OPTICAL MEMBER, CHAMBER, AND LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE

Abstract

An optical member is provided with a substrate and a Cu-proof protective layer formed on or above the substrate.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to an optical member including a protective film against copper (Cu), a chamber including the optical member, and a light source device including the chamber.

Excimer lasers that generate pulses with light radiated from excimers formed from halogen atoms and excited noble gas atoms are widely used in the semiconductor manufacturing field, medical field, and the like. In the excimer lasers, XeCl excimer lasers that use xenon (Xe) as a noble gas and chlorine (Cl) as a halogen are used as light sources of excimer laser annealing devices and the like (JP 2004-39660 A).

A XeCl excimer laser light source device mainly includes a chamber including a light transmitting window, and electrodes disposed in the chamber. A gas mixture containing xenon (Xe), hydrogen chloride (HCl), and the like is sealed in the chamber. When the XeCl excimer laser light source device operates, a large voltage difference is applied between the electrodes. This operation allows Xe atoms and excited Cl atoms to form excimers, and light radiated from the excimers is emitted outside through the light transmitting window of the chamber.

The electrodes in the chamber of the excimer laser light source device are made from W and/or Cu. It is reported that these materials are partially scattered by electrical discharge and thus cause fogging of the light transmitting window (Applied Physics B63, PP229-235 (1996)).

SUMMARY

A first aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical member including: a substrate; and a Cu-proof protective layer formed on or above the substrate.

A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical member including: a substrate; and a transmitting film including: a low refractive index layer having a refractive index lower than that of the substrate; and a surface layer composed of any one of Al₂O₃, Ta₂O₅, MgO, and HfO₂ or a mixture of any two or more of Al₂O₃, Ta₂O₅, MgO, and HfO₂.

A third aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical member including: a substrate; and a multilayer film including a plurality of layers having mutually different refractive indices. The multilayer film includes a surface layer being a Cu-proof protective layer. The Cu-proof protective layer has a Cu diffusion coefficient at 200° C. that is 1/10 or less of a Cu diffusion coefficient of SiO₂ at 200° C.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides an optical member including: a substrate; and a multilayer film including a plurality of layers having mutually different refractive indices. The multilayer film includes a surface layer being a Cu-proof protective layer. The Cu-proof protective layer has a Cu diffusion coefficient at 200° C. that is smaller than 1×10⁻¹⁷ cm²/s. The optical member transmits 90% or greater of vertically incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

A fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a chamber in which chlorine gas is sealed, the chamber including: a light transmitting window formed in the chamber. The light transmitting window is made of the optical member of any one of the first to fourth aspects.

A sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides a light source device including: the chamber of the fifth aspect; and an electrode disposed in the chamber and containing Cu.

A seventh aspect of the present disclosure provides a light transmitting window for an excimer laser light source device, the light transmitting window being made of the optical member of any one of the first to fourth aspects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an optical member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a light source device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a table showing configurations, transmittance, and the like of optical members of Examples 1 to 6 of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a table showing configurations, transmittance, and the like of optical members of Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a general configuration of a test device for testing Cu resistance of an optical member.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the amount of Cu diffused in optical members.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing change in reflectance with respect to the wavelength of incident light, of each of the optical members of Examples 4 and 7 and the optical member of Comparative Example 1.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing change in transmittance with respect to the wavelength of incident light, of each of the optical members of Examples 4 and 7 and the optical member of Comparative Example 1.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the role of a surface layer having a film thickness d satisfying the condition nd=λ/2 with respect to incident light having a wavelength λ.

EMBODIMENTS

In the present embodiment, a Cu-proof protective layer is provided as a surface layer (outermost layer or upper most layer) of an optical member. In the present specification, “Cu-proof protective layer” refers to a layer formed from a material that is difficult for Cu to enter. A material that is difficult for Cu to enter specifically refers to a material having a structure that is difficult for a univalent cation, such as Na⁺, to enter. It tends to be difficult for Cu to enter a material having such a structure. One example of such a material that is difficult for Cu to enter is a material having a Cu diffusion coefficient (diffusion rate) at 200° C. smaller than those of other materials (such as SiO₂). A layer formed from such a material functions as a Cu-proof protective layer. The diffusion coefficient (diffusion rate) can be measured with a generally used measuring method, for example, a dipping method. Examples of specific materials that have been found by the inventor of the present disclosure to be excellent for forming a Cu-proof protective layer include the aforementioned HfO₂, Al₂O₃, Ta₂O₅, and MgO.

A low refractive index layer having a refractive index lower than that of a substrate may be provided between the substrate and the Cu-proof protective layer. The low refractive index layer increases a difference in the refractive index between the layers, resulting in improvement in anti-reflection effect. Furthermore, by providing a high refractive index layer having a refractive index higher than that of the substrate between the substrate and the low refractive index layer, anti-reflection effect can be further improved.

Embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Herein, an example in which a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer are provided between a substrate and a Cu-proof protective layer is described. As illustrated in FIG. 1, an optical member 100 of the present embodiment includes a substrate 10 and a protective film 20 formed on the substrate 10. The protective film 20 includes a high refractive index layer 21 formed on the substrate 10, a low refractive index layer 22 formed on the high refractive index layer 21, and a Cu-proof protective layer 23 formed on the low refractive index layer 22, in this order from a side closer to the substrate 10.

Substrate

The substrate 10 can be formed from a desired light transmissive material. Examples of the light transmissive material include sapphire (aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃), magnesium fluoride (MgF₂), calcium fluoride (CaF₂), amorphous silica (amorphous SiO₂), and crystalline silica (crystal).

High Refractive Index Layer

The high refractive index layer 21 of the protective film 20 has a refractive index higher than that of the substrate 10, and is formed between the substrate 10 and the low refractive index layer 22, described hereinafter, in order to allow a greater amount of incident light transmitted through the low refractive index layer 22 to enter the substrate 10.

In a case where the substrate 10 is formed from sapphire (having a refractive index of 1.811 (λ=308 nm)), for example, the high refractive index layer 21 can be formed from an oxide, such as HfO₂ (having a refractive index of 2.053 (λ=308 nm)), Ta₂O₅ (having a refractive index of 2.277 (λ=308 nm)), and MgO (having a refractive index of 1.791 (λ=308 nm)).

The high refractive index layer 21 can be formed with a sputtering method or the like. The high refractive index layer 21 preferably has a film thickness d₂₁ of approximately 30 to 60 nm, and more preferably approximately 30 nm to 50 nm. Even more preferably, the film thickness d₂₁ of the high refractive index layer 21 satisfies the condition n₂₁d₂₁=λ/4, where n₂₁ is a refractive index of the material forming the high refractive index layer 21 and λ is a wavelength of light entering the optical member 100. By setting such a thickness, light reflected off the surface of the high refractive index layer 21 and light transmitted through the high refractive index layer 21 and reflected off the surface of the substrate 10 cancel out each other by interference, so that ideal anti-reflection effect is yielded. Note that the high refractive index layer 21 may be omitted.

Low Refractive Index Layer

The low refractive index layer 22 of the protective film 20 has a refractive index lower than that of the substrate 10, and is formed between the Cu-proof protective layer 23, described hereinafter, and the high refractive index layer 21, in order to allow a greater amount of incident light transmitted through the Cu-proof protective layer 23 to enter the substrate 10.

In a case where the substrate 10 is formed from sapphire (having a refractive index of 1.811 (λ=308 nm)), for example, the low refractive index layer 22 can be formed from SiO₂ (having a refractive index of 1.486 (λ=308 nm)), MgF₂ (having a refractive index of 1.399 (λ=308 nm)), CaF₂ (having a refractive index of 1.452 (λ=308 nm)), or the like.

The low refractive index layer 22 can be formed with a sputtering method or the like. The low refractive index layer 22 preferably has a film thickness d₂₂ of approximately 30 to 60 nm, and more preferably approximately 50 nm to 60 nm. Even more preferably, the film thickness d₂₂ of the low refractive index layer 22 satisfies the condition n₂₂d₂₂=λ/4, where n₂₂ is a refractive index of the material forming the low refractive index layer 22 and λ is a wavelength of light entering the optical member 100. By setting such a thickness, light reflected off the surface of the low refractive index layer 22 and light transmitted through the low refractive index layer 22 and reflected off the surface of the high refractive index layer 21 cancel out each other by interference, so that ideal anti-reflection effect is yielded.

Cu-Proof Protective Layer

The Cu-proof protective layer 23 is formed as a surface layer of the protective film 20 to protect the optical member 100 against copper (Cu) flying toward the optical member 100. The Cu-proof protective layer 23 can be formed from, for example, HfO₂, Al₂O₃, Ta₂O₅, MgO, or a mixture thereof.

The Cu-proof protective layer 23 can be formed with a sputtering method or the like. The Cu-proof protective layer 23 preferably has a film thickness d₂₃ of approximately 60 to 120 nm, and more preferably approximately 60 nm to 90 nm. Even more preferably, the film thickness d₂₃ of the Cu-proof protective layer 23 satisfies the condition n₂₃d₂₃=λ/2 as described below, where n₂₃ is a refractive index of the material forming the protective layer 23 and λ is a wavelength of light entering the optical member 100.

Next, a case of using the optical member 100 of the present embodiment for a XeCl excimer laser light source device 500 will be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the XeCl excimer laser light source device 500 mainly includes a chamber 50 and a pair of electrodes 51 disposed in the chamber 50. In the XeCl excimer laser light source device 500 having this configuration, the optical member 100 of the present embodiment can be used as a light transmitting window for allowing excimer laser light generated between the electrodes 51 to go outside the chamber 50.

Specifically, the optical member 100 is attached to a portion of the chamber 50 with the protective film 20 facing the interior of the chamber 50, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Sapphire, MgF₂, CaF₂, amorphous silica, and crystal listed above as examples of the material of the substrate 10, HfO₂ and the like listed as examples of the materials of the high refractive index layer 21 and the Cu-proof protective layer 23, and SiO₂ and the like listed above as examples of the material of the low refractive index layer 22 all ideally transmit XeCl excimer laser light having an emission wavelength (oscillation wavelength) of 308 nm. It is thus preferable to use these materials even when the optical member 100 is used as the light transmitting window of the excimer laser light source device 500.

The excimer laser light source device 500 including the optical member 100 of the present embodiment can be used as light sources for various uses, such as a laser annealing device, laser ablation, a laser knife, and an exposure device.

A gas mixture containing Xe, HCl, and the like is sealed in the chamber 50. When the XeCl excimer laser light source device 500 operates, a large voltage difference is applied between the electrodes 51. This operation allows Xe atoms and excited Cl atoms to form excimers, and the excimers radiate laser light having a wavelength of 308 nm. The laser light generated in the chamber is transmitted through the optical member 100 and goes outside the chamber 50.

The electrodes 51 of the XeCl excimer laser light source device 500 typically contain copper (Cu). When a large voltage difference is applied between the electrodes 51 to generate excimer laser light, Cu contained in the electrodes 51 is scattered around. The inventor of the present disclosure examined fogging of the light transmitting window of the chamber and found that some fogging was not removed even by wiping. It was found by this finding that Cu was not only attached to the surface but also entered inside from the surface.

Here, in the XeCl excimer laser light source device 500 including the optical member 100 of the present embodiment as the light transmitting window, the protective film 20 including the Cu-proof protective layer 23 as the surface layer is formed on the surface, facing the interior of the chamber 50, of the optical member 100. This configuration prevents the light transmitting window (optical member 100) from being contaminated because of entering of Cu, in the XeCl excimer laser light source device 500.

In this way, the protective film 20 of the optical member 100 is used in such a severe environment that the protective film 20 is exposed to the gas mixture containing HCl and the like and laser light. Thus, the Cu-proof protective layer being the surface layer of the protective film 20 desirably has high chemical stability and a solubility of 10 ppm or less in pure water at 20° C.

EXAMPLES

The optical member 100 will be described below using Examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these Examples. Note that a sputtering method is used for film formation in all of Examples and Comparative Examples below.

Example 1

A disk made from sapphire and having a diameter of 60 mm and a thickness of 5 mm was used as a substrate. The c-plane of the sapphire was parallel to the circular plane having a diameter of 60 mm. The substrate had an internal transmittance of 99.9% or greater for light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

A SiO₂ layer having a film thickness d of 0.052 μm was formed on the sapphire substrate, as a low refractive index layer. This film thickness d substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/4, where n=1.486 and λ=308 nm. Then, a HfO₂ layer having a film thickness d of 0.038 μm was formed on the SiO₂ layer, as a Cu-proof protective layer. This film thickness d substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/4, where n=2.053 and λ=308 nm.

The transmittance of the optical member of Example 1 for light having a wavelength 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 76.8%.

Example 2

An optical member of Example 2 had the same configuration as that of the optical member of Example 1, except for a HfO₂ layer formed as a Cu-proof protective layer, that had a thickness of 0.075 μm. The film thickness d of the HfO₂ layer being the Cu-proof protective layer substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/2, where n=2.053 and λ=308 nm.

The transmittance of the optical member of Example 2 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 96.2%.

Example 3

An optical member of Example 3 had the same configuration as that of the optical member of Example 1, except for a HfO₂ layer provided as a high refractive index layer between the substrate and the low refractive index layer.

The HfO₂ layer having a film thickness d of 0.038 μm was formed as the high refractive index layer on the substrate. This film thickness d substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/4, where n=2.053 and λ=308 nm. On this HfO₂ layer, the SiO₂ layer being the low refractive index layer and the HfO₂ layer being the Cu-proof protective layer were formed. Note that both the surface layer and the layer formed between the substrate and the low refractive index layer were HfO₂ layers in Example 3, and the HfO₂ layer being the surface layer is referred to as Cu-proof protective layer and the HfO₂ layer formed between the substrate and the low refractive index layer is referred to as high refractive index layer. This also applies to Examples 4 to 6, described hereinafter.

The transmittance of the optical member of Example 3 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 64.4%.

Example 4

An optical member of Example 4 had the same configuration as that of the optical member of Example 3, except for a HfO₂ layer formed as a Cu-proof protective layer, that had a thickness of 0.075 μm. The film thickness d of the HfO₂ layer being the Cu-proof protective layer substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/2, where n=2.053 and λ=308 nm.

The transmittance of the optical member of Example 4 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 99.9%.

Example 5

An optical member of Example 5 had the same configuration as that of the optical member of Example 3, except for a SiO₂ layer formed as a low refractive index layer, that had a thickness of 0.104 μm. The film thickness d of the SiO₂ layer formed as the low refractive index layer substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/2, where n=1.486 and λ=308 nm.

The transmittance of the optical member of Example 5 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 88.0%.

Example 6

An optical member of Example 6 had the same configuration as that of the optical member of Example 3, except for a HfO₂ layer formed as a high refractive index layer, that had a thickness of 0.075 μm. The film thickness d of the HfO₂ layer formed as the high refractive index layer substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/2, where n=2.053 and λ=308 nm.

The transmittance of the optical member of Example 6 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 64.4%.

The table in FIG. 3 shows the summary of the optical members of Examples 1 to 6, with respect to the configurations thereof, the refractive indices and film thicknesses of the layers of the protective films, the refractive indices of the substrates, and the transmittance of the optical members.

Comparative Example 1

An optical member of Comparative Example 1 was prepared by forming the HfO₂ layer and the SiO₂ layer on the substrate in the same manner as those of Examples 3 and 4, except that no HfO₂ layer was provided as a Cu-proof protective layer. The transmittance of the optical member of Comparative Example 1 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 99.9%.

Comparative Example 2

An optical member of Comparative Example 2 was prepared by laminating a SiO₂ layer, a HfO₂ layer, and a SiO₂ layer in this order from the substrate side, which was opposite to the optical members of Examples 3 to 6 prepared by laminating the HfO₂ layer, the SiO₂ layer, and the HfO₂ layer in this order from the substrate side. The SiO₂ layers each had a thickness of 0.052 μm, and the HfO₂ layer had a thickness of 0.038 μm.

The transmittance of the optical member of Comparative Example 2 for light having a wavelength of 308 nm was calculated through simulation to be 98.4%.

The table in FIG. 4 shows the summary of the optical members of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, with respect to the configurations thereof, the refractive indices and film thicknesses of the layers of the films, the refractive indices of the substrates, and the transmittance of the optical members.

Cu Attachment Test

The following Cu attachment test for the optical members of Examples 1 to 6 and the optical members of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 was conducted to check resistance to Cu particles flying from the electrodes 51 and the like. Note that the resistance of the optical members of Examples 1 to 6 to flying Cu particles is mainly equal to resistance of the HfO₂ layers being the surface layers (Cu-proof protective layers) to Cu particles. Thus, in the following Cu attachment test, a sample S1 in which a HfO₂ film having a film thickness d of 0.075 μm was formed on the surface of a SiO₂ substrate was used as a typified optical member of the optical members of Examples 1 to 6. For the same reason, a sample S2 in which a SiO₂ film having a film thickness d of 0.052 μm was formed on the surface of a SiO₂ substrate was used as a typified optical member of the optical members of Comparative Examples 1 and 2. The Cu attachment test was also conducted for a SiO₂ substrate with no film formed on its surface (sample S3).

As illustrated in FIG. 5, a test device 700 used in the Cu attachment test includes a quartz chamber 70 provided with a light transmitting window 74, a condensing lens 71 disposed in the chamber 70 and concentrating light entering from the light transmitting window 74, and a copper plate 72 disposed in the chamber 70 and arranged in the focal position of the condensing lens 71 while facing the condensing lens 71. The chamber 70 includes an opening 75 for creating a vacuum in the chamber 70.

The Cu attachment test was conducted using the following procedure. First, the sample S1 was placed between the condensing lens 71 and the copper plate 72 as illustrated in FIG. 5. At this time, the sample S1 was placed substantially parallel to the condensing lens 71 and the copper plate 72, and the HfO₂ film faced the copper plate 72. The distance between the sample S1 and the copper plate 72 was approximately 6 cm.

Next, air in the chamber 70 was discharged through the opening 75 of the chamber 70 to create a vacuum of approximately 1 Pa in the chamber 70. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 5, XeCl excimer laser light EL having a repetition frequency of 100 Hz and a radiation power of 100 mJ was radiated through the light transmitting window 74. The XeCl excimer laser light EL transmitted through the condensing lens 71 and the sample S1 was then concentrated on the copper plate 72, and Cu particles removed (emitted) from the copper plate 72, on a principle similar to that of a laser ablation method, flew to the HfO₂ film of the sample S1. The XeCl excimer laser light EL was radiated for 600 seconds.

Concerning the radiated XeCl excimer laser light EL, the beam size at the sample S1 was 2 cm×0.5 cm, the radiation fluence at the sample S1 was 100 mJ/cm², the beam size at the copper plate 72 was approximately 2 mm×1 mm, and the radiation fluence at the copper plate 72 was 5 J/cm².

After the radiation, the sample S1 was taken out of the test device 700, and powder attached to its surface was wiped out. The same steps were taken to radiate XeCl excimer laser light EL toward the sample S2 and the sample S3.

After the radiation, (1) visual inspection of a condition of the surface, (2) measurement of a difference in transmittance (transmittance before the radiation−transmittance after the radiation), and (3) time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis (TOF-SIMS analysis) were performed for each of the samples S1, S2, and S3.

(1) Visual Inspection

Before visual inspection, dirt was wiped out with a wiping cloth with ethanol applied thereto. Then, inspection was performed. No Cu particles entering the sample S1 were observed. The sample S2 was observed to have white fogging. Cu particles attached to the sample S2 chemically reacted with the SiO₂ film and could not be wiped out. The sample S3 was also observed to have white fogging. Cu particles attached to the sample S3 chemically reacted with the SiO₂ substrate and could not be wiped out.

(2) Difference in Transmittance

Table 1 below shows a difference in transmittance calculated for each of the sample S1, the sample S2, and the sample S3. The transmittance of the sample S1 changed little between before and after the radiation of the XeCl excimer laser light EL. In contrast, the transmittance of the samples S2, S3 after the radiation of the XeCl excimer laser light EL deteriorated by approximately 4% in comparison with before the radiation. It is considered that this was caused by a chemical reaction between Cu particles and the SiO₂ film or the SiO₂ substrate as described above.

TABLE 1
Sample Difference in transmittance
S1     0.1
S2     3.5
S3     4.4

(3) TOF-SIMS

TOF-SIMS analysis was performed for each of the samples S1 to S3 to check intensity of Cu entering the sample. FIG. 6 is a graph of the analysis results. The horizontal axis indicates depth (nm) from a sample surface, and the vertical axis indicates Cu intensity (corresponding to the amount of Cu) in an arbitrary unit. In FIG. 6, the solid line indicates the analysis result of the sample S1, the dotted line indicates the analysis result of the sample S2, and the dashed-dotted line indicates the analysis result of the sample S3.

In FIG. 6, a greater tilt to the lower right of the graph indicates that Cu particles are more difficult to enter. It is understood from the results that HfO₂ was more difficult to react with Cu than SiO₂ was, and that Cu particles were thus prevented from entering the HfO₂ film of the sample S1.

As shown in FIG. 6, as the depth (nm) from the sample surface becomes greater, Cu intensity of HfO₂ decreases more significantly than that of SiO₂. A material, such as HfO₂, that is more difficult for Cu to enter than SiO₂ is, that is, a material having a Cu diffusion coefficient smaller than that of SiO₂ is suitable for forming the “Cu-proof protective layer” of the present disclosure, and a material having a Cu diffusion coefficient at 200° C. that is 1/10 or less of that of SiO₂ at 200° C. is more suitable for forming the “Cu-proof protective layer” of the present disclosure. The temperature of the optical member 100 of the present embodiment used as a window member of the light source device 500 of the present embodiment, during the use of light source device 500, is approximately 200° C.

Note that as described in Jpn. J, Appl. Phys. Vol. 38 (1999) pp. 5792-5795, the Cu diffusion coefficient D of SiO₂ can be obtained by Equation (1) below:

$\begin{array}{cc}D=D_0e^{-\frac{E_a}{\mathrm{kT}}}& \mathrm{Equation}1\end{array}$

where D₀ is a pre-exponential factor, Ea is activation energy of diffusion, k is the Boltzmann constant, and T is a temperature. According to Equation (1), the Cu diffusion coefficient D of SiO₂ at 200° C. is 1.03×10⁻¹⁶ cm²/s. Thus, for example, the Cu diffusion coefficient of a material suitable for forming the Cu-proof protective layer, at 200° C., is desirably smaller than 1×10⁻¹⁷ cm²/s.

It is understood from the aforementioned test that the optical members of Examples 1 to 6 including a HfO₂ layer as the Cu-proof protective layer being the surface layer are more difficult to react with Cu particles and have higher Cu resistance than the optical members of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 including a SiO₂ layer being the surface layer.

Wavelength Dependence of Transmittance and Reflectance

Next, the spectral reflectance and spectral transmittance of the optical member of Example 4 and the optical member of Comparative Example 1 were measured. FIG. 7 shows change in reflectance with respect to the wavelength of incident light, and FIG. 8 shows change in transmittance with respect to the wavelength of incident light. Reflectance was measured with a micro-spectrophotometer USPM-RUIII or N&k Analyzer 1280 (n&k Technology), and transmittance was measured with CARY-5000. In each of FIGS. 7 and 8, the solid line indicates a graph of the optical member of Example 4, and the dotted line indicates a graph of the optical member of Comparative Example 1.

With reference to FIG. 7, the optical member of Example 4 had the lowest reflectance of approximately 0.7% at a wavelength of around 308 nm. The reflectance was 1% or less in a wavelength region of approximately 296 to 310 nm. This indicates that the protective film of the optical member of Example 4 offers sufficiently high performance as an anti-reflection film in addition to a protective film, against incident light having a wavelength of approximately 308 nm. Note that the optical member of Comparative Example 1 had a reflectance of 1% or less in a wider wavelength region of approximately 280 nm to approximately 350 nm.

With reference to FIG. 8, the optical member of Example 4 had the highest transmittance of 99% or greater at a wavelength of around 308 nm. The transmittance was 90% or greater in a wavelength region of approximately 280 nm to 330 nm. This indicates that the protective film of the optical member of Example 4 offers sufficiently high performance as an anti-reflection film in addition to a protective film, against incident light having a wavelength of approximately 308 nm. Note that the optical member of Comparative Example 1 had a transmittance of 90% or greater in a wider wavelength region of approximately 250 nm to 400 nm or greater.

In this way, although it is shown within a relatively small wavelength region, the optical member of Example 4 has ideal anti-reflection characteristics similar to the optical member of Comparative Example 1. The above-described results of the Cu attachment test clearly demonstrate that when the optical member of Comparative Example 1 is used in such an environment that Cu particles may fly to the optical member, the transmittance of the optical member decreases significantly because of a reaction with Cu particles. Thus, when the optical member of Comparative Example 1 is used as a light transmitting window of a chamber of a XeCl excimer laser light source device, for example, the window needs to be replaced frequently. In contrast, the optical member of Example 4 has ideal anti-reflection characteristics and is difficult to decrease its transmittance even in a case where Cu flies to the optical member, and can thus be used as a long-life window member of a chamber of a XeCl excimer laser light source device.

Note that FIGS. 7 and 8 also show reflectance and transmittance of an optical member of Example 7. The optical member of Example 7 had the same configuration as that of the optical member of Example 4, except for a Cu-proof protective layer formed from Ta₂O₅ instead of HfO₂. The film thickness d of the Cu-proof protective layer formed from Ta₂O₅ was 0.068 μm and substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/2, where n=2.277 and λ=308 nm.

The optical member of Example 7 had the lowest reflectance of approximately 0.2% at a wavelength of around 308 nm and a reflectance of 1% or less in a wavelength region of approximately 296 to 312 nm. This optical member had the highest transmittance of 99% or greater at a wavelength of around 308 nm and a transmittance of 90% or greater in a wavelength region of approximately 290 nm to 320 nm. This indicates that the protective film of the optical member of Example 7 offers sufficiently high performance as an anti-reflection film in addition to a protective film, against incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

Like the above-described optical members of Examples 4 and 7, when the film thickness d of a Cu-proof protective layer of an optical member substantially satisfied the condition nd=λ/2 where the wavelength λ=308 nm, the optical member exhibited ideal anti-reflection characteristics against light having a wavelength of 308 nm. The reason can be considered as described below.

When a single-layer film having a refractive index n₁ and a film thickness d₁ is provided on a substrate having a refractive index n_s as illustrated in FIG. 9A, the reflectance of the single-layer film for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ is represented by Equation (2) below:

$\begin{array}{cc}R=\frac{{\left(A-n_SD\right)}^2+{\left(n_SB-C\right)}^2}{{\left(A+n_SD\right)}^2+{\left(n_SB+C\right)}^2}& \mathrm{Equation}2\end{array}$

Here, each of A, B, C, and D in Equation (2) can be obtained by obtaining δ with Equation (3) below, by applying nd=n₁d₁ to Equation (3), and then inserting the obtained value δ into Equation (4) (characteristics matrix) below:

$\begin{array}{cc}\delta =\frac{2\pi }{\lambda }\mathrm{nd}& \mathrm{Equation}3\\ \left[\begin{array}{cc}A& \mathrm{iB}\\ \mathrm{iC}& D\end{array}\right]=\left[\begin{array}{cc}\cos \delta & \frac{i}{n}\sin \delta \\ \mathrm{in}\sin \delta & \cos \delta \end{array}\right]=M& \mathrm{Equation}4\end{array}$

When the film thickness d₁ satisfies the condition n₁d₁=λ/2, Equation (3) provides δ=π, and Equation (4) provides A=−1, B=0, C=0, and D=−1. Equation (2) thus provides Reflectance R=(1−n_s)²/(1+n_s)².

On the other hand, when a substrate having a refractive index n_s is placed in a medium having a refractive index n₀ as illustrated in FIG. 9B, Reflectance R₀ of the substrate for vertically incident light can be obtained by Equation (5) below:

$\begin{array}{cc}{R}_0=\frac{{\left(n_0-n_S\right)}^2}{{\left(n_0+n_S\right)}^2}& \mathrm{Equation}5\end{array}$

Here, providing n₀=1 because the refractive index of air is 1, Equation (5) provides (1−n²/(1+n². This is equal to the reflectance of the aforementioned optical member having the single-layer film having a film thickness d₁ satisfying the condition n₁d₁=λ/2. That is, the reflectance for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ, of an optical member in which a single-layer film having a film thickness d₁ satisfying the condition n₁d₁=λ/2 is formed on a substrate is theoretically equal to the reflectance for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ, of a substrate without a single-layer film.

Next, a multilayer film in which a second layer having a refractive index n₂ and a film thickness d₂ is formed on a first layer having a refractive index n₁ and a film thickness d₁ as illustrated in FIG. 9C will be examined. The film thickness d₁ of the first layer satisfies the condition n₁d₁=λ/4, and the film thickness d₂ of the second layer satisfies the condition n₂d₂=λ/2.

At this time, the characteristics matrix M of the multilayer film is represented by Equation (6) below:

$\begin{array}{cc}M=M_2M_1=\left[\begin{array}{cc}-1& 0\\ 0& -1\end{array}\right]\left[\begin{array}{cc}0& \frac{i}{n_1}\\ {\mathrm{in}}_1& 0\end{array}\right]=\left[\begin{array}{cc}0& -\frac{i}{n_1}\\ -{\mathrm{in}}_1& 0\end{array}\right]=\left[\begin{array}{cc}A& \mathrm{iB}\\ \mathrm{iC}& D\end{array}\right]& \mathrm{Equation}6\end{array}$

where M₁ is the characteristics matrix of the first layer and M₂ is the characteristics matrix of the second layer. Equation (6) provides A=0, B=−(1/n₁), C=−n₁, and D=0, and Equation (2) thus provides the reflectance of the multilayer film for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ as R=(n_s−n₁²)²/(n_s+n₁²)².

Furthermore, a single-layer film obtained by removing the second layer from the multilayer film illustrated in FIG. 9C will be examined. The characteristics matrix M1 of the first layer is represented by Equation (7) below:

$\begin{array}{cc}{M}_1=\left[\begin{array}{cc}0& \frac{i}{n_1}\\ {\mathrm{in}}_1& 0\end{array}\right]\left[\begin{array}{cc}A& \mathrm{iB}\\ \mathrm{iC}& D\end{array}\right]& \mathrm{Equation}7\end{array}$

This provides A=0, B=1/n₁, C=n₁, and D=0. Equation (2) thus provides the reflectance for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ, of the single-layer film formed by only the first layer as R=(n_s−n₁²)²/(n_s+n₁²)², which is the same as the reflectance of the aforementioned multilayer film. That is, the reflectance for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ, of an optical member in which a multilayer film including a layer, as a surface layer, having a film thickness d₂ satisfying the condition n₂d₂=λ/2 is formed on a substrate is theoretically equal to the reflectance for vertically incident light having a wavelength λ, of an optical member in which an optical thin film obtained by removing the surface layer from the above multilayer film is formed on a substrate.

Here, the optical member of Example 4 had the same film configuration as that of the optical member of Comparative Example 1, except for the HfO₂ layer as the Cu-proof protective layer being the surface layer. Similarly, the optical member of Example 7 had the same film configuration as that of the optical member of Comparative Example 1, except for the Ta₂O₅ layer as the Cu-proof protective layer being the surface layer. The film thickness d of the HfO₂ layer of Example 4 and the film thickness d of the Ta₂O₅ layer of Example 7 with respect to incident light having a wavelength λ of 308 nm satisfied the condition nd=λ/2. Thus, the protective films of the optical members of Examples 4 and 7 have reflectance equivalent to that of the optical member of Comparative Example 1 for incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm, and in other words, also function as an ideal anti-reflection film against light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

Effects of the optical members of the aforementioned embodiment and Examples will be summarized below.

The optical member 100 of the aforementioned embodiment includes the Cu-proof protective layer 23 as the surface layer, so that even in a case where Cu particles fly to the optical member from a surrounding environment, diffusion of Cu particles in the Cu-proof protective layer 23 is reduced. The optical member 100 of the present embodiment can thus be used for a long period while preventing a decrease in transmittance even in such an environment that Cu particles fly to the optical member.

In the XeCl excimer laser light source device, chlorine gas is sealed in the chamber, and Cu particles fly from the electrodes. The optical member 100 of the present embodiment includes the Cu-proof protective layer 23 as the surface layer, made from a material that is chemically stable toward chlorine gas, that prevents Cu particles from entering by diffusion, and that efficiently transmits light having a wavelength of 308 nm. The optical member 100 of the present embodiment can thus be used suitably as the light transmitting window of the chamber of the XeCl excimer laser light source device.

The optical member 100 of the present embodiment prevents a decrease in transmittance in such an environment that Cu particles or the like fly to the optical member. The chamber 50 and the light source device 500 of the present embodiment include, as the light transmitting window, the optical member 100 preventing a decrease in transmittance in such an environment that Cu particles or the like fly to the optical member, so that the frequency of maintenance can be reduced.

In the optical member 100 of the aforementioned embodiment, the film thickness d of the Cu-proof protective layer 23 being the surface layer of the protective film 20 with respect to incident light having a wavelength λ is set to satisfy the condition nd=λ/2, so that the reflectance of the protective film 20 for incident light having a wavelength λ can be equivalent to a reflectance, for incident light having a wavelength λ, of the optical thin film obtained by removing the Cu-proof protective layer 23 being the surface layer from the protective film 20. Thus, by forming an optical thin film having sufficiently small reflectance for incident light having a desired wavelength λ and forming the Cu-proof protective layer 23 having a film thickness d satisfying the condition nd=λ/2, on the optical thin film as the surface layer, an optical thin film that can be used as an anti-reflection film for the desired wavelength λ and functions as a protective film for flying Cu particles can be achieved.

In the optical member 100 of the aforementioned embodiment, by setting the film thicknesses of the high refractive index layer 21, the low refractive index layer 22, and the Cu-proof protective layer 23 as those of Example 4, an optical thin film having both Cu resistance and anti-reflection characteristics can be formed. Such an optical thin film has a reflectance of 1% or less for light in a wide wavelength region of approximately 296 to 310 nm and a transmittance of 90% or greater for light in a wide wavelength region of approximately 280 nm to 330 nm. Thus, even in a case where variation in temperature, the film thickness or the like changes the performance of the protective film a little, low reflectance and high transmittance can be maintained for incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

Note that the protective film 20 of the aforementioned embodiment may have four or more layers. In this case, it is desirable that underlying layers of the Cu-proof protective layer 23 include high refractive index layers having a refractive index higher than that of a substrate and low refractive index layers having a refractive index lower than that of the substrate, and that the high refractive index layers and the low refractive index layers are alternately formed.

Provided that the features of the present invention are ensured, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and other embodiments that embody the technical concepts of the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical member comprising: a substrate; anda Cu-proof protective layer formed on or above the substrate.

2. The optical member according to claim 1, further comprising a low refractive index layer formed between the substrate and the Cu-proof protective layer, the low refractive index layer having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the substrate.

3. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer functions as an anti-reflection film.

4. The optical member according to claim 2, wherein the low refractive index layer is a SiO2 layer.

5. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the optical member has a transmittance of 90% or greater for vertically incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

6. An optical member comprising: a substrate; anda transmitting film comprising: a low refractive index layer having a refractive index lower than that of the substrate; anda surface layer composed of any one of Al2O3, Ta2O5, MgO, and HfO2 or a mixture of any two or more of Al2O3, Ta2O5, MgO, and HfO2.

7. The optical member according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting film functions as an anti-reflection film.

8. The optical member according to claim 6, wherein the low refractive index layer is a SiO2 layer.

9. The optical member according to claim 6, wherein the surface layer has a thickness satisfying a condition nd=λ/2, where λ is a wavelength of light entering the optical member and n is a refractive index of the surface layer.

10. The optical member according to claim 6, wherein the optical member has a transmittance of 90% or greater for vertically incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

11. The optical member according to claim 6, wherein the surface layer is a HfO2 layer.

12. The optical member according to claim 6, further comprising a high refractive index layer formed between the substrate and the low refractive index layer, the high refractive index layer having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the substrate.

13. The optical member according to claim 12, wherein the surface layer and the high refractive index layer are composed of a same material.

14. An optical member comprising: a substrate; anda multilayer film comprising a plurality of layers having mutually different refractive indices;the multilayer film comprising a surface layer being a Cu-proof protective layer, andthe Cu-proof protective layer having a Cu diffusion coefficient at 200° C. that is 1/10 or less of a Cu diffusion coefficient of SiO2 at 200° C.

15. The optical member according to claim 14, wherein the optical member has a transmittance of 90% or greater for vertically incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

16. An optical member comprising: a substrate; anda multilayer film comprising a plurality of layers having mutually different refractive indices;the multilayer film comprising a surface layer being a Cu-proof protective layer,the Cu-proof protective layer having a Cu diffusion coefficient at 200° C. that is smaller than 1×10−17 cm2/s, andthe optical member transmitting 90% or greater of vertically incident light having a wavelength of 308 nm.

17. The optical member according to claim 16, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer has a solubility of 10 ppm or less in pure water at 20° C.

18. The optical member according to claim 14, wherein the multilayer film functions as an anti-reflection film.

19. The optical member according to claim 14, wherein: the multilayer film further comprises a low refractive index layer having a refractive index lower than that of the substrate; andthe low refractive index layer is a SiO2 layer.

20. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer has a thickness satisfying a condition nd=λ/2, where λ is a wavelength of light entering the optical member and n is a refractive index of the Cu-proof protective layer.

21. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer is composed of any one of Al2O3, Ta2O5, MgO, and HfO2 or a mixture of any two or more of Al2O3, Ta2O5, MgO, and HfO2.

22. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer is a HfO2 layer.

23. The optical member according to claim 1, further comprising a high refractive index layer formed between the substrate and the low refractive index layer, the high refractive index layer having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the substrate.

24. The optical member according to claim 23, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer and the high refractive index layer are composed of a same material.

25. The optical member according to claim 24, wherein the Cu-proof protective layer and the high refractive index layer are HfO2 layers.

26. The optical member according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is an Al2O3 substrate.

27. A chamber in which chlorine gas is sealed, the chamber comprising: a light transmitting window formed in the chamber;the light transmitting window being made of the optical member according to claim 1.

28. A light source device comprising: the chamber according to claim 27; andan electrode disposed in the chamber and containing Cu.

29. The light source device according to claim 28, wherein the light source device is a XeCl excimer laser light source device.

30. A light transmitting window for an excimer laser light source device, the light transmitting window being made of the optical member according to claim 1.