A sensor degradation evaluation method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an evaluation step of evaluating degradation of at least one of a sensor for coarse measurement that receives interference fringes produced by a spectrometer for coarse measurement and a sensor for fine measurement that receives interference fringes produced by a spectrometer for fine measurement, and the evaluation step includes causing a plurality of kinds of laser light having wavelengths different from one another to be sequentially incident on the spectrometer for coarse measurement and the spectrometer for fine measurement and acquiring a coarse-measurement wavelength and a fine-measurement wavelength on a wavelength basis from a plurality of the received interference fringes, acquiring a degradation parameter on a wavelength basis from the coarse-measurement wavelength and the fine-measurement wavelength on a wavelength basis, and comparing the degradation parameter on a wavelength basis with a threshold.

A laser gas regenerating apparatus regenerates a discharged gas discharged from at least one ArF excimer laser apparatus and supplies the regenerated gas to the at least one ArF excimer laser apparatus connected to a first laser gas supply source that supplies a first laser gas and to a second laser gas supply source that supplies a second laser gas. The laser gas regenerating apparatus includes a data obtaining unit that obtains data on a supply amount of the second laser gas supplied to the at least one ArF excimer laser apparatus; a xenon adding unit that adds, to the regenerated gas, a third laser gas; and a control unit that controls, based on the supply amount, an addition amount of the third laser gas by the xenon adding unit.

Apparatus for and method of generating multiple laser beams using multiple laser chambers. The relative timing of the beams is controllable so they may, for example, be interleaved, may overlap, or be prevented from overlapping, or may occur in rapid sequence. The beams may have different spectral and power characteristics such as different wavelengths. Also disclosed is a system in which at least one of the multiple laser chambers is configured to generate radiation of two different wavelengths.

Apparatus for and method of generating multiple laser beams using multiple laser chambers. The relative timing of the beams is controllable so they may, for example, be interleaved, may overlap, or be prevented from overlapping, or may occur in rapid sequence. The beams may have different spectral and power characteristics such as different wavelengths. Also disclosed is a system in which at least one of the multiple laser chambers is configured to generate radiation of two different wavelengths.

A line narrowing module includes a prism including an entrance side surface that light enters, an exit side surface from which the light is emitted, and a bottom surface, and configured to wavelength-disperse the light having entered the entrance side surface and to emit the light from the exit side surface; a holder portion having a stationary surface on which the bottom surface of the prism is secured; a rotary mechanism portion including a rotary stage on which the holder portion is secured, the rotary stage being configured to rotate the prism around an axis perpendicular to a dispersion plane of the light emitted from the prism; a drive unit configured to rotate the rotary stage; and a grating configured to reflect the light emitted from the prism, centroids of the prism, the holder portion, and the rotary stage being located on the axis.

A control system for controlling a laser, comprising a sensor for sensing a physical value indicative of a characteristic of a laser beam emitted by the laser, a switch, a first controller and a second controller. Each controller is configured, to receive a further sensor value from the sensor, adjust a received setpoint value based on the received further sensor value to give an output value and cause the laser to operate in accordance with the output value. The switch is configured to switch between the controllers such that output values are provided from each controller in a cyclic fashion.

An excimer laser system includes first and second gas cylinders connected to a laser chamber for selectively supplying the laser chamber with gases that are needed to generate and emit laser pulsations having a certain energy level from the laser chamber. At least one of the first and second gas cylinders includes a halogen gas. The halogen gas is consumed during the operation of the excimer laser system. A computer system, included within the excimer laser system, is used to determine whether to resupply the laser chamber with halogen gas from the first and/or second cylinders, or to entirely flush out the gas contents of the laser chamber, and to resupply the flushed gas chamber with gas sourced from the first and/or second cylinders.

An excimer laser system includes first and second gas cylinders connected to a laser chamber for selectively supplying the laser chamber with gases that are needed to generate and emit laser pulsations having a certain energy level from the laser chamber. At least one of the first and second gas cylinders includes a halogen gas. The halogen gas is consumed during the operation of the excimer laser system. A computer system, included within the excimer laser system, is used to determine whether to resupply the laser chamber with halogen gas from the first and/or second cylinders, or to entirely flush out the gas contents of the laser chamber, and to resupply the flushed gas chamber with gas sourced from the first and/or second cylinders.

A control device that can apply a laser oscillator control device to various types of systems. The control device includes an analog signal input unit configured to receive an output control signal for controlling a laser output of the laser oscillator or a mode control signal for controlling an operation mode of the laser oscillator as an analog signal; a digital signal input unit configured to receive the output control signal or the mode control signal as a digital signal; and a controller configured to transmit a laser command for controlling the laser output to the laser oscillator in response to the output control signal received by the analog signal input unit or the digital signal input unit, and transmit an operation command for operating the laser oscillator to the laser oscillator in the operation mode in response to the mode control signal received by the analog signal input unit or the digital signal input unit.

A control device that can apply a laser oscillator control device to various types of systems. The control device includes an analog signal input unit configured to receive an output control signal for controlling a laser output of the laser oscillator or a mode control signal for controlling an operation mode of the laser oscillator as an analog signal; a digital signal input unit configured to receive the output control signal or the mode control signal as a digital signal; and a controller configured to transmit a laser command for controlling the laser output to the laser oscillator in response to the output control signal received by the analog signal input unit or the digital signal input unit, and transmit an operation command for operating the laser oscillator to the laser oscillator in the operation mode in response to the mode control signal received by the analog signal input unit or the digital signal input unit.