Gas laser device and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

This gas laser device is provided with: an optical plate housed in a housing part; a monitor module that includes an incident region into which light is incident and that is slidable on the optical plate; a positioning member disposed on the optical plate and positioning the monitor module at a predetermined position on the optical plate; and a guide extending in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the light traveling toward the incident region and guiding the monitor module toward the positioning member in the direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, the monitor module including a through hole, the monitor module has a through-hole that penetrates the monitor module in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light and is provided at a position offset from the incident region, and the monitor module slides to a predetermined region on the optical plate in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light. And a fixing member that slides along the guide in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light toward a positioning member that is separated from the predetermined region in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, and fixes the monitor module in the internal space of the housing part by screwing the positioning member and a fixing member that passes through the through hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gas laser device and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in semiconductor exposure devices, as semiconductor integrated circuits become smaller and more highly integrated, there is a demand for improved resolution. Therefore, the wavelength of light emitted from an exposure light source has been shortened. For example, as a gas laser device for exposure, a KrF excimer laser device that outputs a laser with a wavelength of about 248nm and an ArF excimer laser device that outputs a laser with a wavelength of about 193nm are used.

[0003] The spectral line width of the natural oscillation light of the KrF excimer laser device and the ArF excimer laser device is relatively wide, at 350pm to 400pm. Therefore, when a projection lens is constructed using a material that allows ultraviolet light such as KrF and ArF lasers to pass through, chromatic aberration may sometimes occur. As a result, the resolution may be reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to narrow the spectral line width of the laser output from the gas laser device to a level where chromatic aberration is invisible. Therefore, in order to narrow the spectral line width, a narrowing module (Line Narrowing Module: LNM) containing narrowing elements (etalon, grating, etc.) is sometimes provided in the laser resonator of the gas laser device. Hereinafter, a gas laser device that narrows the spectral line width will be referred to as a narrowed-band gas laser device.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0103118

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-34480

[0008] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-148550 Summary of the invention

[0009] A gas laser device in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an optical plate, which is stored in a storage portion; a monitor module, which includes an incident area for light to be incident and is capable of sliding on the optical plate; a positioning component, which is arranged on the optical plate and positions the monitor module at a specified position on the optical plate; and a guide, which extends in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light traveling toward the incident area and guides the monitor module toward the positioning component in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, the monitor module including a through hole, which penetrates the monitor module in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light and is arranged at a position deviated from the incident area, after the monitor module slides on the optical plate to the specified area in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light, the monitor module slides along the guide in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light toward the positioning component separated from the specified area in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, and the monitor module is fixed to the internal space of the storage portion by screwing the fixing component passing through the through hole and the positioning component.

[0010] A method for manufacturing an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following steps: generating laser light by a gas laser device, outputting the laser light to an exposure device, and exposing the laser light on a photosensitive substrate in the exposure device to manufacture the electronic device, wherein the gas laser device includes: an optical plate, which is stored in a storage portion; a monitor module, which includes an incident area for light to be incident and is capable of sliding on the optical plate; a positioning member, which is arranged on the optical plate and positions the monitor module at a predetermined position on the optical plate; and a guide, which extends in a direction parallel to the optical axis of light traveling toward the incident area and guides the monitor module toward the positioning member in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, wherein the monitor module includes a through hole, which penetrates the monitor module in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light and is arranged at a position deviated from the incident area, wherein after the monitor module slides on the optical plate to a predetermined area in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light, the monitor module slides along the guide in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light toward the positioning member separated from the predetermined area in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, and the monitor module is fixed to the internal space of the storage portion by screwing the fixing member penetrating the through hole and the positioning member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Several embodiments of the present disclosure are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall schematic configuration of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration example of a gas laser device according to a comparative example.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of a gas laser device of a comparative example.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a top view of a monitor module of a comparative example.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a side view of the periphery of the monitor module of the comparative example as viewed from the downstream.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a plan view of the internal space of the storage section of the gas laser device of the comparative example.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a plan view of the periphery of the monitor module according to the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 8 Observed from downstream Figure 7 A side view of the perimeter of a monitor module is shown.

[0020] Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA is shown.

[0021] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view at line BB is shown.

[0022] Fig.11 This is a diagram for explaining a part of the removal operation of the monitor module in the embodiment.

[0023] Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining another part of the removal operation of the monitor module in the embodiment.

[0024] Fig.13 This is a diagram for explaining a part of the setting operation of the monitor module in the embodiment.

[0025] Fig.14 This is a diagram for explaining another part of the installation operation of the monitor module in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] 1. Description of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus used in an exposure process of an electronic device

[0027] 2. Description of the gas laser device of the comparative example

[0028] 2.1 Structure

[0029] 2.2 Actions

[0030] 2.3 Removal and installation of monitor module

[0031] 2.4 Topics

[0032] 3. Description of Gas Laser Device According to Embodiment

[0033] 3.1 Structure

[0034] 3.2 Removal and installation of monitor module

[0035] 3.3 Effects

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] The embodiments described below illustrate several examples of the present disclosure and do not limit the content of the present disclosure. In addition, the structures and actions described in each embodiment are not necessarily all necessary for the structures and actions of the present disclosure. In addition, the same reference numerals are marked on the same structural elements and repeated descriptions are omitted. In the accompanying drawings referred to below, the sizes of the components are sometimes changed for easy understanding.

[0038] 1. Description of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus used in an exposure process of an electronic device

[0039] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic configuration example of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus used in an exposure process of the electronic device. Figure 1 As shown, the manufacturing device used in the exposure process includes a gas laser device 100 and an exposure device 200. The exposure device 200 includes an illumination optical system 210 and a projection optical system 220, and the illumination optical system 210 includes a plurality of reflectors 211, 212, and 213. The illumination optical system 210 illuminates the mask pattern of the mask (not shown) arranged on the mask stage RT by the laser light incident from the gas laser device 100. The projection optical system 220 performs reduced projection of the laser light after passing through the mask so that it is imaged on the workpiece (not shown) arranged on the workpiece stage WT. The workpiece is a photosensitive substrate such as a semiconductor wafer coated with a photoresist. The exposure device 200 causes the mask stage RT and the workpiece stage WT to move in parallel synchronously, thereby exposing the workpiece with the laser light reflecting the mask pattern. By transferring the device pattern on the semiconductor wafer through the above-mentioned exposure process, a semiconductor device as an electronic device can be manufactured.

[0040] 2. Description of the gas laser device of the comparative example

[0041] 2.1 Structure

[0042] A gas laser device 100 of a comparative example will be described. The comparative examples of the present disclosure are examples that the applicant recognizes as being known only to the applicant, and are not examples that the applicant acknowledges as being publicly known.

[0043] Figure 2: is a schematic diagram showing an overall schematic structural example of a gas laser device 100 of a comparative example. The gas laser device 100 is, for example, an ArF excimer laser device using a mixed gas containing argon (Ar), fluorine (F2) and neon (Ne). The gas laser device 100 outputs a laser having a central wavelength of approximately 193 nm. In addition, the gas laser device 100 may also be a gas laser device other than the ArF excimer laser device, for example, it may also be a KrF excimer laser device using a mixed gas containing krypton (Kr), F2 and Ne. In this case, the gas laser device 100 emits a laser having a central wavelength of approximately 248 nm. A mixed gas containing Ar, F2 and Ne as a laser medium and a mixed gas containing Kr, F2 and Ne as a laser medium are sometimes referred to as laser gas.

[0044] The gas laser device 100 includes a housing 110 , and a laser oscillator 130 , a monitor module 160 , a shutter 170 , and a laser processor 190 arranged in an internal space of the housing 110 as main components.

[0045] The storage section 110 has a plurality of laser frames 111, and a box-shaped skeleton frame is formed by connecting the plurality of laser frames 111. Openings are respectively provided on the left side, right side, front side, back side, upper surface and lower surface of such a storage section 110. These openings are covered by a cover such as a panel mounted on the laser frame 111, and the internal space of the storage section 110 becomes a closed space. The opening is a quadrilateral shape, and the laser frame 111 is a quadrangular prism member. As a material of the laser frame 111, for example, a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum is cited. In addition, the shapes of the opening and the laser frame 111 are not particularly limited.

[0046] The laser oscillator 130 includes a cavity 131, a charger 141, a pulse power module 143, a narrowband module 145, and an output coupling mirror 147. Figure 2 , the internal structure of the cavity 131 when viewed from a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser light is shown.

[0047] As a material of the cavity 131, for example, metals such as nickel-plated aluminum or nickel-plated stainless steel can be cited. The cavity 131 is sealed with the above-mentioned laser gas, and includes an internal space in which light is generated by the excitation of the laser medium in the laser gas. The light travels toward the windows 139a and 139b described later. The laser gas is supplied to the internal space of the cavity 131 from a laser gas supply source not shown in the figure through a pipe not shown in the figure. In addition, the laser gas in the cavity 131 is treated by removing F2 gas and the like through a halogen filter, and is discharged to the outside of the storage unit 110 through a pipe not shown in the figure by an exhaust pump not shown in the figure.

[0048] In the internal space of the cavity 131, the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b are separated and opposed to each other, and the length direction of each is along the traveling direction of the laser. In the following, the length direction of the electrodes 133a and 133b is sometimes set as the Z direction, the arrangement direction of the electrodes 133a and 133b and the separation direction in which the electrodes 133a and 133b are separated from each other and the direction perpendicular to the Z direction is set as the V direction, and the direction perpendicular to the V direction and the Z direction is set as the H direction for explanation. The electrodes 133a and 133b are discharge electrodes for exciting the laser medium by glow discharge. In this example, the electrode 133a is the anode and the electrode 133b is the cathode.

[0049] The electrode 133a is supported by the electrode holder 137 and electrically connected thereto. The electrode holder 137 is electrically connected to the cavity 131 via a wiring not shown in the figure. The electrode 133a supported by the electrode holder 137 is connected to the ground potential via the electrode holder 137, the wiring not shown in the figure, and the cavity 131. The electrode 133b is fixed to the surface of the plate-shaped electrical insulating portion 135 on the side of the internal space of the cavity 131 by a conductive member 157 composed of bolts, for example. The conductive member 157 is electrically connected to the pulse power module 143, and the high voltage from the pulse power module 143 is applied to the electrode 133b.

[0050] The electrical insulating portion 135 includes an insulator. As a material of the electrical insulating portion 135, for example, alumina ceramics having low reactivity with F2 gas can be cited. In addition, the electrical insulating portion 135 only needs to have electrical insulation, and as a material of such an electrical insulating portion 135, resins such as phenolic resin and fluororesin, or quartz, glass, etc. can be cited. The electrical insulating portion 135 blocks the opening provided in the cavity 131 and is fixed to the cavity 131.

[0051] The charger 141 is a DC power supply device that charges a charging capacitor (not shown) in the pulse power module 143 with a predetermined voltage. The pulse power module 143 includes a switch 143a controlled by the laser processor 190. When the switch 143a is turned from off to on, the pulse power module 143 generates a pulse-shaped high voltage using the electric energy charged in the charging capacitor, and applies the high voltage between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b.

[0052] When a high voltage is applied between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b, a discharge occurs between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b. The laser medium in the cavity 131 is excited by the energy of the discharge, and the excited laser medium emits light when it transitions to a ground state.

[0053] A pair of windows 139a and 139b are provided on the wall surface of the cavity 131. The window 139a is located at one end side of the traveling direction of the laser in the cavity 131, and the window 139b is located at the other end side of the traveling direction. The windows 139a and 139b sandwich the space between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b. The windows 139a and 139b are inclined at a Brewster angle with respect to the traveling direction of the laser to suppress the reflection of the P polarized light of the laser. The laser light oscillating as described later is emitted to the outside of the cavity 131 through the windows 139a and 139b.

[0054] The narrowband module 145 includes a housing 145a, a prism 145b, a grating 145c and a rotating table (not shown) arranged in the inner space of the housing 145a. The housing 145a has an opening, and the housing 145a is connected to the rear side of the cavity 131 through the opening.

[0055] The prism 145b expands the beam width of the light emitted from the window 139a and causes the light to be incident on the grating 145c. In addition, the prism 145b reduces the beam width of the reflected light from the grating 145c and causes the light to return to the internal space of the cavity 131 via the window 139a. The prism 145b is supported by a rotating table and rotated by the rotating table. The rotation of the prism 145b changes the incident angle of the light relative to the grating 145c. Therefore, the rotation of the prism 145b makes it possible to select the wavelength of the light that returns from the grating 145c via the prism 145b to the cavity 131. Figure 2 In the figure, an example in which one prism 145b is arranged is shown; however, it is sufficient as long as at least one prism is arranged.

[0056] The surface of the grating 145c is made of a material with high reflectivity, and a plurality of grooves are provided on the surface at predetermined intervals. The cross-sectional shape of each groove is, for example, a right triangle. When the light incident on the grating 145c from the prism 145b is reflected by these grooves, it is diffracted in a direction corresponding to the wavelength of the light. The grating 145c is configured in a Littrow configuration so that the incident angle of the light incident on the grating 145c from the prism 145b is consistent with the diffraction angle of the diffracted light of the desired wavelength. Thus, the light near the desired wavelength is returned to the cavity 131 via the prism 145b.

[0057] The output coupling mirror 147 is arranged in the inner space of the optical path tube 147a connected to the front side of the cavity 131, and faces the window 139b. The output coupling mirror 147 allows a part of the laser light emitted from the window 139b to pass through and travel toward the monitor module 160, and allows the other part to be reflected and return to the inner space of the cavity 131 through the window 139b. In this way, a Fabry-Perot type laser resonator is formed by the grating 145c and the output coupling mirror 147, and the cavity 131 is arranged on the optical path of the laser resonator. The light from the cavity 131 travels toward the monitor module 160.

[0058] The monitor module 160 is disposed on the optical path of the laser light emitted from the output coupling mirror 147. The monitor module 160 includes a flat plate 161 along the HZ plane, a housing 162 disposed on the main surface of the base plate 161, a beam splitter 163 disposed in the internal space of the housing 162, and a condenser mirror and a light sensor 165 (not shown).

[0059] The bottom plate 161 is arranged on the main surface of the flat optical plate 601 along the HZ plane, and can slide in the in-plane direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601. The optical plate 601 is arranged on the stand 603, and the stand 603 is arranged on the laser frame 111 of the storage section 110. The optical plate 601 and the stand 603 are stored in the storage section 110. The laser frame 111 is provided with a supporting component 605 that supports the cavity 131 and the housing 145a. As the materials of each of the optical plate 601, the stand 603 and the supporting component 605, for example, the same materials as the laser frame 111 can be cited. The supporting component 605 is a quadrangular prism component, but the shape is not particularly limited. It is also possible not to configure components other than the monitor module 160 on the main surface of the optical plate 601.

[0060] The housing 162 is provided with an opening 162a, and the internal space of the housing 162 is connected to the internal space of the optical path tube 147a through the opening 162a. The laser emitted from the output coupling mirror 147 travels toward the internal space of the housing 162 through the opening 162a. In this way, the opening 162a is an incident area for the laser from the cavity 131 generated by the excitation of the laser gas to be incident on the internal space of the housing 162. The direction parallel to the optical axis of the laser traveling toward the incident area is the Z direction. In addition, an opening 162b is provided on the side of the housing 162 opposite to the side connected to the optical path tube 147a, and the laser after passing through the beam splitter 163 as described later travels toward the optical gate 170 and passes through the opening 162b. In this way, the opening 162b is an emission area for the laser to be emitted from the internal space of the housing 162 to the external space. The opening 162b faces the opening 162a.

[0061] The beam splitter 163 allows a portion of the laser light emitted from the output coupling mirror 147 to pass toward the shutter 170, and reflects the other portion of the laser light toward the condenser mirror. The condenser mirror condenses the laser light from the beam splitter 163 onto the light receiving surface of the optical sensor 165. The optical sensor 165 measures the energy E of the laser light incident on the light receiving surface, and outputs a signal indicating the measured energy E to the laser processor 190.

[0062] The laser processor 190 of the present disclosure is a processing device including a storage device 190a storing a control program and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 190b executing the control program. The laser processor 190 is specially configured or programmed to execute various processes included in the present disclosure. In addition, the laser processor 190 controls the gas laser device 100 as a whole.

[0063] The laser processor 190 sends and receives various signals to and from the exposure processor 230 of the exposure device 200. For example, the laser processor 190 receives signals indicating the light emission trigger Tr and target energy Et described later from the exposure processor 230. The target energy Et is a target value of the energy of the laser used in the exposure process. The laser processor 190 controls the charging voltage of the charger 141 according to the energy E and the target energy Et received from the light sensor 165 and the exposure processor 230. By controlling the charging voltage, the energy of the laser is controlled. In addition, the laser processor 190 sends a command signal for turning on or off the switch 143a to the pulse power module 143. In addition, the laser processor 190 is electrically connected to the shutter 170 to control the opening and closing of the shutter 170.

[0064] The laser processor 190 closes the shutter 170 until the difference ΔE between the energy E received from the monitor module 160 and the target energy Et received from the exposure processor 230 is within the allowable range. After the difference ΔE is within the allowable range, the laser processor 190 sends a reception preparation completion signal notifying that the reception preparation of the light emission trigger Tr is completed to the exposure processor 230. Upon receiving the reception preparation completion signal, the exposure processor 230 sends a signal indicating the light emission trigger Tr to the laser processor 190, and upon receiving the signal indicating the light emission trigger Tr, the laser processor 190 opens the shutter 170. The light emission trigger Tr is defined by a predetermined repetition frequency f of the laser and a predetermined number of pulses P, and is a timing signal for the exposure processor 230 to cause the laser oscillator 130 to perform laser oscillation, and is an external trigger. The repetition frequency f of the laser is, for example, not less than 100 Hz and not more than 10 kHz.

[0065] The optical shutter 170 is arranged on the optical path of the laser in the internal space of the optical path tube 171 connected to the opening 162b, and the opening 162b is formed on the side of the housing 162 of the monitor module 160 opposite to the side connected to the optical path tube 147a. The purge gas is supplied and filled to the internal space of the optical path tubes 171 and 147a and the internal space of the housings 162 and 145a. The purge gas contains an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2). The purge gas is supplied from a purge gas supply source not shown through a pipe not shown. In addition, the optical path tube 171 is connected to the exposure device 200 via the opening of the storage section 110 and the optical path tube 500, and the optical path tube 500 connects the storage section 110 and the exposure device 200. The laser light after passing through the optical shutter 170 is incident on the exposure device 200.

[0066] The exposure processor 230 of the present disclosure is a processing device including a storage device 230a storing a control program and a CPU 230b executing the control program. The exposure processor 230 is specially configured or programmed to execute various processes included in the present disclosure. In addition, the exposure processor 230 controls the exposure device 200 as a whole.

[0067] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gas laser device 100 according to a comparative example. Figure 3 In the figure, parts such as the optical path tube 147a, the opening 162a, and the stand 603 are omitted. The housing 110 of the gas laser device 100 is covered by a cover 113 such as a panel mounted on the laser frame 111 as described above. A part of the cover 113 located on the outer surface of the housing 110, such as the front surface, can be removed relative to another part of the cover 113. Figure 3 In the figure, the removable portion of the cover 113 is indicated as a cover 113a. By removing the cover 113a, an opening 115 is formed on the front of the storage section 110. The monitor module 160 is provided near the opening 115 on the front of the storage section 110, and can be freely brought into and out of the storage section 110 from the front through the opening 115 in a state where the cover 113a is removed. When the monitor module 160 is regularly maintained or the monitor module 160 is replaced with another new monitor module 160, the monitor module 160 is brought into and out of the storage section 110.

[0068] The inlet and outlet directions of the monitor module 160 are the H direction and the direction opposite to the H direction. In the inlet and outlet directions of the monitor module 160, the side where the monitor module 160 is pulled out, in other words, the front side of the opening is set as the near side, and the side where the monitor module 160 is pushed in, in other words, the back side is set as the back side. In addition, for the sake of convenience of explanation, in the vicinity of the monitor module 160, the upstream of the traveling direction of the laser light traveling from the output coupling mirror 147 to the optical shutter 170 via the monitor module 160 is sometimes referred to as simply the upstream, and the downstream of the traveling direction of the laser light is sometimes referred to as simply the downstream.

[0069] Figure 4 is a top view of a monitor module 160 of a comparative example, Figure 5 This is a side view of the periphery of the monitor module 160 of the comparative example as viewed from the downstream. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the figure, some parts such as the optical path tubes 147a and 171 are omitted. The main surface of the bottom plate 161 to which the housing 162 is fixed and the main surface of the optical plate 601 on which the bottom plate 161 is arranged are each in a rectangular shape that is long in the H direction. After the bottom plate 161 is positioned on the optical plate 601 by a pair of positioning pins 621, it is fixed to the optical plate 601 by a pair of fixing bolts 623. The positioning pins 621 and the fixing bolts 623 are arranged in a rectangular shape. Figure 3 The illustration is omitted.

[0070] One positioning pin 621 is preliminarily erected on the optical plate 601 on the push-in side in the insertion and extraction direction of the monitor module 160. In addition, a cutout 161a into which one positioning pin 621 is inserted is provided on the push-in side of the bottom plate 161. One positioning pin 621 is located on the same line as the other positioning pin 621 in the insertion and extraction direction of the monitor module 160 and is located on the side opposite to the other positioning pin 621 with respect to the housing 162. The other positioning pin 621 is inserted into the bottom plate 161 and the optical plate 601 on the extraction side in the insertion and extraction direction of the monitor module 160, thereby positioning the bottom plate 161 on the optical plate 601. A pair of fixing bolts 623 are provided on both sides of the other positioning pin 621 in the Z direction to fix the bottom plate 161 to the optical plate 601. Through the positioning by the pair of positioning pins 621 and the fixing by the pair of fixing bolts 623 , the opening 162 a of the housing 162 , the beam splitter 163 , and the opening 162 b of the housing 162 are arranged on the optical path of the laser light from the output coupling mirror 147 .

[0071] 2.2 Action

[0072] Next, the operation of the gas laser device 100 according to the comparative example will be described.

[0073] Before the gas laser device 100 emits laser light, purge gas is filled from a purge gas supply source (not shown) into the inner spaces of the optical tubes 147a, 171, 500 and the inner spaces of the housings 145a, 162. Laser gas is also supplied from a laser gas supply source (not shown) into the inner space of the cavity 131.

[0074] When the gas laser device 100 emits laser light, the laser processor 190 receives a signal indicating the target energy Et and a signal indicating the light emission trigger Tr from the exposure processor 230. In addition, the laser processor 190 turns on the switch 143a of the pulse power module 143. As a result, the pulse power module 143 uses the electric energy charged to the charging capacitor (not shown) to apply a pulsed high voltage between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b. The high voltage generates a discharge between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b, and the laser medium contained in the laser gas between the electrode 133a and the electrode 133b becomes an excited state, and emits light when the laser medium returns to the ground state. The light travels back and forth between the grating 145c and the output coupling mirror 147, and is amplified each time it passes through the discharge space in the internal space of the cavity 131, thereby generating laser oscillation. Then, a part of the laser light passes through the output coupling mirror 147 as a pulsed laser light and passes through the opening 162a of the housing 162, and travels toward the beam splitter 163.

[0075] A portion of the laser light traveling toward the beam splitter 163 is reflected by the beam splitter 163 and received by the optical sensor 165. The optical sensor 165 measures the energy E of the received laser light and outputs a signal indicating the energy E to the laser processor 190. The laser processor 190 controls the charging voltage so that the difference ΔE between the energy E and the target energy Et is within the allowable range. In addition, another portion of the laser light traveling toward the beam splitter 163 passes through the beam splitter 163 and passes through the opening 162b of the housing 162 and the shutter 170, and travels toward the exposure device 200.

[0076] 2.3 Removal and installation of monitor module

[0077] Next, the removal and installation of the monitor module 160 of the comparative example will be described.

[0078] When removing, first remove the cover 113a from the opening 115 in the storage section 110. Next, remove the pair of fixing bolts 623 to release the fixing of the bottom plate 161 and the optical plate 601 by the pair of fixing bolts 623. When the fixing is released, remove the other positioning pin 621 on the near side from the bottom plate 161 and the optical plate 601, and pull the monitor module 160 from the internal space of the storage section 110 through the opening 115 to the external space of the storage section 110. At this time, the bottom plate 161 slides along the H direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601, and the monitor module 160 is removed.

[0079] During the installation, when the removed monitor module 160 is maintained or replaced with another new monitor module 160, the monitor module 160 is pushed from the external space of the storage section 110 into the internal space of the storage section 110 through the opening 115 in the opposite manner to the above. At this time, the bottom plate 161 slides along the H direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601, and one positioning pin 621 on the inner side is embedded in the cutout 161a. Next, another positioning pin 621 on the near front side is inserted into the bottom plate 161 and the optical plate 601, and the bottom plate 161 is positioned on the optical plate 601. Next, a pair of fixing bolts 623 fix the bottom plate 161 to the optical plate 601. As a result, the opening 162a of the housing 162, the beam splitter 163, and the opening 162b of the housing 162 are arranged on the optical path of the laser light emitted from the output coupling mirror 147, and the installation of the monitor module 160 is completed. Finally, the cover 113a is attached to the opening 115.

[0080] 2.4 Topics

[0081] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a top view of the internal space of the housing 110 of the gas laser device 100. Figure 6 In the figure, the optical path tubes 147a, 171, the electrodes 133a, 133b etc. arranged in the internal space of the cavity 131, and the grating 145c, the beam splitter 163 etc. arranged in the internal space of the shells 145a, 162 are omitted.

[0082] The gas laser device 100 is required to be highly functional and multifunctional. Therefore, existing modules such as the laser oscillator 130 and the monitor module 160 mounted on the gas laser device 100 are enlarged, and there is a tendency to increase the number of modules of the gas laser device 100 by adding modules to the existing modules. Hereinafter, the added module is sometimes referred to as a newly installed module 631. The newly installed module 631 is arranged inside the storage section 110 in a manner that blocks a part of the opening 115 on the front side of the storage section 110. When the monitor module 160 is arranged at a predetermined position on the inner side of the newly installed module 631, the field of view on the inner side than the newly installed module 631 is blocked by the newly installed module 631. Therefore, it is difficult to move the monitor module 160 to the predetermined position. Furthermore, when the bottom plate 161 is fixed to the optical plate 601 by using the cutout 161a, the pair of positioning pins 621, and the pair of fixing bolts 623 when the bottom plate 161 is in the prescribed position, when the field of view is blocked as described above, it takes labor and time to fix the monitor module 160 in the internal space of the storage section 110. Therefore, it is necessary to easily move the monitor module 160 to the prescribed position of the storage section 110 to reduce the labor and time of the fixing operation of the monitor module 160.

[0083] Therefore, in the following embodiment, a gas laser device 100 is exemplified in which the monitor module 160 can be easily moved to a predetermined position of the storage unit 110 to reduce the labor and time of the fixing operation of the monitor module 160 .

[0084] 3. Description of Gas Laser Device According to Embodiment

[0085] Next, the gas laser device 100 of this embodiment is described. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same structures as those described above, and the repeated description is omitted except for the cases where special description is required. In addition, in some drawings, some parts are sometimes omitted or briefly described for easy viewing.

[0086] 3.1 Structure

[0087] Figure 7 It is a plan view of the periphery of the monitor module 160 according to the present embodiment. Figure 8 Observed from downstream Figure 7 The periphery of monitor module 160 is shown in side view. Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 The cross-sectional view at line AA is shown. Figure 7 and Fig. 9 In FIG. 1 , the laser light traveling from the output coupling mirror 147 to the optical shutter 170 via the monitor module 160 is shown by a bold arrow. Figure 7 In FIG. 1 , the cover 113a is omitted. Figure 7 In the top view shown, the bold arrows showing the laser are aligned with the original Figure 7 The AA lines are shown overlapping, but for ease of understanding, the arrows are aligned from Figure 7 The AA line shown is offset for illustration.

[0088] The gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment has a different structure of the bottom plate 161 from that of the comparative example. The gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment also has a positioning member 710 and a guide 770 including a first guide member 730 and a second guide member 750, which is different from the gas laser device 100 of the comparative example.

[0089] The positioning member 710 and the guide 770 are arranged on the main surface of the optical plate 601. The monitor module 160, the positioning member 710 and the first guide member 730 are arranged at a predetermined position on the inner side of the newly installed module 631, and the second guide member 750 is arranged on the inner side of the first guide member 730 and the monitor module 160. In addition, in the opening 115 of the present embodiment, as in the comparative example, the newly installed module 631 blocks a part of the opening 115, and the other part of the opening 115 is not blocked by the newly installed module 631. It is assumed that the part of the opening 115 of the present embodiment described above is located upstream of the other part of the opening 115. When the storage unit 110 is viewed from the opening 115, the monitor module 160, the positioning member 710, the first guide member 730 and a part of the second guide member 750 are blocked by the newly installed module 631. In addition, the other part of the second guide member 750 is exposed from the newly installed module 631 without being blocked.

[0090] For convenience of description below, the left side surfaces of the bottom plate 161 and the casing 162 when viewed from the front may be referred to as upstream side surfaces, and the right side surfaces thereof may be referred to as downstream side surfaces.

[0091] In the monitor module 160, the housing 162 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the upper surface and the bottom surface of the housing 162 are along the HZ plane, and their shapes are rectangular shapes that are longer in the H direction. The front surfaces of the bottom plate 161 and the housing 162 are located in the same plane, and their downstream side surfaces are also located in the same plane. However, the back surface of the bottom plate 161 is located in the inner side than the back surface of the housing 162, and the upstream side surface of the bottom plate 161 is located in the upper side than the upstream side surface of the housing 162. Therefore, the bottom plate 161 extends toward the upstream and inner side compared with the housing 162.

[0092] The monitor module 160 is disposed downstream of the positioning member 710. The upstream side surface of the bottom plate 161 faces the positioning member 710, and the first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are fixed to the upstream side surface by fixing bolts not shown. Therefore, the first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are disposed at positions deviated from the opening 162a as the incident area disposed on the upstream side surface of the housing 162. In the present embodiment, the first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are disposed on the lower side of the opening 162a in the gravity direction. In addition, the first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are disposed opposite to each other and separated from each other across the extension line of the center axis of the bottom plate 161 along the Z direction. The first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 protrude from the upstream side surface of the bottom plate 161 toward the upstream, that is, toward the positioning member 710, and have the same length in the Z direction. The first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are arranged at the same position in the Z direction and the V direction, but may be arranged offset from each other. The first spherical pin 831 is arranged on the front side of the second spherical pin 833 .

[0093] The first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are cylindrical, respectively, and their respective ends are semi-cylindrical, and the ends include curved surfaces 831a and 833a, respectively. The curved surfaces 831a and 833a are, for example, curved surfaces with semicircular cross-sections. In other words, the horizontal cross-sections of their respective ends are arc-shaped. The curved surface 831a of the first spherical pin 831 abuts against the V-groove abutment portion 711 of the positioning member 710, which will be described later, and the curved surface 833a of the second spherical pin 833 abuts against the plane abutment portion 713 of the positioning member 710, which will be described later.

[0094] The positioning member 710 includes a V-groove contact portion 711 that contacts the first spherical pin 831 at two locations, and a flat contact portion 713 that contacts the second spherical pin 833 at one location. The V-groove contact portion 711 and the flat contact portion 713 are provided on the downstream side of the positioning member 710, and the downstream side faces the upstream side of the bottom plate 161.

[0095] The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the portion of the V-groove contact portion 711 that contacts the first spherical pin 831 is V-shaped, and the V-groove of the V-groove contact portion 711 is recessed from downstream to upstream. When the monitor module 160 moves toward the positioning member 710, the inner surface 711a of the V-groove contacts the curved surface 831a of the first spherical pin 831 at two locations.

[0096] The line formed by the intersection of the two surfaces of the inner surface 711a of the V-groove constituting the V-groove abutment portion 711 is perpendicular to the main surface of the optical plate 601 on which the monitor module 160 slides, and the apex 711b of the V-groove is located in the VZ plane including the optical axis of the laser. The openings 162a, 162b and the first spherical pin 831 are also located in the VZ plane. The positioning member 710 is fixed to the optical plate 601 upstream of the monitor module 160 by a fixing bolt (not shown) in such a way that the apex 711b of the V-groove is located in the VZ plane.

[0097] The horizontal cross-sectional shape of the portion of the plane contact portion 713 that contacts the second spherical pin 833 is a concave shape, and the concave portion of the plane contact portion 713 is recessed from the downstream toward the upstream. The bottom surface 713a of the plane contact portion 713 that contacts the second spherical pin 833 is a plane. When the monitor module 160 moves toward the positioning member 710, the bottom surface 713a contacts the curved surface 833a of the second spherical pin 833 at one location.

[0098] When the first spherical pin 831 abuts against the V-groove abutment portion 711 and the second spherical pin 833 abuts against the plane abutment portion 713, the positioning member 710 positions the monitor module 160 at a predetermined position of the optical plate 601. In addition, the monitor module 160 is fixed to the internal space of the storage portion 110 by screwing the fixing member 951 described later and the positioning member 710 in a state where the first spherical pin 831 abuts against the V-groove abutment portion 711 and the second spherical pin 833 abuts against the plane abutment portion 713.

[0099] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 The cross-sectional view at line BB is shown. Fig.10 In FIG. 7 , the positioning member 710 and the second guide member 750 are omitted, and the first guide member 730 is shown in a state where it is not inserted into the guide groove 855 described later. Fig.10 In FIG. 7 , the bold arrow indicates that the bottom plate 161 moves toward the first guide member 730 .

[0100] The bottom plate 161 is provided with a through hole 851 that penetrates the bottom plate 161 in the Z direction. In this embodiment, an example in which two through holes 851 are provided in parallel is shown, but it is sufficient as long as at least one through hole 851 is provided. When the through holes 851 are viewed from above, the through holes 851 are provided in parallel with the guide grooves 855 described later. Figure 7 In the figure, the through hole 851 is omitted.

[0101] For example, a fixing member 951, which is a fixing bolt, passes through each through hole 851 individually. The fixing member 951 is inserted into the through hole 851 from the emission area side, that is, from the downstream, and protrudes from the incident area side, that is, from the upstream. A pair of spherical washers 955 are arranged between the head of each fixing member 951 and the bottom plate 161. The contact surfaces of the spherical washers 955 facing each other are convex spherical surfaces and concave spherical surfaces. The eccentricity of the fixing member 951 relative to the fixing member 951 is absorbed by the spherical washers 955, and the fixing member 951 moves along the Z direction together with the spherical washers 955.

[0102] A diameter enlargement portion 851a having a larger diameter than the other portion is provided at a portion of the through hole 851. A fixing ring 951a disposed on the diameter enlargement portion 851a is provided on the fixing member 951. The fixing member 951 is prevented from falling off from the through hole 851 by the fixing ring 951a when the monitor module 160 slides on the main surface of the optical plate 601, for example. In addition, the diameter enlargement portion 851a and the fixing ring 951a may not be provided.

[0103] The through hole 851 is provided in the bottom plate 161 as described above. Fig. 9 As shown, the through hole 851 is provided at a position offset from the opening 162a as the incident area provided on the upstream side of the housing 162 and the opening 162b as the emission area provided on the downstream side of the housing 162. In the present embodiment, the through hole 851 is provided on the lower side in the direction of gravity compared to the openings 162a and 162b. Fig. 9 The through hole 851 near the front side shown is arranged on the lower side in the direction of gravity compared with the first spherical pin 831 and the V-groove contact part 711. The fixing member 951 near the front side that penetrates the through hole 851 is screwed with the positioning member 710 at a position lower in the direction of gravity compared with the V-groove contact part 711. The through hole 851 near the front side and the fixing member 951 near the front side are located in the above-mentioned VZ plane where the apex 711b of the V-groove of the V-groove contact part 711 is located. In addition, although the illustration is omitted, the through hole 851 on the inner side is arranged on the lower side in the direction of gravity compared with the second spherical pin 833 and the plane contact part 713, and the fixing member 951 on the inner side that penetrates the through hole 851 is screwed with the positioning member 710 at a position lower in the direction of gravity compared with the plane contact part 713. Each fixing member 951 only needs to be screwed with the positioning member 710 at a position below the gravitational direction of the abutment portion located below the gravitational direction of the V-groove abutment portion 711 and the plane abutment portion 713. In addition, each through hole 851 only needs to be provided below the gravitational direction of the abutment portion.

[0104] like Figure 8 and Fig.10As shown in FIG. 1 , a guide groove 855 is provided on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 161 placed on the main surface of the optical plate 601. When the monitor module 160 moves toward the positioning member 710, the guide groove 855 crosses the first guide member 730. The guide groove 855 is provided along the Z direction in the range from the upstream side surface to the downstream side surface of the bottom plate 161, similarly to the through hole 851. The guide groove 855 is located at the same height position as the through hole 851 in the V direction, but may also be located at a deviated position. Figure 8 As shown, the VH cross-sectional shape of the guide groove 855 is a rectangular shape that is long in the H direction. In addition, the shape of the guide groove 855 is not particularly limited.

[0105] like Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , a wedge-shaped portion 855a is provided at the end of the guide groove 855 on the side that advances toward the first guide member 730, that is, at the upstream end of the guide groove 855. The width of the wedge-shaped portion 855a in the H direction decreases from the upstream end toward the downstream end on the opposite side of the upstream end of the guide groove 855. The wedge-shaped portion 855a enables the first guide member 730 to be inserted into the guide groove 855 when the monitor module 160 advances toward the first guide member 730.

[0106] The guide groove 855 is provided in the bottom plate 161 , and therefore, similarly to the through hole 851 , is provided at a position offset from the openings 162 a and 162 b .

[0107] like Figure 7 As shown, the guide member 770 extends in the Z direction. After the monitor module 160 slides from another part of the opening 115 on the optical plate to the specified area A in the H direction, it slides on the guide member 770 in the Z direction toward the positioning member 710 separated from the specified area A in the Z direction by a specified interval S. That is, the guide member 770 guides the monitor module 160 toward the positioning member 710 in the Z direction. The specified interval S is an interval blocked by the newly installed module 631 in the interval downstream of the positioning member 710 when the storage section 110 is viewed from the opening 115. Therefore, when the storage section 110 is viewed from the opening 115, the downstream end of the specified interval S overlaps with the downstream end of the newly installed module 631 and the boundary between a portion of the opening 115 blocked by the newly installed module 631 and another portion of the opening 115 not blocked by the newly installed module 631.

[0108] The first guide member 730 of the guide 770 extends in the Z direction and is arranged in the area of ​​the optical plate 601 where the monitor module 160 moves in the Z direction. Specifically, the first guide member 730 is arranged on the optical plate 601 in the prescribed section S from the positioning member 710 in the Z direction. Thus, the first guide member 730 is arranged downstream of the positioning member 710. In the present embodiment, the first guide member 730 is shorter than the length from the positioning member 710 to the downstream end of the prescribed section S in the Z direction, but may extend from the positioning member 710 to the downstream end of the prescribed section S. When the monitor module 160 moves toward the positioning member 710, it slides in the Z direction along the first guide member 730. At this time, as described above, the inner surface of the guide groove 855 of the monitor module 160 slides along the first guide member 730. Thus, the first guide member 730 guides the monitor module 160 to the positioning member 710 in the Z direction.

[0109] The upstream end of the first guide member 730 abuts against the positioning member 710. The downstream end of the first guide member 730 is located inside the guide groove 855. Therefore, a portion of the first guide member 730 is exposed from the monitor module 160, and another portion is located directly below the monitor module 160. In addition, the downstream end of the first guide member 730 may also be located downstream of the guide groove 855. The first guide member 730 is fixed to the optical plate 601 between the V-groove abutment portion 711 and the plane abutment portion 713 by a fixing bolt not shown. The first guide member 730 is a quadrangular prism member extending in the Z direction, and its VH cross-sectional shape is a rectangular shape that is longer in the H direction. In the Z direction, the first guide member 730 is shorter than the second guide member 750 and the newly installed module 631. As a material for the first guide member 730, for example, the same material as the laser frame 111 can be cited. In addition, the shape of the first guide member 730 is not particularly limited.

[0110] The second guide member 750 extends in the Z direction from the inside of the predetermined section S to the outside of the predetermined section S. A portion of the upstream side of the second guide member 750 is parallel to the first guide member 730, the second guide member 750 is longer than the first guide member 730, and a portion of the downstream side of the second guide member 750 is located in the inner side of the predetermined area A outside the predetermined section S. In the predetermined area A outside the predetermined section S, the bottom plate 161 of the monitor module 160 abuts against the second guide member 750 in the H direction. Thus, the second guide member 750 restricts the monitor module 160 from moving inward from the second guide member 750, and prevents the monitor module 160 from colliding with the back surface of the storage section 110. In addition, the second guide member 750 positions the monitor module 160 in the H direction so that the first spherical pin 831, the through hole 851 on the near side, and the fixing member 951 on the near side penetrating the through hole 851 are located in the VZ plane where the apex 711b of the V groove is located.

[0111] When the monitor module 160 is installed, after the monitor module 160 abuts against the second guide member 750 in the predetermined area A, the monitor module 160 slides in the Z direction along the second guide member 750. At this time, the bottom plate 161 of the monitor module 160 slides along the second guide member 750. Thus, the second guide member 750 guides the monitor module 160 to the first guide member 730 in the Z direction. In addition, the second guide member 750 guides the monitor module 160 to the positioning member 710 in the Z direction.

[0112] like Figure 8 As shown, the VH cross-sectional shape of the second guide member 750 is an L-shape. Such a second guide member 750 includes a cover portion 751, which is separated from the optical plate 601 in the V direction perpendicular to the optical plate 601 and covers the contact portion 161b when the contact portion 161b of the monitor module 160 contacts the second guide member 750. The contact portion 161b is a portion of the bottom plate 161 that extends in the H direction compared to the housing 162. The cover portion 751 covers the contact portion 161b, thereby suppressing the monitor module 160 from turning over. The cover portion 751 does not contact the back side of the housing 162, but may contact it.

[0113] The second guide member 750 is fixed to the optical plate 601 by fixing bolts (not shown). Examples of the material of the second guide member 750 include the same material as the laser frame 111. The shape of the second guide member 750 is not particularly limited.

[0114] 3.2 Removal and installation of monitor module

[0115] Next, the removal and installation of the monitor module 160 in this embodiment will be described. The removal and installation are performed in a state where a part of the opening 115 of the storage unit 110 is blocked by the newly installed module 631 and another part of the opening 115 is not blocked by the newly installed module 631.

[0116] When removing the monitor module 160, the cover 113a is removed from the opening 115 in the storage section 110, similarly to the comparative example. Then, the screwing of the fixing member 951 and the positioning member 710 is released, thereby releasing the fixing of the fixing member 951 to the bottom plate 161 and the positioning member 710. In this case, the operator who takes the monitor module 160 in and out inserts his hand from the outer space of the storage section 110 through another part of the opening 115 into the inner space of the storage section 110, and removes the fixing member 951 from the positioning member 710.

[0117] Fig.11 1 is a diagram for explaining a part of the removal operation of the monitor module 160 in this embodiment. When the fixing member 951 is released, the bottom plate 161 is slid downstream along the Z direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601. Fig.11 In FIG. 1 , the monitor module 160 before sliding is shown by a dotted line, the monitor module 160 after sliding is shown by a solid line, and the sliding state of the monitor module 160 is shown by a bold arrow. Fig.11 In the illustrated operation, the monitor module 160 is pulled toward the downstream, the guide groove 855 slides along the first guide member 730, and the bottom plate 161 slides along the second guide member 750. By sliding the guide groove 855 along the first guide member 730, the monitor module 160 is prevented from moving toward the near front side and colliding with the newly installed module 631. In addition, by sliding the bottom plate 161 along the second guide member 750, the bottom plate 161 is easily moved toward the downstream in the Z direction. The bottom plate 161 slides from the predetermined section S to the predetermined area A outside the predetermined section S in a manner that overlaps with another part of the opening 115 when viewed from the opening 115.

[0118] Fig.12 FIG. 1 is another diagram for explaining another part of the removal operation of the monitor module 160 in this embodiment. The monitor module 160 is pulled out from the predetermined area A in the internal space of the storage unit 110 to the external space of the storage unit 110 through another part of the opening 115. Fig.12 In FIG. 1 , the monitor module 160 before being pulled out is shown by a dotted line, the monitor module 160 after being pulled out is shown by a solid line, and the state where the monitor module 160 is pulled out is shown by a bold arrow. Fig.12 The monitor module 160 shown in the dashed line is Fig.11 The monitor module 160 is shown in solid lines. Fig.12In the operation shown, similarly to the comparative example, the bottom plate 161 is slid along the H direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601 to remove the monitor module 160 .

[0119] Fig.13 115 is a diagram for explaining a part of the installation operation of the monitor module 160 in this embodiment. When the removed monitor module 160 is maintained or replaced with another new monitor module 160, the monitor module 160 is pushed from the external space of the storage section 110 into the internal space of the storage section 110 through another part of the opening 115 in the opposite manner as described above. Fig.13 In FIG. 1 , the monitor module 160 before being pushed in is shown by a dotted line, the monitor module 160 after being pushed in is shown by a solid line, and the state of pushing in the monitor module 160 is shown by a bold arrow. Fig.13 The monitor module 160 shown in the dashed line is Fig.12 The monitor module 160 is shown in solid lines. Fig.13 The monitor module 160 shown in the solid line is Fig.12 The monitor module 160 is shown in dashed lines. Fig.13 In the operation shown, the bottom plate 161 is slid along the H direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601 to the predetermined area A, and abuts against the second guide member 750. Thus, the monitor module 160 is restricted from moving to the inner side of the second guide member 750, and the monitor module 160 is prevented from colliding with the back side of the storage section 110. In addition, when the bottom plate 161 abuts against the second guide member 750, the cover portion 751 of the second guide member 750 covers the abutting portion 161b of the bottom plate 161 that extends in the H direction relative to the housing 162. Thus, the second guide member 750 suppresses the monitor module 160 from turning over.

[0120] Fig.14 1 is another diagram for explaining the installation operation of the monitor module 160 in this embodiment. The bottom plate 161 is slid along the second guide member 750 in the Z direction, and the bottom plate 161 is guided from the specified area A to the first guide member 730 and the positioning member 710 arranged in the specified interval S by the second guide member 750. Fig.14 In FIG. 1 , the monitor module 160 before sliding is indicated by a dotted line, the monitor module 160 after sliding is indicated by a solid line, and the state of sliding the monitor module 160 is indicated by a bold arrow. Fig.14 The monitor module 160 shown in the dashed line is Fig.13 The monitor module 160 is shown in solid lines. Fig.14In the operation shown, the monitor module 160 is pushed upstream. When the monitor module 160 reaches the first guide member 730, the guide groove 855 slides along the first guide member 730. A wedge-shaped portion 855a is provided at the upstream end of the guide groove 855, so that the first guide member 730 is easily inserted into the guide groove 855. When the guide groove 855 slides along the first guide member 730, the bottom plate 161 is guided to the positioning member 710 by the first guide member 730. At this time, the bottom plate 161 also slides along the second guide member 750 in the Z direction and is also guided to the positioning member 710 by the second guide member 750.

[0121] When the bottom plate 161 slides to the positioning member 710, the curved surface 831a of the first spherical pin 831 abuts against the inner surface 711a of the V-groove of the V-groove abutting portion 711. Thus, the monitor module 160 is positioned in the H direction. In addition, the curved surface 833a of the second spherical pin 833 abuts against the bottom surface 713a of the concave portion of the plane abutting portion 713. Thus, the monitor module 160 is positioned in the Z direction and in the direction of rotation around the V direction.

[0122] The second spherical pin 833 is arranged at the same position as the first spherical pin 831 in the Z direction, and the plane contact portion 713 is arranged at the same position as the V-groove contact portion 711 in the Z direction. When the monitor module 160 slides toward the positioning member 710, the curved surface 833a of the second spherical pin 833 and the bottom surface 713a of the plane contact portion 713 and the curved surface 831a of the first spherical pin 831 and the inner surface 711a of the V-groove contact portion 711 simultaneously occur. In addition, when the monitor module 160 slides toward the positioning member 710 at an angle relative to the Z direction, one of the contact between the second spherical pin 833 and the plane contact portion 713 and the contact between the first spherical pin 831 and the V-groove contact portion 711 comes into contact earlier than the other. When the monitor module 160 is about to rotate in the V direction around the portion that came into contact earlier, the other comes into contact. For example, before the curved surface 833a contacts the bottom surface 713a, when the curved surface 831a contacts the inner surface 711a, the monitor module 160 rotates around the curved surface 831a in the V direction. Thus, while the curved surface 831a contacts the inner surface 711a, the curved surface 833a contacts the bottom surface 713a. Conversely, before the curved surface 831a contacts the inner surface 711a, when the curved surface 833a contacts the bottom surface 713a, the monitor module 160 rotates around the V direction with the curved surface 833a as the center. Thus, the curved surface 833a rolls around the V direction on the bottom surface 713a, and the curved surface 831a contacts the inner surface 711a.

[0123] Next, in a state where the curved surface 831a of the first spherical pin 831 abuts against the inner surface 711a of the V-groove of the V-groove abutting portion 711 at two points, the fixing member 951 that penetrates the through hole 851 on the near front side is screwed into the positioning member 710 by rotating around the long axis of the fixing member 951. At this time, the fixing member 951 is inserted into the positioning member 710 along the Z direction through the concave and convex of the spherical washer 955. When the head of the fixing member 951 abuts against the spherical washer 955 and the spherical washer 955 abuts against the bottom plate 161, the movement of the fixing member 951 in the Z direction stops. In this state, when the fixing member 951 is further rotated around the long axis of the fixing member 951, the bottom plate 161 is pushed toward the positioning member 710 by the screwing of the fixing member 951 and the positioning member 710. That is, the fixing member 951 pushes the bottom plate 161 into the positioning member 710. As a result, the curved surface 831 a of the first spherical pin 831 is pressed to contact the inner surface 711 a of the V-groove of the V-groove contact portion 711 at two points, and the monitor module 160 is fixed in the H direction.

[0124] In addition, in a state where the curved surface 833a of the second spherical pin 833 is in contact with the bottom surface 713a of the concave portion of the plane contact portion 713, the fixing member 951 that penetrates the through hole 851 on the inner side is screwed into the positioning member 710 by rotating around the long axis of the fixing member 951. Then, similarly to the first spherical pin 831, the curved surface 833a of the second spherical pin 833 is pressed against the bottom surface 713a of the concave portion of the plane contact portion 713, and the monitor module 160 is fixed in the Z direction and the direction around the V direction.

[0125] As described above, the monitor module 160 is positioned and fixed at a predetermined position in the internal space of the storage unit 110, and the opening 162a, the beam splitter 163, and the opening 162b are arranged on the optical path of the laser light from the output coupling mirror 147, thereby completing the installation of the monitor module 160. Finally, the cover 113a is attached to the opening 115.

[0126] 3.3 Effects

[0127] The guide 770 of this embodiment extends in the Z direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, and guides the monitor module 160 to the positioning member 710 in the Z direction. In addition, after the monitor module 160 slides on the optical plate 601 in the H direction orthogonal to the Z direction to the predetermined area A, it slides along the guide 770 in the Z direction toward the positioning member 710 separated from the predetermined area A in the Z direction. In addition, the monitor module 160 is fixed to the internal space of the storage portion 110 by screwing the fixing member 951 penetrating the through hole 851 and the positioning member 710.

[0128] In the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, after the monitor module 160 is slid along the H direction on the main surface of the optical plate 601 to the prescribed area A, the monitor module 160 is moved in the Z direction. During the movement in the Z direction, the monitor module 160 slides from the prescribed area A along the guide 770 toward the positioning member 710. Thus, the monitor module 160 can be easily moved in the Z direction, the monitor module 160 can be easily moved to a prescribed position where the field of view of the inner side of the newly installed module 631 is limited, and the monitor module 160 can be easily brought into contact with the positioning member 710. In addition, by screwing the fixing member 951 into the positioning member 710 with which the monitor module 160 is brought into contact, the monitor module 160 is fixed to the internal space of the storage section 110. According to this structure, compared with the case where the monitor module 160 is fixed to the optical plate 601 by the cutout 161a, the positioning pin 621, and the fixing bolt 623 as in the comparative example, since it is sufficient to screw the fixing member 951 and the positioning member 710 even if the field of view is limited, it is possible to reduce the labor and time of the fixing operation of the monitor module 160 in the internal space of the storage section 110. In addition, it is assumed that the through hole 851 penetrates the monitor module 160 in the H direction unlike the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, and the fixing member 951 penetrates the through hole 851 and screws with the positioning member 710 located on the inner side of the monitor module 160. In this case, the operator needs to insert his hand between the monitor module 160 and the newly installed module 631 to screw the fixing member 951 and the positioning member 710. Therefore, in the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, the labor and time required for fixing the monitor module 160 can be reduced compared to a case where the through hole 851 penetrates the monitor module 160 in the H direction and the fixing member 951 penetrates the through hole 851 and is screwed into the positioning member 710. As described above, according to the gas laser device 100, the monitor module 160 can be easily moved to a predetermined position of the storage unit 110, and the labor and time required for fixing the monitor module 160 can be reduced.

[0129] In the gas laser device 100 of this embodiment, the line formed by the intersection of the two surfaces of the inner surface 711a of the V-groove constituting the V-groove abutment portion 711 is perpendicular to the main surface of the optical plate 601 on which the monitor module 160 slides, and the vertex 711b of the V-groove is located in the VZ plane including the optical axis of the laser.

[0130] In the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, when the laser light from the cavity 131 travels toward the monitor module 160, the temperature of the monitor module 160 may rise due to the laser light and its scattered light in the internal space of the storage section 110. As a result, the monitor module 160 may be deformed due to thermal expansion. According to the above-mentioned structure, since the monitor module 160 is constrained with reference to the VZ plane including the optical axis of the laser light, even if the monitor module 160 is deformed due to heat, the opening 162a, the beam splitter 163, and the opening 162b can be suppressed from deviating from the optical axis. As a result, even if the monitor module 160 is deformed due to thermal expansion, the variation of the laser light output from the gas laser device 100 can be suppressed. In addition, the vertex 711b may not be located in the above-mentioned VZ plane.

[0131] In the gas laser device 100 of this embodiment, the fixing member 951 is screwed to the positioning member 710 at a position below the contact portion in the gravity direction of the V-groove contact portion 711 and the plane contact portion 713 .

[0132] According to this structure, when the fixing member 951 is screwed with the positioning member 710, a force in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front in the H direction is applied to the monitor module 160, with the contact portion located on the lower side in the gravity direction of the V-groove contact portion 711 and the plane contact portion 713 as the center. Due to the clockwise force, the farther the monitor module 160 is from the positioning member 710, the more it is pressed toward the optical plate 601. Therefore, compared with a case where no clockwise force acts on the monitor module 160, the position deviation of the monitor module 160 in the H direction can be suppressed. In addition, the first spherical pin 831 and the second spherical pin 833 are arranged above the fixing member 951. Therefore, the contact state between the first spherical pin 831 and the V-groove contact portion 711 can be easily visually confirmed from above the V-groove contact portion 711, and the contact state between the second spherical pin 833 and the plane contact portion 713 can be easily visually confirmed from above the plane contact portion 713. In addition, the fixing member 951 may not be screwed with the positioning member 710 at a position lower than the above-mentioned contact portion in the direction of gravity.

[0133] In the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, there are two through holes 851 , and the through holes 851 are arranged in parallel.

[0134] In this structure, the fixing members 951 pass through the through holes 851 respectively, so the two fixing members 951 are screwed with the positioning member 710. Therefore, compared with the case where there is only one through hole 851, the monitor module 160 is less likely to deviate in the internal space of the storage portion 110. In addition, the through holes 851 may not be two, and the through holes 85 may not be arranged in parallel.

[0135] Furthermore, in the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, the monitor module 160 includes the guide groove 855 that straddles the first guide member 730 .

[0136] According to this configuration, the monitor module 160 can be easily moved in the Z direction by straddling the guide groove 855 of the first guide member 730 , and movement of the monitor module 160 in directions other than the Z direction can be suppressed. In addition, the guide groove 855 may not be provided.

[0137] In the gas laser device 100 of this embodiment, a wedge-shaped portion 855a is provided at the end of the guide groove 855 on the side facing the first guide member 730, and the width of the wedge-shaped portion 855a in the H direction decreases toward the end on the opposite side.

[0138] According to this configuration, when the monitor module 160 moves toward the first guide member 730, the first guide member 730 can be easily inserted into the guide groove 855. In addition, the wedge-shaped portion 855a may not be provided.

[0139] Furthermore, the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment includes the second guide member 750, and the monitor module 160 abuts against the second guide member 750 in the H direction in the predetermined area A. Furthermore, after the monitor module 160 abuts against the second guide member 750 in the predetermined area A, the monitor module 160 slides along the second guide member 750 in the Z direction while abutting against the second guide member 750.

[0140] According to this structure, by making the monitor module 160 abut against the second guide member 750, it is possible to prevent the back surface of the storage section 110 from colliding with the monitor module 160. In addition, by making the monitor module 160 abut against the second guide member 750 and then sliding it along the second guide member 750, it is possible to easily move the monitor module 160 in the Z direction, and to easily make the monitor module 160 abut against the positioning member 710. In addition, the second guide member 750 may not be provided.

[0141] In the gas laser device 100 of the present embodiment, the second guide member 750 includes a cover portion 751 that covers the monitor module 160 in the V direction perpendicular to the optical plate 601 when the monitor module 160 is in contact with the second guide member 750 .

[0142] According to this structure, since the cover 751 covers the monitor module 160, the cover 751 can suppress the monitor module 160 from turning over. In the present embodiment, the cover 751 covers the contact portion 161b of the bottom plate 161, but it only needs to cover a certain part of the monitor module 160. In addition, the cover 751 may not be provided.

[0143] As described above, although the above-mentioned embodiment has been described as an example, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can be modified appropriately.

[0144] In this embodiment, the monitor module 160 is positioned on the positioning member 710 by the first spherical pin 831, the second spherical pin 833, the V-groove contact portion 711, and the plane contact portion 713. However, as long as the monitor module 160 can be positioned on the positioning member 710, the structure is not particularly limited.

[0145] The positioning member 710 of this embodiment is arranged upstream of the monitor module 160. In addition, when a portion of the opening 115 blocked by the newly installed module 631 is located downstream of another portion of the opening 115 not blocked by the newly installed module 631, the monitor module 160 is pushed from the external space of the storage section 110 through the other portion of the opening 115 into the internal space of the storage section 110. Then, the monitor module 160 is slid downstream and set at a predetermined position on the inner side of the newly installed module 631. In this case, the positioning member 710 can be arranged downstream of the monitor module 160. Furthermore, the fixing member 951 can be inserted into the through hole 851 from the incident area side.

[0146] Furthermore, when the through holes 851 are viewed from above, the through holes 851 do not necessarily need to be arranged in parallel with the guide grooves 855 interposed therebetween.

[0147] Although both the first guide member 730 and the second guide member 750 are provided, at least one of the first guide member 730 and the second guide member 750 only needs to be provided. The upstream end of the first guide member 730 contacts the positioning member 710, but it may be located downstream of the positioning member 710 and not contact the positioning member 710, and the first guide member 730 may not guide the monitor module 160 to the positioning member 710. When the storage section 110 is viewed from the opening 115, the upstream end of the second guide member 750 on the side of the positioning member 710 overlaps with the positioning member 710, and the second guide member 750 guides the monitor module 160 to the positioning member 710, but it is not necessary to be limited to this. The upstream end may also be located downstream of the positioning member 710, and the second guide member 750 may not guide the monitor module 160 to the positioning member 710. Alternatively, the upstream end may overlap the first guide member 730 and the second guide member 750 may guide the monitor module 160 only to the first guide member 730. Alternatively, the upstream end may be located downstream of the first guide member 730 and the second guide member 750 may not guide the monitor module 160 to the first guide member 730.

[0148] In the present embodiment, the second guide member 750 does not need to be disposed on the main surface of the optical plate 601 , and may be attached to the laser frame 111 on the rear surface of the storage portion 110 .

[0149] The above description is not limiting, but merely illustrative. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the claims. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in combination.

[0150] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the terms used in this specification and claims as a whole should be interpreted as "non-limiting" terms. For example, terms such as "including", "having", "having", and "having" should be interpreted as "not excluding the existence of structural elements other than the recorded structural elements". In addition, the modifier "one" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more". In addition, terms such as "at least one of A, B and C" should be interpreted as "A", "B", "C", "A+B", "A+C", "B+C" or "A+B+C", and further, should be interpreted as also including combinations of them and parts other than "A", "B", and "C".

Claims

1. A gas laser device, comprising: an optical plate received in the receiving portion; A monitor module, which includes an incident area for incident light and is capable of sliding on the optical plate; a positioning member, which is disposed on the optical plate and positions the monitor module at a predetermined position on the optical plate; as well as a guide extending in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light traveling toward the incident area, and guiding the monitor module toward the positioning member in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, The monitor module includes a through hole that penetrates the monitor module in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light and is arranged at a position deviated from the incident area. After the monitor module slides on the optical plate in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light to a specified area, it slides along the guide in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light toward the positioning component separated from the specified area in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, and the monitor module is fixed to the internal space of the storage portion by screwing a fixing component that penetrates the through hole and the positioning component.

2. The gas laser device according to claim 1, wherein: The monitor module comprises: a first spherical pin disposed on a surface of the monitor module facing the positioning member; and a second spherical pin disposed on the surface in a manner separated from the first spherical pin, The positioning component comprises: A V-groove contact portion, wherein the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the portion contacting the first spherical pin is V-shaped, and the portion contacting the first spherical pin at two locations; and The plane contact portion has a horizontal cross-sectional shape of a portion that contacts the second spherical pin and is a plane shape. The monitor module is fixed to the internal space of the housing portion by screwing the fixing member and the positioning member together in a state where the first spherical pin is in contact with the V-groove contact portion and the second spherical pin is in contact with the plane contact portion.

3. The gas laser device according to claim 2, wherein: A line formed by two intersecting surfaces of the inner surface of the V-groove constituting the V-groove contact portion is perpendicular to a main surface of the optical plate on which the monitor module slides, and a vertex of the V-groove is located on a surface including an optical axis of the light.

4. The gas laser device according to claim 2, wherein: The fixing member is screwed with the positioning member at a position on the lower side in the direction of gravity than the contact portion located on the lower side in the direction of gravity among the V-groove contact portion and the flat contact portion.

5. The gas laser device according to claim 2, wherein: The positioning member is disposed upstream of the monitor module in the traveling direction of the light.

6. The gas laser device according to claim 5, wherein: The monitor module includes an emission area, the light incident on the monitor module from the incident area is emitted from the emission area, and the emission area is provided at a position deviated from the through hole. The fixing member is inserted into the through hole from the emission region side.

7. The gas laser device according to claim 1, wherein: There are two through holes, and the through holes are arranged in parallel.

8. The gas laser device according to claim 1, wherein: The positioning member is disposed upstream of the monitor module in the traveling direction of the light.

9. The gas laser device according to claim 8, wherein: The monitor module includes an emission area, the light incident on the monitor module from the incident area is emitted from the emission area, and the emission area is provided at a position deviated from the through hole. The fixing member is inserted into the through hole from the emission region side.

10. The gas laser device according to claim 1, wherein: The guide includes a first guide member disposed in a region of the optical plate where the monitor module moves in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light. The monitor module includes a guide groove extending in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the light and straddling the first guide member.

11. The gas laser device according to claim 10, wherein: The first guide member guides the monitor module to the positioning member.

12. The gas laser device according to claim 10, wherein: A wedge-shaped portion is provided at an end portion of the guide groove on the side facing the first guide member, and a width of the wedge-shaped portion in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the light decreases toward an end portion on the opposite side to the end portion.

13. The gas laser device according to claim 10, wherein: There are two through holes. When the through holes are viewed in a plan view, the through holes are arranged in parallel with the guide groove interposed therebetween.

14. The gas laser device according to claim 10, wherein: The guide further includes a second guide member, and in the predetermined area, the monitor module abuts against the second guide member in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light. After the monitor module comes into contact with the second guide member in the predetermined region, the monitor module slides along the second guide member in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light while in contact with the second guide member.

15. The gas laser device according to claim 14, wherein: The second guide member guides the monitor module to the first guide member.

16. The gas laser device according to claim 14, wherein: The second guide member guides the monitor module to the positioning member.

17. The gas laser device according to claim 14, wherein: The second guide member includes a cover portion that covers the monitor module in a direction perpendicular to the optical plate when the monitor module is in contact with the second guide member.

18. The gas laser device according to claim 1, wherein: The guide includes a second guide member, and in the predetermined area, the monitor module abuts against the second guide member in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light. After the monitor module comes into contact with the second guide member in the predetermined region, the monitor module slides along the second guide member in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light while in contact with the second guide member.

19. The gas laser device according to claim 18, wherein: The second guide member guides the monitor module to the positioning member.

20. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the following steps: The laser is generated by a gas laser device. outputting the laser to an exposure device, exposing the laser on a photosensitive substrate in the exposure device to manufacture an electronic device, The gas laser device comprises: an optical plate received in the receiving portion; A monitor module, which includes an incident area for incident light and is capable of sliding on the optical plate; a positioning member, which is disposed on the optical plate and positions the monitor module at a predetermined position on the optical plate; as well as a guide extending in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light traveling toward the incident area, and guiding the monitor module toward the positioning member in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, The monitor module includes a through hole that penetrates the monitor module in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light and is arranged at a position deviated from the incident area. After the monitor module slides on the optical plate in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light to a specified area, it slides along the guide in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light toward the positioning component separated from the specified area in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light, and the monitor module is fixed to the internal space of the storage portion by screwing a fixing component that penetrates the through hole and the positioning component.

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