Apparatus for controlling the composition of a laser gas or gas mixture

An apparatus for controlling composition of a gaseous material for use in a laser, said apparatus comprising:

• a cryogenic gas-processor including means for connecting said cryogenic gas-processor to and substantially in parallel with a gas laser selectively to receive said gaseous material therefrom, and to remove impurities from the gaseous material and selectively return purified gaseous material to the gas laser,
• a high temperature gas-purifier in gas flow connection with the cryogenic gas-processor, substantially in parallel therewith, and including means for connecting said high temperature gas-purifier to and substantially in parallel with the gas laser selectively to receive the gaseous material therefrom, and to remove at least one of halogen and impurities from the gaseous material and selectively return the one of dehalogenated and purified gaseous material to the gas laser,
• gas analysis means including means for connecting said gas analysis means so as to receive the gaseous material from the gas laser and for analyzing the gaseous material and produce output signals indicative of an actual composition of the gaseous material of the laser,
• a source of clean laser gaseous material connected selectively to feed clean gaseous material to the gas laser, and
• control means for receiving said output signals from the gas analysis means indicative of the actual composition of the gaseous material of the laser, for comparing actual composition values with desired composition values, and for operating at least one of the cryogenic gas-processor, the high temperature gas-purifier and the source of clean laser gaseous material to control the gaseous material of the laser.