Industrial excimer laser beam properties

As excimer lasers have evolved over the last two decades, their beam properties and characteristics have become better understood by advanced diagnostic techniques. This understanding is crucial for two reasons. First, in large volume industrial processes yield is proportional to laser beam consistency and is a crucial factor in determining whether or not a process is economically viable. The second area is in understanding the ablation phenomenon. Usually, it is assumed during research or process development that a laser pulse is a laser pulse when, in actuality, the pulse characteristics vary. This paper presents methods which can be used to improve the characterization of KrF excimer laser pulses in hopes of furthering cooperation between laser manufacturers, system integrators, and users.