Pulsed gas-discharge laser
AssigneeLambda Physik Forschungsgesellschaft mbH
InventorElmar Muller-Horsche
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulsed gas-discharge laser, in particular an excimer laser, comprises main discharge electrodes (10, 10a) of erosion-resistant metal between which laser gas flows with high velocity to replace the laser gas between the main discharge electrodes from laser pulse to laser pulse. For preionizing the laser gas two X-ray radiation sources (30, 30a) are arranged adjacent one main discharge electrode (10). The flow path (18) of the laser gas is formed partially by flow bodies (16, 16a, 32, 32a) which consist of a material which has a high secondary emissive power with regard to the X-ray radiation. The secondary radiation is so configured that it promotes the preionization.
Claims6
A pulsed gas-discharge laser receiving a refreshed quantity of laser gas in a laser gas flow path within the gas-discharge laser prior to generation of a laser pulse by said pulsed gas-discharge laser, said pulsed gas-discharge laser including:
- a plurality of erosion-resistant metal main discharge electrodes having a refreshed quantity of laser gas located therebetween;
- at least one X-ray radiation source arranged on a side of one of said plurality of erosion-resistant metal main discharge electrodes for generating X-ray radiation for preionizing the laser gas between the erosion-resistant metal main discharge electrodes;
- and
- a plurality of flow bodies arranged at a flow path adjacent to said main discharge electrodes, said plurality of flow bodies having a high secondary X-ray emissive power with regard to X-ray radiation impinging onto said flow bodies to promote preionization of the refreshed quantity of laser gas located between the plurality of erosion-resistant metal main discharge electrodes.
A pulsed gas-discharge laser receiving a refreshed quantity of laser gas in a laser gas flow path within the gas-discharge laser prior to generation of a laser pulse by said pulsed gas-discharge laser, said pulsed gas-discharge laser including:
- a plurality of erosion-resistant metal main discharge electrodes having a refreshed quantity of laser gas located therebetween wherein said main discharge electrodes are embedded into a body surface which smoothly defines the laser gas flow path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.