Gas control methods for lasers and lasers

Abstract

This application provides a gas control method and a laser. In this embodiment, during the normal discharge and light emission process of the laser, the output voltage and the change in discharge energy of the laser are acquired. Based on the output voltage and / or the change in discharge energy, it is determined whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity. By determining whether to inject gas, the gas supply to the laser is controlled, enabling the laser to discharge in a relatively stable state for an extended period and delaying the discharge time. This allows the laser to maintain stable performance over a long period, improves production efficiency, and saves costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of control, specifically a gas control method for a laser and a laser. Background Technology

[0002] An excimer laser is a pulsed gas laser with wavelengths in the ultraviolet range. Its working medium is made of inert gases (neon, argon, krypton, xenon, etc.) and halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, etc.). In the ground state, it is a mixture of the two atomic gases. When excited to a higher energy level by a short pulse current, a compound is formed. Each molecule of the compound consists of one atom contributed by each of the two gases, forming an excimer state. When an electron transitions from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, it emits ultraviolet laser light.

[0003] Photolithography machines place stringent requirements on the deep ultraviolet pulsed laser emitted by the light source. For excimer lasers, deep ultraviolet lasers require narrow linewidth, high energy, high repetition rate, stable wavelength, and dose stability. During the discharge process of the light source, gas degradation can cause fluctuations in single-pulse energy, drift in average pulse energy, and overshoot of single-pulse energy; these phenomena all affect the stability of various laser parameters. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a gas control method and a laser for controlling the replenishment of working gas in the laser, thereby ensuring that the laser can work stably for a long time.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, on the one hand, the present invention provides a gas control method for a laser, comprising: during the normal discharge and light emission process of the laser, acquiring the output voltage of the laser and the change in the discharge energy of the laser; and determining whether to inject working gas into the cavity of the laser based on the output voltage and / or the change in discharge energy.

[0006] Specifically, acquiring the laser's output voltage and the change in its discharge energy includes: collecting the discharge voltage of the laser's power module as the output voltage; collecting the change in the laser's discharge voltage and the change in its energy; and determining the change in discharge energy based on the change in discharge voltage and the change in energy.

[0007] Specifically, determining whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the output voltage includes: determining the voltage difference based on the collected discharge voltage and the voltage threshold, performing low-pass filtering on the voltage difference; determining whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero; if it is greater than zero, then rapidly injecting working gas into the laser cavity. Rapid injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is greater than the gas threshold amount.

[0008] Specifically, the rapid injection of working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: controlling the gas management module according to the controller of the laser to inject working gas into the cavity through the rapid injection gas passage and gas valve.

[0009] Specifically, determining whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the change in discharge energy includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and a preset change in discharge energy; performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy; determining whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero; if it is greater than zero, then injecting working gas into the laser cavity.

[0010] Specifically, determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the target change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, wherein the target change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero, re-gasifying the gas in the cavity of the laser.

[0011] Specifically, determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, includes: determining the difference in discharge energy and the first change in discharge energy, performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, wherein the first change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the first change in discharge energy; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero, rapidly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser.

[0012] Specifically, determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, includes: determining the difference in discharge energy and the second change in discharge energy, performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, wherein the second change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the first change in discharge energy is greater than the second change in discharge energy; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the value is greater than zero, slowly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser, wherein slow injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is less than the gas threshold amount.

[0013] In addition, the method also includes: obtaining the pressure value of the laser cavity, comparing the pressure value with an exhaust threshold, and performing low-pass filtering on the comparison result; when the filtering result is greater than zero, controlling the gas valve of the laser to exhaust gas through the controller until the pressure value is less than the exhaust threshold.

[0014] On the other hand, the present invention provides a gas control device for a laser, comprising: an acquisition module for acquiring the output voltage and the change in discharge energy of the laser during normal discharge of the laser; and a determination module for determining whether to inject working gas into the cavity of the laser based on the output voltage and / or the change in discharge energy.

[0015] On the other hand, the present invention provides a laser, comprising: a controller and a cavity; the controller acquires the output voltage and the change in discharge energy of the laser during normal discharge of the laser; the controller determines whether to inject working gas into the cavity of the laser based on the output voltage and / or the change in discharge energy.

[0016] In this embodiment, during the normal discharge and light emission process of the laser, the output voltage and the change in discharge energy of the laser are acquired. Based on the output voltage and / or the change in discharge energy, it is determined whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity. This control of gas replenishment allows the laser to discharge in a relatively stable state for an extended period, and also delays the discharge time. This enables the laser to maintain stable performance over a longer period, improves production efficiency, and saves costs. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a gas control method for a laser according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the air replenishment system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gas replenishment process in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted light pulses in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the gas replenishment process in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the gas replenishment process in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the gas control device for a laser according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a method for gas control of a laser, the method 100 comprising: 101: During the normal discharge and light emission process of the laser, obtain the output voltage of the laser and the change in the discharge energy of the laser.

[0021] 102: Determine whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the changes in output voltage and / or discharge energy.

[0022] It should be noted that the executing entity of this method 100 can be a laser, or more specifically, a controller in the laser, which can be a processor such as a microprocessor.

[0023] Currently, laser gas exchange requires stopping the laser discharge and the entire process takes tens of minutes, reducing wafer output efficiency. With increasing gas costs, frequent gas exchange also leads to increased production costs. Therefore, gas management is necessary, involving dynamic micro-gas replenishment and exhaust during laser discharge to maintain stable system performance over extended periods, improve production efficiency, and save costs.

[0024] The following is a detailed explanation of the above steps: 101: During the normal discharge and light emission process of the laser, obtain the output voltage of the laser and the change in the discharge energy of the laser.

[0025] Among them, the light emission voltage refers to the discharge voltage.

[0026] The output voltage and the change in discharge energy can be obtained through the laser's controller.

[0027] Specifically, obtaining the output voltage and discharge energy change of the laser includes: collecting the discharge voltage of the laser's power module as the output voltage; collecting the discharge voltage change and energy change of the laser; and determining the discharge energy change based on the discharge voltage change and energy change.

[0028] For example, such as Figure 2As shown, the laser includes a gas replenishment system, comprising a discharge cavity (cavity 203), a power module 202, a main controller (controller 201), a gas management module 204, and a halogen mixed gas (working gas) 205. The laser emits light under normal operating conditions. During operation, the controller 201 controls the power module 202 to release a high voltage to the halogen mixed gas in the cavity 203, thereby ionizing the halogen mixed gas to generate laser light. The controller 201 can thus obtain the current discharge voltage from the power module 202 as the output voltage.

[0029] Furthermore, during normal laser operation, the silicon wafer is in a relatively constant energy mode, referred to here as the constant energy mode. The output voltage change per unit energy variable is observed in the constant energy mode. The variables in the single-cavity laser energy closed-loop control process are... , This represents the change in the laser's discharge capability, i.e., the change in discharge energy. It can be determined using the following formula: 1) 2) Where V represents voltage, E represents energy, j represents the Burst burst pulse sequence, i represents a specific pulse sequence within the Burst burst pulse sequence, and n represents the number of specific pulse sequences within the burst pulse sequence. This is the filtering function. Manual gas replenishment can be performed during the experiment, and the results before and after gas replenishment can be observed. The changing trend.

[0030] Therefore, it can be determined by the controller. That is, the change in discharge energy.

[0031] 102: Determine whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the changes in output voltage and / or discharge energy.

[0032] Specifically, determining whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the output voltage includes: determining the voltage difference based on the collected discharge voltage and the voltage threshold, performing low-pass filtering on the voltage difference; determining whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero; if it is greater than zero, then rapidly injecting working gas into the laser cavity. Rapid injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is greater than the gas threshold amount.

[0033] For example, during the operation of a laser, as the laser emits light, the gas is gradually depleted. In order to maintain the stability of the laser's spectral performance (such as ensuring that the laser's specifications are up to standard), it is necessary to replenish the laser with gas. This requires the controller to control the gas management module to open the valve and replenish the laser with a halogen mixed gas.

[0034] As mentioned above, the laser controller can acquire the discharge voltage V of the power module in real time, such as... Figure 3 As shown, in the process of low-pass filtering 311, the discharge voltage (measured voltage 301) and the voltage threshold (voltage replenishment value threshold 302) are calculated by adding the difference using adder 304. Since the discharge voltage fluctuates with the light emission frequency, the difference is passed through a low-pass filter or circuit, and step 303 is performed: low-pass filtering. It is then determined whether the filtering result is greater than zero, i.e., step 305: greater than 0?, indicating whether it is greater than 0. If it is, then rapid injection of working gas is performed, i.e., step 306 fast charging, i.e., rapid injection of working gas. If not, no action is taken.

[0035] The low-pass filter can satisfy the following formula: 3) 4) Where 'a' is an intermediate parameter. Let V be the frequency of the laser pulse, V(l) be the l-th output of the low-pass filter, and V(l-1) be the (l-1)-th output of the low-pass filter. This is the l-th input to the low-pass filter.

[0036] The process of rapidly injecting working gas, or fast-charging gas, into the laser cavity includes: controlling the gas management module according to the laser controller to inject working gas into the cavity through the rapid injection gas passage and gas valve.

[0037] The laser may include two gas injection channels: a channel for rapid gas injection and a channel for slow gas injection.

[0038] For example, as mentioned above, such as Figure 2 As shown, the controller 201 controls the gas management module 204 to open the gas valve and inject working gas 205 into the cavity 203 through the rapid gas injection passage.

[0039] Specifically, based on the change in discharge energy, it is determined whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity, including: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, performing low-pass filtering on the difference in change; determining whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero, and if it is greater than zero, then injecting working gas into the laser cavity.

[0040] Among them, the preset discharge energy change satisfies the correspondence between the discharge energy change and the number of emitted light pulses.

[0041] After replacing the working gas in the laser and adjusting its overall performance to achieve a steady state—meaning that the dose stability, linewidth, and wavelength performance indicators are within acceptable limits within the target temperature range—then testing can begin. The relationship between the number of emitted light pulses and the observed light pulses is the corresponding relationship described above. This relationship can be expressed as follows: Figure 4 As shown, and Figure 4 The relationship in the equation is shown in equation 5): 5) Where t represents the number of light pulses. Figure 4 In the diagram, the horizontal axis is t, and the vertical axis is... ,Right now . The curve in the graph can be represented as a function of a corresponding relationship.

[0042] Therefore, it is possible to A preset discharge energy change is set on the function. The difference between the discharge energy change and the preset discharge energy change is determined, and the difference is low-pass filtered. It is then determined whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero. If it is greater than zero, working gas is injected into the laser cavity.

[0043] The process of determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and then performing low-pass filtering on the difference, includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the target change in discharge energy, and then performing low-pass filtering on the difference, wherein the target change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses; and injecting working gas into the laser cavity includes: if the change in working gas is greater than zero, then the gas in the laser cavity is replaced.

[0044] As mentioned above, it is possible to The function is set with a preset discharge energy change, such as multiple thresholds, to determine the gas replenishment target. That is, the change in target discharge energy: , t 目 for Figure 4 One of the emitted light pulses.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, the laser controller can collect data in real time. That is, the calculation is performed according to the method described above, which yields the measured result. 501. Due to the measurement 501 fluctuates with the emitted light frequency, and is compared with the gas replenishment target. The target threshold of the replenishment value 502 is calculated by the adder 304, and the difference is then processed by step 303: low-pass filtering. After low-pass filtering, the controller determines whether the value is greater than zero, i.e., it executes step 305: greater than 0?, indicating whether the value is greater than 0. > If the working gas inside the cavity needs to be replaced, the controller can perform the replacement through the gas management module as described above, i.e., execute step 505: Replace the gas.

[0046] The process of determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference, includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the first change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference, wherein the first change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the first change in discharge energy; and injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero, rapidly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser.

[0047] As mentioned above, it is possible to The function is set with a preset discharge energy change, such as multiple thresholds, with the gas replenishment threshold being 1. That is, the change in the first discharge energy: t1 is Figure 4 One of the emitted light pulses. And .

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, the laser controller can collect data in real time. That is, the calculation is performed according to the method described above, which yields the measured result. 501. Due to the measurement 501 fluctuates with the emitted light frequency, and is compared with the gas replenishment threshold 1. That is, the "air replenishment threshold 1" 503 is calculated by the adder 304, and the difference is then subjected to step 303: low-pass filtering. After low-pass filtering, the controller determines whether it is greater than zero, that is, it executes step 305: greater than 0?, which indicates whether it is greater than 0. If < < Then the controller can quickly charge the working gas into the cavity according to the method described above, that is, execute step 506: fast charging. Until .

[0049] The process of determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and then performing low-pass filtering on the difference, includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the second change in discharge energy, and then performing low-pass filtering on the difference, wherein the second change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the first change in discharge energy is greater than the second change in discharge energy; and injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the value is greater than zero, slowly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser, wherein slow injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is less than the gas threshold amount.

[0050] As mentioned above, it is possible to The function is set with a preset discharge energy change, such as multiple thresholds, "gas replenishment threshold 2". That is, the change in the second discharge energy: t2 is Figure 4 One of the emitted light pulses. And .

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the laser controller can collect data in real time. That is, the calculation is performed according to the method described above, which yields the measured result. 501. Due to the measurement 501 fluctuates with the emitted light frequency, and is compared with the gas replenishment threshold 2. That is, the "air replenishment threshold 2" 504 is calculated by the adder 304, and the difference is then processed by step 303: low-pass filtering. After low-pass filtering, the controller determines whether the difference is greater than zero, i.e., it executes step 305: greater than 0?, which indicates whether the difference is greater than 0. Then the controller can slowly charge the cavity with working gas through the gas management module, i.e., execute step 507: slow charging. Until... < Stop inflation. If the value remains less than 0 (i.e., not), then do not execute the command.

[0052] Slowly injecting working gas, or slow-charging gas, into the cavity of the laser includes: controlling the gas management module according to the laser controller, and injecting working gas into the cavity through the slow-injection gas passage and gas valve.

[0053] For example, as mentioned above, such as Figure 2 As shown, the controller 201 controls the gas management module 204 to open the gas valve and inject working gas 205 into the cavity 203 through the slow gas injection passage.

[0054] For example: Figure 4 As shown, select , It is 160. The value is 170. Therefore, according to the preceding text, in... Working gas is slowly charged, and the controller collects data in real time. And determine if it is below 160. If it is 170 <180, working gas fast charging, until Slowly charge with working gas until... Stop inflating when the pressure drops below 160.

[0055] Here, based on the lifetime curve of the corresponding working gas of the laser, and experience from... Figure 4 Selected from .

[0056] In addition, the method 100 also includes: acquiring the pressure value of the laser cavity, comparing the pressure value with the exhaust threshold, and performing low-pass filtering on the comparison result; when the filtering result is greater than zero, controlling the gas valve of the laser to exhaust gas through the controller until the pressure value is less than the exhaust threshold.

[0057] For example, as mentioned above, such as Figure 6 As shown, the controller measures the pressure value of the cavity in real time. Through a low-pass filtering process 611, the controller compares the measured cavity pressure (601) with the exhaust threshold (602) using adder 304, calculates the difference, and performs step 303: low-pass filtering. Then, through the exhaust status process 612, the controller checks if the filtered result is greater than zero, i.e., executes step 305: "Greater than 0?". If the filtered result is greater than zero, the controller controls the gas management module to exhaust gas through the gas valve until the gas pressure is less than the exhaust threshold (target cavity pressure), i.e., executes step 603: "Exhaust to target cavity pressure". Otherwise, no exhaust is performed.

[0058] For example, if the standard chamber pressure is 4000 mbar, and the chamber pressure exceeds the threshold of 4500 mbar during operation, the chamber will be vented until the chamber pressure is less than 4500 mbar.

[0059] The entire gas replenishment process is divided into gas injection and gas removal, and a dynamic balance is maintained throughout the entire light output process until the performance indicators such as laser dose stability exceed the standard.

[0060] This application also provides a gas control device for a laser, which is applied in a laser. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 includes: The acquisition module 701 is used to acquire the output voltage and the change in discharge energy of the laser during the normal discharge process of the laser.

[0061] The determination module 702 is used to determine whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the change in output voltage and / or discharge energy.

[0062] Specifically, the acquisition module 701 includes: an acquisition unit for acquiring the discharge voltage of the laser's power module as the output voltage; and an acquisition unit for acquiring the change in discharge voltage and the change in energy of the laser, and determining the change in discharge energy based on the change in discharge voltage and the change in energy.

[0063] Specifically, the determining module 702 includes: a filtering unit, used to determine the voltage difference based on the collected discharge voltage and voltage threshold, and to perform low-pass filtering on the voltage difference; and a gas injection unit, used to determine whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero. If it is greater than zero, the working gas is rapidly injected into the cavity of the laser. Rapid injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is greater than the gas threshold amount.

[0064] Specifically, the gas injection unit is used to control the gas management module according to the laser controller, and inject working gas into the cavity through the rapid gas injection channel and gas valve.

[0065] Specifically, the filtering unit is used to determine the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and to perform low-pass filtering on the difference in change; the gas injection unit is used to determine whether the result of the low-pass filtering is greater than zero, and if it is greater than zero, to inject working gas into the cavity of the laser.

[0066] Specifically, the filtering unit is used to determine the difference between the change in discharge energy and the change in target discharge energy, and to perform low-pass filtering on the difference in change. The change in target discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses. The gas injection unit is used to re-gas the gas in the laser cavity when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero.

[0067] Specifically, the filtering unit is used to determine the difference between the change in discharge energy and the first change in discharge energy, and to perform low-pass filtering on the difference in change. The first change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the first change in discharge energy. The gas injection unit is used to rapidly inject working gas into the cavity of the laser when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero.

[0068] Specifically, the filtering unit is used to determine the difference between the change in discharge energy and the second change in discharge energy, and to perform low-pass filtering on the difference in change. The second change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the first change in discharge energy is greater than the second change in discharge energy. The gas injection unit is used to slowly inject working gas into the cavity of the laser when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero. Slow injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is less than the gas threshold amount.

[0069] In addition, the device 700 also includes: a comparison module for acquiring the pressure value of the laser cavity, comparing the pressure value with the exhaust threshold, and performing low-pass filtering on the comparison result; and an exhaust module for controlling the gas valve of the laser to exhaust gas through the controller when the filtering result is greater than zero, until the pressure value is less than the exhaust threshold.

[0070] Since the specific implementation of this device 700 is described in the previous text, it will not be repeated here.

[0071] This application embodiment also provides a laser, a controller, and a cavity; the controller acquires the laser's output voltage and the change in the laser's discharge energy during the normal discharge process of the laser; the controller determines whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the output voltage and / or the change in discharge energy.

[0072] In addition, the laser may also include the power module, gas management module, etc., mentioned above.

[0073] This will not be elaborated upon further here; for any content that has not been covered in detail, please refer to the content mentioned above.

[0074] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed process is an example of an exemplary method. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the process may be rearranged without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The appended method claims provide elements of various steps in an exemplary order and are not intended to limit the scope to the specific order or hierarchy described.

[0075] To make the description of this disclosure more detailed and complete, illustrative descriptions of the embodiments and specific examples of the present invention have been provided above; however, this is not the only form of implementing or utilizing the specific examples of the present invention. The embodiments cover the features of multiple specific examples and the method steps and their order for constructing and operating these specific examples. However, other specific examples may also be used to achieve the same or equivalent functions and order of steps.

[0076] In the detailed description above, various features are combined together in a single embodiment to simplify this disclosure. This approach to disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that embodiments of the claimed subject matter require more features than are explicitly stated in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the appended claims, the invention is presented with fewer features than all of the features in a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the appended claims are hereby explicitly incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim representing a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0077] The disclosed embodiments have been described above to enable any person skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments given herein, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and novel features disclosed in this application.

[0078] The foregoing description includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is certainly impossible to describe all possible combinations of components or methods in order to describe the above embodiments, but those skilled in the art will recognize that further combinations and arrangements of the various embodiments are possible. Therefore, the embodiments described herein are intended to cover all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the term "comprising" as used in the specification or claims is interpreted in a manner similar to the term "including," as interpreted when used as a conjunction in the claims. Additionally, the use of any term "or" in the specification of the claims is intended to mean "non-exclusive or."

[0079] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks, units, and steps listed in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly demonstrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the functions of the various illustrative components, units, and steps described above have been generally described. Whether such functionality is implemented through hardware or software depends on the specific application and the overall system design requirements. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions using various methods for each specific application, but such implementation should not be construed as exceeding the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0080] The various illustrative logic blocks or units described in the embodiments of this invention can be implemented or operate the described functions using a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor; alternatively, it can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented using a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other similar configuration.

[0081] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of this invention can be directly embedded in hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module can be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium in the art. Exemplarily, the storage medium can be connected to the processor so that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium can also be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium can be housed in an ASIC, which can be housed in a user terminal. Optionally, the processor and storage medium can also be housed in different components of the user terminal.

[0082] In one or more exemplary designs, the functions described in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination of these three. If implemented in software, these functions can be stored on a computer-readable medium or transmitted on a computer-readable medium in the form of one or more instructions or code. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media that facilitate the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. Storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. For example, such computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store program code in the form of instructions or data structures and other forms that can be read by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Furthermore, any connection can be suitably defined as a computer-readable medium, for example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote resource via a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wirelessly, such as infrared, wireless, and microwave, it is also included in the defined computer-readable medium. The disks and discs mentioned include compressed disks, laser discs, optical discs, DVDs, floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically copy data magnetically, while discs typically copy data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above can also be contained in computer-readable media.

[0083] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas control method for a laser, characterized in that, include: During the normal discharge and light emission process of the laser, the output voltage of the laser and the change in the discharge energy of the laser are obtained; Based on the changes in output voltage and discharge energy, determine whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity; Determining whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the change in discharge energy includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and a preset change in discharge energy; performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy; determining whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero; if it is greater than zero, then injecting working gas into the laser cavity. The step of determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, includes: determining the difference between the change in discharge energy and the target change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, wherein the target change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the change in discharge energy is greater than zero, re-gasifying the gas in the cavity of the laser. Based on the output voltage, determine whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity, including: determining the voltage difference based on the collected discharge voltage and voltage threshold, performing low-pass filtering on the voltage difference; determining whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero; if it is greater than zero, rapidly inject working gas into the laser cavity. Rapid injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is greater than the gas threshold amount, and the discharge voltage is used as the output voltage. The change in discharge energy is determined by the following formula: Where V represents voltage, E represents energy, j represents the Burst burst pulse sequence, i represents a specific pulse sequence within the Burst burst pulse sequence, and n represents the number of specific pulse sequences within the burst pulse sequence. Here is the filter function; The step of determining the difference in discharge energy based on the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, includes: determining the difference in discharge energy based on the change in discharge energy and the first change in discharge energy, performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, wherein the first change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the first change in discharge energy; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: rapidly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser when the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the change in discharge energy. The step of determining the difference in discharge energy based on the change in discharge energy and a preset change in discharge energy, and performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, includes: determining the difference in discharge energy based on the change in discharge energy and a second change in discharge energy, performing low-pass filtering on the difference in discharge energy, wherein the second change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the first change in discharge energy is greater than the second change in discharge energy; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero, and the change in discharge energy is less than the first change in discharge energy, then slowly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser, wherein slow injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is less than the gas threshold amount, until the change in discharge energy is less than the second change in discharge energy.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the laser's output voltage and the change in the laser's discharge energy includes: Collect the discharge voltage of the laser's power module; The changes in discharge voltage and energy of the laser are collected, and the change in discharge energy is determined based on these changes.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rapid injection of working gas into the laser cavity includes: The gas management module, controlled by the laser's controller, injects working gas into the cavity through a rapid gas injection channel and gas valves.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The pressure value of the laser cavity is obtained, the pressure value is compared with the exhaust threshold, and the comparison result is low-pass filtered. When the filtering result is greater than zero, the controller controls the gas valve of the laser to exhaust gas until the pressure value is less than the exhaust threshold.

5. A laser, characterized in that, include: Controller and cavity; The controller acquires the laser's output voltage and the change in the laser's discharge energy during the normal discharge process of the laser. The controller determines whether to inject working gas into the laser cavity based on the changes in output voltage and discharge energy. The difference between the change in discharge energy and the preset change in discharge energy is determined, and the difference in change is then low-pass filtered. Determine if the low-pass filter result is greater than zero. If it is, inject working gas into the laser cavity. The controller determines the difference between the change in discharge energy and the target change in discharge energy, performs low-pass filtering on the difference in change, and the target change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted light pulses. Injecting working gas into the laser cavity includes: when the gas concentration is greater than zero, the gas in the laser cavity is re-exposed. The controller determines the voltage difference based on the collected discharge voltage and voltage threshold, performs low-pass filtering on the voltage difference, and determines whether the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero. If it is greater than zero, the controller rapidly injects working gas into the laser cavity. Rapid injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is greater than the gas threshold amount. The discharge voltage is used as the output voltage. The change in discharge energy is determined by the following formula: Where V represents voltage, E represents energy, j represents the Burst burst pulse sequence, i represents a specific pulse sequence within the Burst burst pulse sequence, and n represents the number of specific pulse sequences within the burst pulse sequence. Here is the filter function; The controller determines the difference between the change in discharge energy and the first change in discharge energy, performs low-pass filtering on the difference, the first change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the first change in discharge energy; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero, and the target change in discharge energy is greater than the change in discharge energy, then rapidly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser; The controller determines the difference between the change in discharge energy and the second change in discharge energy, performs low-pass filtering on the difference, and the second change in discharge energy satisfies the correspondence between the change in discharge energy and the number of emitted pulses, and the first change in discharge energy is greater than the second change in discharge energy; wherein, injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser includes: when the low-pass filtering result is greater than zero and the change in discharge energy is less than the first change in discharge energy, then slowly injecting working gas into the cavity of the laser, the slow injection of working gas means that the amount of working gas injected within a preset time is less than the gas threshold amount, until the change in discharge energy is less than the second change in discharge energy.

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