Gas laser device and exposure apparatus using the same

Abstract

A gas laser device includes a laser gas supplying device in a chamber for supplying a laser gas to an exciting region in the chamber, and an exciting device for exciting the laser gas supplied to the exciting region. The gas laser device controls the laser gas supplying device so that, when the laser gas is excited by the exciting device, the laser gas is circulated at a first circulating rate and so that, when the laser gas is not excited by the exciting device, the laser gas is circulated at a second circulating rate lower than the first circulating rate.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . A gas laser device, comprising: 
 laser gas supplying means in a chamber for supplying a laser gas to an exciting region in the chamber; and    exciting means for exciting the laser gas supplied to the exciting region,    wherein said gas laser device controls said laser gas supplying means so that, when the laser gas is excited by said exciting means, the laser gas is circulated at a first circulating rate and so that, when the laser gas is not excited by said exciting means, the laser gas is circulated at a second circulating rate lower than the first circulating rate.    
   
   
       22 . A gas laser device according to  claim 21 , wherein said laser gas supplying means includes a blower.  
   
   
       23 . A gas laser device according to  claim 22 , wherein said gas laser device controls a number of revolutions of said blower.  
   
   
       24 . A gas laser device according to  claim 21 , wherein said exciting means includes two discharging electrodes disposed to sandwich said exciting region therebetween.  
   
   
       25 . A gas laser device according to  claim 24 , wherein said exciting means further includes a resonator.  
   
   
       26 . A gas laser device according to  claim 25 , wherein said resonator comprises a pair of mirrors.  
   
   
       27 . A gas laser device according to  claim 26 , wherein said pair of mirrors includes a total reflection mirror.  
   
   
       28 . In an exposure apparatus having a main assembly for exposing a substrate to a laser light from a laser light source, the laser light source comprising: 
 a gas laser device including (i) laser gas supplying means in a chamber for supplying a laser gas to an exciting region in the chamber, and (ii) exciting means in the exciting region for exciting the laser gas supplied to the exciting region,    wherein said gas laser device controls said laser gas supplying means so that, when the laser gas is excited by said exciting means, the laser gas is circulated at a first circulating rate and so that, when the laser gas is not excited by said exciting means, the laser gas is circulated at a second circulating rate lower than the first circulating rate.    
   
   
       29 . An apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein said laser gas supplying means includes a blower.  
   
   
       30 . An apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein said control means controls a number of revolutions of said blower.  
   
   
       31 . An apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein said exciting means includes two discharging electrodes disposed to sandwich said exciting region therebetween.  
   
   
       32 . An apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein said exciting means further includes a resonator.  
   
   
       33 . An apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein said resonator comprises a pair of mirrors.  
   
   
       34 . An apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein said pair of mirrors includes a total reflection mirror.  
   
   
       35 . An exposure apparatus having an exposure job to be executed for exposure of a plurality of substrates, said apparatus comprising: 
 a laser light source including (i) a chamber for confining a laser gas therein, (ii) a discharging electrode for exciting the laser gas through electrical discharge so that laser light is outputted from said chamber, and (iii) circulating means for circulating the laser gas inside said chamber so that the laser gas passed through an electrical discharging region of said discharging electrode is circulated within said chamber and returns back to the electrical discharging region of said discharging electrode;    an exposure apparatus major assembly arranged to perform exposure by use of laser light from said laser light source; and    control means for controlling said circulating means,    wherein said exposure apparatus operates, after said laser light source is put into a warming-up state, into a sequence of a start of an exposure job, a finish of the exposure job and a start of a subsequent exposure job, and    wherein said control means is arranged to cause said circulating means to continue the laser gas circulating operating from a start to a finish of the exposure job and to stop said circulating means from a finish of an exposure job to a start of a subsequent exposure job.    
   
   
       36 . An apparatus according to  claim 35 , further comprising a blower, and detecting means for detecting the number of rotations of said blower, wherein the exposure job is interrupted when the number of blower rotations involves a disorder.  
   
   
       37 . A semiconductor manufacturing method, comprising: 
 a process of producing a semiconductor device upon a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus as recited in  claim 35 .    
   
   
       38 . An exposure apparatus having an exposure job to be executed for exposure of a plurality of substrates, said apparatus comprising: 
 a laser light source including (i) a chamber for confining a laser gas therein, (ii) a discharging electrode for exciting the laser gas through electrical discharge so that laser light is outputted from said chamber, and (iii) circulating means for circulating the laser gas inside said chamber so that the laser gas passed through an electrical discharging region of said discharging electrode is circulated within said chamber and returns back to the electrical discharging region of said discharging electrode;    an exposure apparatus major assembly arranged to perform exposure by use of laser light from said laser light source; and    control means for controlling said circulating means, wherein said control means is operable to continuously circulate the laser gas at a first speed with said circulating means from a start to a finish of an exposure job, and wherein said control means is operable to circulate the laser gas at a second speed, slower than the first speed, with said circulating means from the finish of the exposure job to a start of a subsequent exposure job.    
   
   
       39 . An apparatus according to  claim 38 , further comprising a blower, wherein the exposure job is interrupted in response to a disorder in the number of blower rotations.  
   
   
       40 . A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising the step of: 
 transferring a pattern, for manufacturing of a semiconductor device, onto a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus as recited in  claim 38.