JPH069268B2 - Gas processor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gas processor, and more particularly to a gas processor used in a rare gas halide excimer laser (hereinafter simply referred to as excimer laser) in which a laser gas is halogen and a rare gas. .

[Conventional technology]

In the excimer laser, as the operating time elapses, the halogen in the laser gas causes a chemical reaction to generate an impure gas or reduce the halogen, thereby reducing the laser output. To prevent this, a gas processor that removes the generated impure gas or adds halogen gas is used.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an excimer laser showing an example of a conventional gas processor. A gas of (n _H1 + n _O1 ) is introduced per unit time from the excimer laser main body 1 capable of obtaining the excimer laser oscillation to the gas processor 2. Here, n _H1 is the number of halogen molecules removed by the gas processor 2, and n _O1 is the number of molecules (or atoms) of the gas of the other components. Since n _H1 is removed by the gas processor 2, gas of n _O1 comes out from the gas processor 2. Therefore, to supplement the removed n _H1 , (n _H1 + n _O2 ) is newly added to the gas of n _O1 from the additive gas container 3, and (n _H1 + n _O2 + n _O1 ) is introduced into the excimer laser body 1. .

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, since halogen has a high chemical reactivity, it is diluted with a rare gas used for an excimer laser and stored in a gas container, so that n _O2 cannot be made zero. Therefore, when the gas processor is operated for m times the unit time, the gas pressure increases in the excimer laser body by the amount corresponding to (m × n _O2 ), and the halogen gas and other gases forming the laser gas are combined. The composition ratio of is decreasing with time. Therefore, the conventional gas processor described above has a drawback that the laser output decreases with time.
The halogen is diluted in the rare gas used for the excimer laser and stored in the gas container because the halogen has a high chemical reactivity, so if only the halogen gas is stored in the gas container, the halogen reacts with the gas container. Is deteriorated.

An object of the present invention is to use a halogen gas diluted in a rare gas used for an excimer laser and stored in a gas container, and to use a composition ratio of the halogen gas and other gas that constitute the laser gas in the excimer laser body. Is to provide a gas processor in which the gas pressure is constant and the gas pressure fluctuates slightly over time and does not change over a long period of time.

[Means for solving problems]

The gas processor of the present invention is characterized in that the number n _{H of} halogen molecules introduced / removed into / from the gas processor per unit time t _O.
And then, also when the number of molecules (or atoms) which are not removed in the gas processor and n _O, wherein the number in the unit a time t _O n _O and the new number (2 × n _H +
a first process of introducing an excimer laser body oscillating gas excimer laser n _O) is obtained, the gas having in the next unit time t _O introduced into the gas processor _(n H ₊ n _O) A means for alternately repeating the second process of exhausting to the outside of the closed space formed by the excimer laser body and the gas processor is provided.

[Action]

In the excimer laser using a gas processor of the present invention, the gas fed to the gas processor time a unit t _O is _(n H ₊ n _O), gas is removed in the gas processor in the n _H, also excimer laser since the gas introduced into the body is a new and n _O that was not removed by the gas processor _{(2 × n H + n O} ), after the unit time t _O is the excimer laser body of _(n H ₊ n _O) Gas will increase. However, at the next unit time t _O ,
From the excimer laser body to the gas processor (n _H +
(n 2 _{O 3} ) gas is introduced and exhausted outside the closed space created by the excimer laser body or gas processor, so the gas pressure in the excimer laser body increases by the amount corresponding to the (n _H + n 2 _{O 3} ) gas. The composition ratio of the halogen gas and the other gas forming the is always constant. (N _H + n
_Since the increase in gas pressure corresponding to the gas of _{O 2} ) is small and the composition ratio of the halogen gas constituting the laser gas and the other gas is always constant, a laser output without fluctuation can be obtained.

〔Example〕

 Next, the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the gas processor of the present invention.

In the gas processor 2 of the present embodiment, the unit time t _O
The first process and the second process are alternately repeated every time. First, the following process develops in the first process. From an excimer laser main body 1 to the gas processor 2 gas _(n H + n _O) are sent to the unit time _{t O.} Here, n _H is the number of halogen molecules removed by the gas processor 2, and n _O is the number of molecules (or atoms) of the gas of the other components. Since n _H is removed by the gas processor 2, n _O gas comes out from the gas processor 2. The addition gas container 3 to the gas of the _{n O} (2 × _{n H}
+ N 2 _{O 3} ) is newly added, 2 × (n _H + n 2 _{O 3} ) is introduced into the excimer laser main body 1 after the end of the first process, and gas corresponding to n _H + n 2 _{O 3} is introduced on the excimer laser main body. The pressure increases. Next, in the second process, the following process is developed. It is sent from the excimer laser main body 1 to the gas processor 2 at a unit time t _O (n _H
The gas of + n 2 _O 3 is exhausted from the closed space formed by the excimer laser body 1 and the gas processor 2 by the exhaust device 4. Therefore, in the first process, the excimer laser body 1
The (n _H + n 2 _{O 3} ) gas that has increased to 2 is exhausted by the second process described below. Since the first process and the second process are alternately repeated at every unit time t _O , the composition ratio of the halogen gas forming the laser gas in the excimer laser body 1 and the other gas does not change at all with time. Moreover, the gas pressure fluctuates slightly in a cycle of a unit time t _O corresponding to (n _H + n _O ), and does not fluctuate for a long time. Therefore, there is no change in laser output in the excimer laser using the gas processor of this embodiment.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the gas processor in which the output of the excimer laser does not change.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a gas processor of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an excimer laser showing an example of a conventional gas processor. 1 ... Excimer laser body, 2 ... Gas processor, 3
…… Additional gas container, 4 …… Exhaust device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A gas processor used in a rare gas halide excimer laser, the number of halogen molecules wherein the is introduced into the gas processor / removed in a unit time t _O n
And _H, also when the number of molecules (or atoms) which are not removed in the gas processor and n _O, wherein the number in the unit a time t _O n _O and the new number (2 × n _H +
n _O ) gas is introduced into the excimer laser main body where oscillation of the excimer laser can be obtained, and the number (n _H + n _O ) of gas introduced into the gas processor in the next unit time t _O. For exhausting air from the excimer laser body and the closed space created by the gas processor
A gas processor comprising means for alternately repeating the above process.