUM> (in the absence of nonlinear effects), the pulse will be stretched to ~<NUM> fs, yielding a peak intensity of -<NUM> TW/cm<NUM> As can be clearly seen, the pulse duration more than doubles and the peak intensity is reduced by approximately a factor of <NUM> over the <NUM> length. Based on this modelling, it is estimated that the reduction in peak intensity at the output of the fiber may increase the fiber lifetime from ~<NUM> days to -<NUM> days due to the reduced ionization-induced damage.

The simulated example of <FIG> exhibits a power loss (caused by coupling of the fundamental mode to higher order modes, described above) of ~<NUM> dB/m, leading to a power loss of ~<NUM> dB over the simulated <NUM> length.

In order to reduce or prevent damage to the waveguide when light exits the waveguide, as described above, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of peaks in the broadened spectrum by an amount corresponding to a reduction in damage suitable to extend the lifetime of the waveguide by a desired amount. As described above and in relation to Equation (<NUM>), the reduction in intensity of the peaks in the broadened spectrum at the output end of the waveguide is determined, for a second section of the waveguide having particular properties (i.e. a particular β<NUM>), by the length of the second section of the waveguide. For example, the length of second section may be configured to reduce a peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum by at least <NUM>%. In some examples, the length of the second section may be configured to reduce a peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened spectrum by at least <NUM>%, preferably by at least <NUM>%, more preferably by at least <NUM>%. A decrease in peak intensity is beneficial, as ionization scales highly nonlinearly with intensity.

In order to ensure that the power of the broadened radiation is maintained at a useable level when exiting the waveguide, a maximum length of the second section of the waveguide may be defined as a length corresponding to a power reduction of the broadened radiation spectrum by less than <NUM> dB. Depending on the particular properties of the waveguide, a maximum length of the second section may therefore be defined as around <NUM>, preferably around <NUM>, more preferably around <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate simulated reductions in peak intensity of radiation pulses with a broadened spectrum around a central wavelength of <NUM> after exiting a non-linear hollow core fiber based waveguide that is filled with Krypton as a non-linear medium. In this example the fiber is provided with anti-resonant light-confining elements in a first section followed by a second section filled with the same gas at the same pressure, but not being provided with anti-resonant elements (as sketched in <FIG>). For clarity, in the simulations of <FIG> the total dispersion in the second section of the hollow-core fiber was approximated by pure (second-order) group-velocity dispersion. The second section had a diameter which was approximately twice the core diameter of the first section of the hollow core fiber. The length of the second section was varied between <NUM> and <NUM>, at three different pulse durations of the input (pump) radiation; <FIG> corresponds to a pulse duration of <NUM> fs, <FIG> to a pulse duration of 4fs and <FIG> to a pulse duration on 7fs. <FIG> demonstrates that for a length of the second section of <NUM> the peak intensity will be reduced by <NUM>% compared to a configuration in which no second section is present. For longer durations of the pump pulse the peak intensity reductions becomes less, becoming as little as <NUM>% for a <NUM> length second section in case the pump pulses have a duration of <NUM> fs. For practical cases the pump pulses typically have a duration of <NUM>-<NUM> fs and a minimum length of the second section of <NUM> will typically be sufficient to significantly reduce the peak intensity, by <NUM>-<NUM>% for example in case the pulse duration is (close to) <NUM> fs.

Methods of manufacturing a waveguide <NUM> according to the present disclosure will now be described.

Manufacturing a waveguide <NUM> according to the present disclosure comprises forming the first section of the waveguide and forming the second section of the waveguide. An example of a method <NUM> of manufacturing a waveguide according to the present disclosure is illustrated in <FIG>. In a first step S901, the method <NUM> comprises forming a first section of the waveguide, the first section being configured to broaden, by a non-linear optical process, a wavelength spectrum of pulsed radiation provided to an input end of the waveguide. In a second step S902, the method <NUM> further comprises forming a second section of the waveguide, the second section comprising an output end of the waveguide, the second section being configured to exhibit a larger absolute value of group velocity dispersion than the first section, wherein a length of the second section is configured to reduce a peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum by at least <NUM>%.

In some examples, forming the second section of the waveguide may comprise receiving a waveguide, and modifying a section of the waveguide that comprises the output end of the waveguide. It will be understood that modifying the section of the waveguide that comprises the output end of the waveguide may comprise attaching a further section of waveguide to the output end of the waveguide, and/or making adjustments directly to the output end of the received waveguide.

In some examples, the first and second sections of the waveguide <NUM> may be formed by attaching two sections of the waveguide together.

In some examples, attaching the second section to the first section may comprise splicing the second section to the first section. For example, splicing the second section to the first section may comprise splicing together two ends of waveguide sections having the same external diameter. In some examples, splicing the first and second sections together may result in a continuous join between the first and second sections.

In some examples, attaching the second section to the first section may comprise coupling the second section to the first section. For example, butt-coupling the second section to the first section. In some examples, coupling the second section to the first section may result in a very small gap (e.g. smaller than <NUM>, smaller than <NUM> or smaller than <NUM>) between the first and second sections.

In some examples, the first and second sections may comprise a plurality of anti-resonant elements, e.g. of the type described above. Forming the second section, in particular a second section of the type illustrated in <FIG>, may comprise heating the second section and elongating the second section by applying a pulling force. For example, in the case of an optical fiber, the second section may be formed by heating a fiber (e.g., scanning a heat source or oxy-butane flame along the length of a fiber) while gently applying a pulling force at both ends. Precise control of the extension of the heated area during the elongation process allows production of arbitrary profiles (e.g. tapering) and lengths of the collapsed portions of the anti-resonant elements.

While the examples described herein primarily relate to hollow core optical fibers (e.g. HC-PCFs), it will be appreciated that the examples and methods described in the present disclosure may generally be applied to other types of waveguide. In some examples, the examples and methods described herein may be applied to solid core optical fibers. As an example, a solid core fiber may comprise a flexible glass rod. It will be appreciated that a solid core optical fiber may comprise hollow structures arranged in a similar arrangement to the solid cylindrical wall portions <NUM> forming the capillaries <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. The hollow channels provide a smaller "average" refractive index of the cladding compared to the (unstructured) core. As a result, such a structure still supports a form of "total internal reflection".

Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of lithographic apparatus in the manufacture of ICs, it should be understood that the lithographic apparatus described herein may have other applications. Possible other applications include the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, flat-panel displays, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), thin-film magnetic heads, etc..

Although specific reference may be made in this text to embodiments of the invention in the context of a lithographic apparatus, embodiments of the invention may be used in other apparatus. Embodiments of the invention may form part of a mask inspection apparatus, a metrology apparatus, or any apparatus that measures or processes an object such as a wafer (or other substrate) or mask (or other patterning device). These apparatus may be generally referred to as lithographic tools. Such a lithographic tool may use vacuum conditions or ambient (non-vacuum) conditions.

Although specific reference may have been made above to the use of embodiments of the invention in the context of optical lithography, it will be appreciated that the invention, where the context allows, is not limited to optical lithography and may be used in other applications, for example imprint lithography.

Claim 1:
A waveguide (<NUM>) comprising a core extending axially along the waveguide, and further comprising:
a first section (<NUM>), the first section being configured to generate, by a non-linear optical process, a broadened wavelength spectrum of pulsed radiation provided to an input end of the waveguide; and
a second section (716A-E), the second section comprising an output end of the waveguide, the core of the second section having a diameter greater than a diameter of the core in the first section exhibiting a larger absolute value of group velocity dispersion than the first section;
characterized in that a length of the second section is between <NUM> and <NUM> and configured to reduce a peak intensity of one or more peaks in the broadened wavelength spectrum by at least <NUM>%.