Laser chamber preionizer having acoustic scattering surface
AssigneeCymer, Inc.
InventorThomas Dickson Steiger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for generating laser radiation from discharges in a discharge chamber in which the discharges produce acoustic waves which would disrupt operation of the apparatus at certain repetition rates if reflected back to their origin in which the surface of a preionizer tube positioned in the discharge chamber is provided with acoustic scattering features which scatter acoustic waves impinging on the preionizer tube surface. The preionizer tube may also be configured to have a transverse cross section that presents an angled surface to the region in which discharges are produced.
Claims24
A preionizer for a laser system, the preionizer comprising:
- a tube configured as a generally cylindrical hollow tube extending axially in a first direction and having a tube wall with an outer surface, at least a portion of the outer surface being provided with a plurality of acoustic scattering features;
- and
- an electrode positioned at least partially within the tube.
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13-40. (canceled)
A preionizer for a laser system, the preionizer comprising:
- an elongated hollow tube having a first end, a second end, and an axis of circular symmetry extending along a length of the tube from a center of the first end to a center of the second end with an outside diameter of at least a lengthwise section of the elongated hollow tube varying from the first end;
- and
- an electrode positioned at least partially within the elongated hollow tube.
(canceled)
A method for scattering acoustic waves in a discharge chamber comprising:
- generating a pulsed radiation beam in a discharge region;
- generating acoustic waves outward from the discharge region;
- and
- scattering the acoustic waves from an acoustic scattering feature on an at least a portion of an outer surface of a preionizer tube, wherein the acoustic scattering feature is arranged in an array provided on the at least a portion of the outer surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.