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Technology Stocks : Cymer (CYMI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ScotMcI who wrote (19256)	9/2/1998 4:17:00 PM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25960

It looks like someone has asked the U.S. Patent Office to "reexamine" one of CYMI's patents. If someone other than the patent owner requests reexamination, it is usually because they are infringing the patent. uspto.gov <<5,440,578, Re. S.N. 90/005,023, Jun. 23, 1998, Cl. 372/059, GAS REPLENISHMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXCIMER LASERS, Richard L. Sandstrom, Owner of Record: Cymer Inc., San Diego, Calif., Attorney or Agent: Donald C. Mallery, Blakely Sokoloff Taylor and Zafman, Los Angeles, Calif., Ex. Gp.: 2874, Requester: John F. Carney, Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland and Naughton, Washington, D.C.>> More on the CYMI patent: patents.ibm.com 5440578 : Gas replenishment method and apparatus for excimer lasers INVENTORS: Sandstrom; Richard L., Encinitas, CA ASSIGNEES: Cymer Laser Technologies, San Diego, CA ISSUED: Aug. 8 , 1995 FILED: July 16, 1993 SERIAL NUMBER: 093353 ABSTRACT: An excimer gas laser using a fluorine/krypton/neon gas mixture is provided with separate fluorine/krypton/neon and krypton/neon gas sources for use in replenishing the gas mixture. A bleed-down mechanism is also provided for draining a portion of the gas mixture from the excimer laser. A control mechanism controls operation of the separate fluorine/krypton/neon and krypton/neon sources and the bleed-down mechanism to selectively vary the gas mixture within the excimer laser to maintain an overall optimal laser efficiency. Preferably, the control system monitors operational parameters of the excimer laser including gain, wavelength, bandwidth and pulse rate, to determine whether the gas mixture within the excimer laser may have changed from an optimal mixture. The control system controls operation of the separate fluorine/krypton/neon and krypton/neon sources to compensate for changes in the operation parameters of the laser to thereby maintain high overall laser efficiency. Alternatively, gas replenishment is controlled subject to pre-determined empirically-based gas replenishment strategies. EXEMPLARY CLAIM(s): Show all 20 claims I claim: 1. A method for varying a gas mixture within a gas chamber of a gas laser, said gas mixture including a halogen, a first noble gas and a second noble gas, said gas mixture having a desired composition, said method comprising the steps of: determining a difference between the desired composition and an actual composition of the gas mixture within the gas chamber; determining a first amount of a halogen, first noble gas, second noble gas mixture that is to be added to the gas chamber, and a second amount of a first noble gas, second noble gas mixture that is to be added to the gas chamber; selectively pumping said first amount of said halogen, first noble gas and second noble gas mixture into said chamber; selectively pumping said second amount of said first noble gas and second noble gas mixture into said chamber; and selectively releasing a portion of said gas mixture within said chamber; with each of the foregoing steps performed by amounts sufficient to adjust an actual composition of said gas mixture within said chamber toward the desired composition. ATTORNEY, AGENT, or FIRM: Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman