Tatsuya Aota

Pure-tin microdroplets irradiated with double laser pulses for efficient and minimum-mass extreme-ultraviolet light source production

Laser-driven expansion of pure-tin microdroplets was demonstrated to produce an efficient and low-debris extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source. The pre-expansion is indispensable for resolving the considerable mismatch between the optimal laser spot diameter (∼300μm) and the diameter (∼20μm) of microdroplets containing the minimum-mass Sn fuel for generating the required EUV radiant energy (∼10mJ/pulse). Explosive expansion of microdroplets was attained by using a laser prepulse, whose intensity was at least 3×1011W∕cm2. The expanded microdroplet was irradiated with a CO2 laser pulse to generate EUV light. A combination of low density and long-scale length of the expanded microdroplet leads to a higher EUV energy conversion efficiency (4%) than that (2.5%) obtained from planar Sn targets irradiated by a single CO2 laser pulse. This scheme can be used to produce a practical EUV light source system.

Space‐resolving flat‐field vacuum ultraviolet spectrograph for plasma diagnostics

A spatial imaging vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrograph has been constructed for simultaneous observation of spatial and spectral distributions of plasma radiation in the wavelength range 150–1050 A. The spectrograph consists of an entrance slit of limited height which provides spatial resolution, an aberration‐corrected concave grating with varied spacing grooves which gives a flat‐field spectral output plane, and an image‐intensified two‐dimensional detector system. The basic characteristics of the spectrograph have been investigated by ray‐tracing calculations. The expected performance has been confirmed through experiments using a dc glow discharge source on the reciprocal dispersion, the spatial resolution, or the incident angle dependence of spectral images. VUV spectra with spatial and time resolution have been obtained successfully in the GAMMA10 tandem mirror experiment.

Behavior of neutral-hydrogen and particle confinement on GAMMA 10 tandem mirror plasmas

Abstract Behavior of neutral hydrogen in the central-cell of the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror is investigated by measuring spatial-profiles of Hα line-emission and neutral transport simulation. Hα-emission detectors are newly installed horizontally in the vacuum chamber and detailed profiles of the Hα emission are measured. It is found that hydrogen atoms introduced from the gas puffer at the mirror throat are localized around the gas puffer in the steady state phase of ICRF-heated plasmas. The DEGAS neutral transport code is applied to calculate axial density profiles of atomic and molecular hydrogen. In the DEGAS code, the mesh model is modified to take into account variations along the magnetic-field line. The simulation result fairly agrees with the above experimental result. In a standard ICRF-heated plasma, an experiment with modulated gas-puffing is performed. Characteristics of particle confinement in the main plasma are discussed by using the experimental and the simulation results.

Advanced laser-produced EUV light source for HVM with conversion efficiency of 5-7% and B-field mitigation of ions

We propose a new scheme for high conversion efficiency from laser energy to 13.5 nm extreme ultra violet emission within 2 % band width, a double pulse laser irradiation scheme with a tin droplet target. We consider two-color lasers, a Nd:YAG laser with 1.06 µm in wavelength as a prepulse and a carbon dioxide laser with 10.6 µm in wavelength for a main pulse. We show the possibility of obtaining a CE of 5 - 7 % using a benchmarked radiation hydro code. We have experimentally tested the new scheme and observed increase of CE greater than 4 %. We show many additional advantages of the new scheme, such as reduction of neutral debris, energy reduction of debris ions, and decrease of out of band emission. We also discuss debris problems, such as ion sputtering using newly developed MD simulations, ion mitigation by a newly designed magnetic coil using 3-PIC simulations and tin cleaning experiments.

Energy spectra and charge states of debris emitted from laser-produced minimum mass tin plasmas

Laser-produced Sn plasma is an efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, however the highest risk in the Sn-based EUV light source is contamination of the first EUV collection mirror caused by debris emitted from the Sn plasma. Minimum mass target is a key term associated with relaxation of the mirror contamination problem. For design of the optimum minimum mass Sn target, opacity effects on the EUV emission from the laser-produced Sn plasma should be considered. Optically thinner plasma produced by shorter laser pulse emits 13.5 nm light more efficiently; 2.0% of conversion efficiency was experimentally attained with drive laser of 2.2 ns in pulse duration, 1.0 × 1011 W/cm2 in intensity, and 1.064 μm in wavelength. Under the optimum laser conditions, the minimum mass required for sufficient EUV emission, which is also affected by the opacity, is equal to the product of the ablation thickness and the required laser spot size. Emission properties of ionized and neutral debris from laser-produced minimum mass Sn plasmas have been measured with particle diagnostics and spectroscopic method. The higher energy ions have higher charge states, and those are emitted from outer region of expanding plasmas. Feasibility of the minimum mass target has been demonstrated to reduce neutral particle generation for the first time. In the proof-of-principle experiments, EUV emission from a punch-out target is found to be comparable to that from a static target, and expansion energy of ion debris was drastically reduced with the use of the punch-out target.

Elemental analysis with a full-field X-ray fluorescence microscope and a CCD photon-counting system

The first result is presented of an X-ray fluorescence microscope with a Wolter mirror in combination with a CCD camera used as an energy-resolved two-dimensional detector in photon-counting mode. Two-dimensional elemental maps of metallic wires, such as Fe, Co, Ni and Cu, and inclusions of a synthesized diamond could be obtained with an energy resolution of 350 eV.

Mapping of a particular element using an absorption edge with an X-ray fluorescence imaging microscope

An X-ray fluorescence imaging microscope with a Wolter-type objective mirror (magnification: 13) has been constructed at beamline 39XU of SPring-8. Monochromatic X-rays (DeltaE/E approximately 10(-4)) in the energy range 6-10 keV were used for X-ray fluorescence excitation of the specimens. Using two monochromatic X-rays above and below the absorption edge of a particular element, a two-dimensional image of the element could be obtained. As a result, two-dimensional element mapping of the test specimens (Cu, Co, Ni, Fe and Ti wires) and constituent minerals (Fe, Mn and Ti) of a rock specimen (a piemontite-quartz schist) became possible.

Calibration of space-resolving VUV and soft X-ray spectrographs for plasma diagnostics

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-ray measurements are important means of diagnosing impurities in magnetically confined plasmas used in fusion research. Recently, space- and time-resolving flat-field VUV (150-1050 A) and soft X-ray (20-350 A) spectrographs have been constructed by using aberration-corrected concave gratings with varied-spacing grooves which give a wide simultaneous spectral coverage on a microchannel-plate intensified detector. Calibration experiments have been performed at beamlines 11A and 11C at the Photon Factory of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization. The relative efficiency of the VUV spectrograph has been measured for P-polarization geometry in the spectrograph. In the soft X-ray spectrograph, efficiencies have been obtained for several different points of irradiation on the grating along the groove direction and for two (S and P) polarization geometries.

X-ray scattering microscope with a Wolter mirror

Full-field x-ray scattering microscopic images were obtained with a Wolter mirror (×10 magnification). A synchrotron radiation white beam (4–20 keV) from a bending magnet beamline at the Photon Factory was used to obtain x-ray scattering images. The system was available for multi-kilo-electron-volt x-ray range (4–12 keV) with the Wolter mirror. The image was formed only with scattered x rays from the object, which is kind of a dark-field image. Very low absorptive materials could be imaged with this microscope. Sensitivity of the system was evaluated and also the detection limit was estimated.

Optimum laser-produced plasma for extreme ultraviolet light source

The optimum plasma conditions of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source for lithography were experimentally clarified that is optically thin and minimum mass Sn plasma generated from a limited size target. Sn plasma is quite opaque for EUV light of 13.5 nm in wavelength, therefore 13.5 nm light emitted from deep within a Sn plasma is strongly absorbed, thus optically thin plasma production is essential for efficient EUV generation. Contamination of EUV optics caused by debris emanated from laser irradiated Sn targets is a serious problem in the Sn based EUV source system. Target residue around the laser spot is the dominant source of neutral debris, which can be reduced with supplying the minimum mass target containing the minimum number of Sn atoms required for sufficient EUV generation. Spectral purity of generated EUV light is an important requirement to expose clear mask image on a photo-resist film without chromatism. Out-of-band radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet range is dominantly radiated from the laser spot peripheral. Target size must be equal to the laser spot size to suppress the out-of-band radiation.