Control circuit and system of solid state switch of excimer laser high voltage pulse power supply

Abstract

The disclosure provides a control circuit and system of a solid-state switch of an excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply, comprising: a pulse isolation circuit, which is used for converting an external input TTL pulse trigger signal into a steep pulse edge and isolating a front-stage pulse generation circuit of a high-voltage pulse power supply from a solid-state switch; and a pulse shaping circuit, which is used for receiving the steep pulse edge input and performing pulse shaping to generate a TTL pulse signal with a required frequency and pulse width. The control circuit and system of the solid-state switch of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply can realize stable and reliable operation of the solid-state switch.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of excimer lasers, and in particular to a control circuit and system for a solid-state switch of an excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply. BACKGROUND

[0002] An excimer laser is a pulsed gas laser for deep ultraviolet applications, which has the characteristics of high repetition rate, large energy, short wavelength, and narrow linewidth, and is an excellent laser light source for photolithography systems. The solid-state switch is an important component of the laser high-voltage pulse power supply, which can invert the high-voltage direct current into a primary pulse high-voltage signal required for laser discharge.

[0003] With the development of excimer lasers, higher requirements are put forward for the stable and reliable operation of the solid-state switch of the high-voltage pulse power supply. In actual application, the TTL pulse signal generated by the front-end circuit will interfere with the solid-state switch, and the state environment of the high-voltage pulse power supply will also affect the stable operation of the solid-state switch. For example, if the amplitude of the primary pulse high-voltage signal V C0 generated by the solid-state switch is too high, it will cause overvoltage damage to the IGBT or diode of the main loop switch device, and if the amplitude is too low, it will cause incomplete breakdown of the laser discharge cavity, resulting in low light output energy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a system that can accurately control the state of the power supply when the excimer laser emits light each time, to protect the reliable operation of the laser high-voltage pulse power supply. SUMMARY

[0004] (1) Technical problem to be solved

[0005] The present disclosure provides a control circuit and system for a solid-state switch of an excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply to at least partially solve the above technical problems.

[0006] (2) Technical solutions

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control circuit for a solid-state switch of an excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply is provided, comprising:

[0008] a pulse isolation circuit for converting an external input TTL pulse trigger signal into a steep pulse edge, and isolating the front-end pulse generation circuit of the high-voltage pulse power supply from the solid-state switch;

[0009] a pulse shaping circuit for receiving the steep pulse edge input and performing pulse shaping to generate a TTL pulse signal with a desired frequency and pulse width.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pulse shaping circuit comprises a frequency limiting circuit connected to the pulse isolation circuit for locking the upper limit of the pulse trigger signal frequency.

[0011] In some embodiments, the pulse shaping circuit further comprises a width setting circuit connected to the frequency limiting circuit, configured to set the pulse width of the pulse trigger signal.

[0012] In some embodiments, the control circuit further comprises a peripheral driving circuit connected to the width setting circuit, configured to provide a driving output matching a subsequent IGBT driving module.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control system for a solid-state switch of a high-voltage pulse power supply of an excimer laser, comprising:

[0014] a control circuit as described above;

[0015] an environmental signal acquisition and processing unit configured to acquire an environmental signal of the laser and generate an environmental state monitoring signal;

[0016] a multi-channel state interlocking unit connected to the environmental signal acquisition and processing unit, configured to latch the environmental state monitoring signal and output an interlocking level signal and a state uploading signal;

[0017] wherein the control circuit is connected to the multi-channel state interlocking unit, configured to receive a front-stage trigger pulse signal of the solid-state switch of the high-voltage pulse power supply and control the on-off of the solid-state switch according to the interlocking level signal output by the multi-channel state interlocking unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, further comprising an MCU master control unit connected to the multi-channel state interlocking unit, configured to receive and process the state uploading signal.

[0019] In some embodiments, the environmental signal acquisition and processing unit comprises one or more of a pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit, a temperature signal acquisition and processing unit, a pulse current signal acquisition and processing unit, and a liquid leakage signal acquisition and processing unit.

[0020] In some embodiments, the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit comprises:

[0021] a pulse voltage signal acquisition circuit configured to acquire a pulse voltage of the solid-state switch;

[0022] a first comparison circuit connected to the pulse voltage signal acquisition circuit, configured to output a voltage state monitoring signal, the first comparison circuit comprising:

[0023] a pulse voltage over-high comparison circuit configured to compare the pulse voltage with a predetermined upper limit value; and / or

[0024] a pulse voltage over-low comparison circuit configured to compare the pulse voltage with a predetermined lower limit value; and / or

[0025] The pulse voltage reverse pressure over-high comparison circuit is used for comparing the reverse pressure of the pulse voltage with a predetermined upper limit value.

[0026] In some embodiments, the multi-path state interlocking unit comprises:

[0027] A signal interlocking circuit is used for receiving and latching the voltage state monitoring signal output by the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit, and outputting an interlocking level signal and a state uploading signal.

[0028] A hardware power-on reset circuit and / or a software trigger reset circuit are connected to the signal interlocking circuit, used for generating a narrow pulse edge when the system is powered on, resetting and initializing the signal interlocking circuit, and the software trigger reset circuit is connected to the signal interlocking circuit, used for receiving an MCU reset signal when the system is working, and controlling the signal interlocking circuit to reset.

[0029] (Three) beneficial effects

[0030] From the above technical solutions, the solid-state switch control and system of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply of the present disclosure at least has one of the following beneficial effects:

[0031] (1) The front-stage pulse generation circuit of the high-voltage pulse power supply is isolated from the solid-state switch by the pulse isolation circuit, so as to avoid the interference of the front-stage circuit on the solid-state switch control unit;

[0032] (2) The frequency limiting circuit can lock the upper limit of the frequency of the pulse trigger signal in real time, prevent the working frequency of the excimer laser from being too high, and ensure that the excimer laser works in a normal frequency range; the fixed width circuit is used for setting the pulse width of the pulse trigger signal, so as to ensure that the IGBT in the solid-state switch can be reliably turned on;

[0033] (3) The interlocking level signal is generated by monitoring the running environment state of the high-voltage pulse power supply to control the on-off of the solid-state switch, so as to ensure the reliable operation of the laser high-voltage pulse power supply. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply solid-state switch control circuit of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply solid-state switch control system of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the multi-path state interlocking unit of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] [Explanation of key component symbols in the accompanying drawings of this disclosure embodiment]

[0039] 10. Solid-state switch control unit; 20. Environmental signal acquisition unit; 30. Multi-channel status interlock unit; 40. MCU main control unit; 110. Pulse isolation circuit; 120. Pulse shaping circuit; 121. Frequency limiting circuit; 122. Fixed width circuit; 130. Peripheral drive circuit; 210. Pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit; 211. Pulse voltage signal acquisition circuit; 212. Pulse voltage over-comparison circuit; 213. Pulse voltage under-comparison circuit; 214. Pulse voltage reverse voltage over-comparison circuit; 301. Hardware power-on reset circuit; 302. Signal interlock circuit; 303. Software trigger reset circuit. Detailed Implementation

[0040] This disclosure provides a solid-state switch control circuit and system for a high-voltage pulse power supply of an excimer laser, which can reduce the interference of external signals and environment on the solid-state switch and ensure the reliable operation of the high-voltage pulse power supply of the laser.

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Certain embodiments of this disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, some of which, but not all, will be shown. In fact, various embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to enable this disclosure to meet applicable legal requirements.

[0043] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a control circuit for a solid-state switch of a high-voltage pulsed power supply for an excimer laser is provided.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the solid-state switch control circuit for a high-voltage pulsed power supply of an excimer laser, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the control circuit includes a pulse isolation circuit 110, a pulse shaping circuit 120, and a peripheral drive circuit 130. The pulse shaping circuit 120 includes a frequency limiting circuit 121 and a width limiting circuit 122.

[0045] The pulse isolation circuit 110 is used to convert the external input TTL pulse trigger signal into a steep pulse edge, and to isolate the pre-stage pulse generation circuit of the high voltage pulse power supply from the solid-state switch; the pulse shaping circuit 120 is used to receive the steep pulse edge input, perform pulse shaping, and generate a TTL pulse signal with the required frequency and pulse width.

[0046] Specifically, the pulse isolation circuit 110 is arranged after the front-stage circuit, and is used to receive a TTL narrow pulse trigger signal output by the front-stage circuit. The pulse isolation circuit 110 performs isolation processing on the front-stage pulse signal, forms a steep pulse edge, and isolates the front-stage pulse generation circuit of the high-voltage pulse power supply from the solid-state switch, so as to avoid interference of the front-stage circuit on the solid-state switch control unit.

[0047] The steep pulse edge output by the pulse isolation circuit 110 needs to be subjected to pulse shaping by the pulse shaping circuit 120, so as to generate a TTL pulse signal with a required frequency and pulse width. The frequency limiting circuit 121 in the pulse shaping circuit 120 is used to lock the upper limit of the frequency of the pulse trigger signal. When the frequency of the pulse trigger signal exceeds the upper limit of the frequency, the signal frequency is limited to the upper limit of the frequency, so as to prevent the working frequency of the excimer laser from being too high, and to ensure that the excimer laser works in a normal frequency range.

[0048] The pulse width setting circuit 122 in the pulse shaping circuit 120 is connected to the frequency limiting circuit 121, and is used to set the pulse width of the pulse trigger signal according to the control requirement of the solid-state switch, so as to ensure that the IGBT in the solid-state switch can be reliably turned on. It can be understood that, in other embodiments, the pulse width setting circuit 122 can also be connected to the pulse isolation circuit, and the positions of the pulse width setting circuit 122 and the frequency limiting circuit 121 can be interchanged.

[0049] The peripheral driving circuit 130 is connected to the pulse shaping circuit 120, and is used to provide a large-current strong driving output, so as to match a rear-stage IGBT driving module. When the peripheral driving circuit 130 receives an interlocking level signal, the peripheral driving circuit 130 in the pulse shaping circuit 120 is interlocked and does not output. The interlocking level signal can be obtained by monitoring the environment state of the high-voltage pulse power supply. When any one or more environment states of the high-voltage pulse power supply are monitored to be abnormal, the interlocking level signal is generated, the peripheral driving circuit 130 is controlled to be interlocked and not to output, and thus the high-voltage pulse power supply can be reliably worked.

[0050] In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a solid-state switch control system of an excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply is provided. Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the solid-state switch control system of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply in the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, Figure 2 the solid-state switch control system of the high-voltage pulse power supply in the embodiment includes a solid-state switch control unit 10, an environment signal acquisition and processing unit 20, a multi-path state interlocking unit 30, and an MCU main control unit 40.

[0051] The solid-state switch control unit 10 adopts the control circuit as described in the first embodiment to control the on-off of the solid-state switch. The solid-state switch control system of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power source in the embodiment monitors the working environment state of the laser through the environment signal acquisition and processing unit 20. When an abnormality is monitored, the multi-path state interlocking unit 30 immediately interlocks the output, and the state upload signal is uploaded to the upper computer through the MCU main control unit 40. The interlocking level signal is sent to the peripheral driving circuit 130 of the solid-state switch control unit 10 to control the solid-state switch to be turned off, so as to protect the reliable operation of the laser high-voltage pulse power source.

[0052] The environment signal acquisition and processing unit 20 can include one or more of a pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit, a temperature signal acquisition and processing unit, a pulse current signal acquisition and processing unit, and a liquid leakage signal acquisition and processing unit. The pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit is taken as an example for description below.

[0053] Figure 3 The pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit structure diagram of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 2. The pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit 210 is used to acquire the high-precision pulse voltage signal V C0 of the solid-state switch. The first comparison circuit is used to form the pulse voltage state monitoring signal. The first comparison circuit is a multi-channel comparison circuit, which is used to compare the pulse voltage signal V C0 with the overvoltage, undervoltage and inverse overvoltage.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3 , the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit 210 includes a high-precision pulse voltage signal acquisition circuit 211, a pulse voltage overhigh comparison circuit 212, a pulse voltage undervoltage comparison circuit 213 and a pulse voltage inverse overvoltage comparison circuit 214.

[0055] The primary pulse high-voltage signal generated by the solid-state switch of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power source is monitored by the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit 210, which can avoid the problems of damage to the internal devices of the solid-state switch due to the overhigh primary pulse high-voltage signal, poor stability of the solid-state switch, or the problems of insufficient voltage of the high-voltage pulse power source, incomplete breakdown of the laser discharge cavity, and finally too low laser light output energy due to the undervoltage primary pulse high-voltage signal.

[0056] Since the overvoltage or undervoltage of the high-voltage pulse power source can be instantaneous high-voltage or low-voltage, it is necessary to latch the state signals of each path through the multi-path state interlocking unit 30 to convert the TTL pulse edge signal into a high-low level signal, so as to realize the monitoring of each path signal.

[0057] Figure 4 The multi-path state interlocking unit structure diagram of the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 3. As shown inFigure 4 As shown, the multi-interlocking unit 30 includes a signal interlocking circuit 302, a hardware power-on reset circuit 301 and a software trigger reset circuit 303. The signal interlocking circuit 302 receives the state monitoring signal of the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit 210, converts the TTL edge trigger signal output by the comparator into a high-low level signal, and outputs two paths, one of which forms an interlocking level signal transmitted to the solid-state switch control unit 10, and the other forms a state transmission signal transmitted to the MCU main control unit 40 for state monitoring.

[0058] The hardware power-on reset circuit 301 can generate a narrow pulse edge when the system is powered on to reset and initialize the signal interlocking circuit, and / or the software trigger reset circuit 302 can receive the MCU reset signal when the system is working to control the signal interlocking circuit 302 to reset.

[0059] The disclosed solid-state switch control circuit and system of the excimer laser high-voltage pulse power source isolate the front-stage pulse generation circuit of the high-voltage pulse power source from the solid-state switch through the pulse isolation circuit, avoiding interference of the front-stage power source on the solid-state switch control unit; the frequency limiting circuit and the fixed width circuit set the upper limit of the frequency of the pulse trigger signal and the pulse width, ensuring reliable opening of the IGBT in the solid-state switch; at the same time, the interlocking level signal can be generated by monitoring the state environment of the high-voltage pulse power source to control the on-off of the solid-state switch, ensuring reliable operation of the laser high-voltage pulse power source.

[0060] For the purpose of brief description, any technical feature described in the above first embodiment which can be applied identically is incorporated herein without repeating the same description.

[0061] So far, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the implementation methods not shown or described in the drawings or the text of the specification are known to those skilled in the art, and are not described in detail. In addition, the definitions of the elements and methods described above are not limited to the various specific structures, shapes or ways mentioned in the embodiments, and can be simply changed or replaced by those skilled in the art.

[0062] Furthermore, the word "comprise" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

[0063] The ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims, such as "first", "second", "third", etc., are used to modify the corresponding elements, and do not mean that the elements have any ordinal number, nor represent the order of one element and another element, or the order of the manufacturing method. The use of these ordinal numbers is only to make the element with a certain name distinguishable from another element with the same name.

[0064] The present disclosure can be implemented with the aid of hardware, and with the aid of software programmed with appropriate algorithms. Embodiments of various components of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, or as software modules running in one or more processors, or in combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some or all of the components of the relevant devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented with a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP) in practice. The present disclosure can also be implemented as a device or apparatus program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for performing some or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing the present disclosure can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can be in the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or in any other form.

[0065] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the devices in the embodiments can be adapted and placed in one or more devices other than the embodiments. The modules or units or components in the embodiments can be combined into one module or unit or component, and furthermore can be divided into multiple sub-modules or sub-units or sub-components. Except that at least some of such features and / or processes or units are mutually exclusive, all combinations of all features disclosed in the present specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and all processes or units of any methods or apparatuses so disclosed can be used in any combination. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in the present specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) can be replaced by alternative features providing the same, equivalent, or similar functionality. And in unitary claim recitations that include several devices, several of those devices can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware.

[0066] Similarly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the various aspects of the disclosure. Rather, the objective is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, various features of the disclosure are described with reference to particular embodiments, but it will be understood that not all of these features are necessary in all embodiments. The disclosure includes any alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the various aspects of the disclosure. The disclosure also includes any and all embodiments of the following claims.

[0067] The above-described specific embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present disclosure, and it should be understood that the above-described specific embodiments are merely specific embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A control system for a solid state switch of an excimer laser high voltage pulsed power supply, characterized in that, The application relates to a control circuit, which comprises: a pulse isolation circuit (110) for converting an external input TTL pulse trigger signal into a steep pulse edge, and isolating a front-stage pulse generation circuit of a high-voltage pulse power supply from a solid-state switch; a pulse shaping circuit (120) for receiving the steep pulse edge input, performing pulse shaping, and generating a TTL pulse signal with a required frequency and / or pulse width; and a peripheral drive circuit (130) connected to the pulse shaping circuit (120) for providing a drive output and matching a rear-stage IGBT drive module. The environment signal acquisition and processing unit (20) is used for acquiring an environment signal of the laser and generating an environment state monitoring signal; the environment signal acquisition and processing unit (20) comprises: a pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit; the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit comprises: a pulse voltage signal acquisition circuit (211) used for acquiring a pulse voltage of the solid-state switch; a first comparison circuit connected to the pulse voltage signal acquisition circuit and outputting a voltage state monitoring signal, the first comparison circuit comprising: a pulse voltage overhigh comparison circuit (212) used for comparing the pulse voltage with a predetermined upper limit value; and / or a pulse voltage overlow comparison circuit (213) used for comparing the pulse voltage with a predetermined lower limit value; and / or a pulse voltage back pressure overhigh comparison circuit (214) used for comparing a back pressure of the pulse voltage with a predetermined upper limit value; a multi-path state interlocking unit (30) connected to the environment signal acquisition and processing unit (20) and used for latching the environment state monitoring signal and outputting an interlocking level signal and a state uploading signal; wherein the control circuit is connected to the multi-path state interlocking unit (30), is used for receiving a front-stage trigger pulse signal of a high-voltage pulse power supply solid-state switch, and controls the on-off of the solid-state switch according to the interlocking level signal output by the multi-path state interlocking unit (30); The excimer laser high-voltage pulse power supply solid-state switch control system further comprises: an MCU main control unit (40) connected to the multi-path state interlocking unit (30) and used for receiving and processing the state uploading signal. The environment signal acquisition and processing unit (20) further comprises one or more of a temperature signal acquisition and processing unit, a pulse current signal acquisition and processing unit and a liquid leakage signal acquisition and processing unit.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to: The multi-path state interlocking unit (30) comprises:

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to: a signal interlocking circuit (302) used for receiving and latching the voltage state monitoring signal output by the pulse voltage signal acquisition and processing unit and outputting an interlocking level signal and a state uploading signal; a hardware power-on reset circuit (301) and / or a software trigger reset circuit (303), wherein the hardware power-on reset circuit (301) is connected to the signal interlocking circuit (302) and is used for generating a narrow pulse edge to reset and initialize the signal interlocking circuit when the system is powered on, and the software trigger reset circuit (303) is connected to the signal interlocking circuit (302) and is used for receiving an MCU reset signal to control the signal interlocking circuit (302) to reset when the system is working. ​ 4. The excimer laser high voltage pulsed power supply solid state switch control system of claim 1, wherein, The pulse shaping circuit (120) comprises: a width setting circuit (122) connected to the pulse isolation circuit (110) and configured to set a pulse trigger signal width.

5. The excimer laser high voltage pulsed power supply solid state switch control system of claim 1, wherein, The pulse shaping circuit (120) comprises: a frequency limiting circuit (121) connected to the pulse isolation circuit (110) and configured to lock a pulse trigger signal frequency upper limit.

6. The excimer laser high voltage pulsed power supply solid state switch control system of claim 5, wherein, The pulse shaping circuit (120) further comprises a width setting circuit (122) connected to the frequency limiting circuit (121) and configured to set a pulse trigger signal width.

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