Output controller for laser device

An output control system for a laser device including a laser power source section for allowing pulse discharging with a predetermined pulse width at predetermined intervals across electrodes disposed within a laser chamber in accordance with applied control data;

• an oscillator for oscillating a laser beam by exciting laser gas in the laser chamber by the pulse discharging across the electrodes and for outputting the oscillated laser beam to outside;
• and a controller for applying the control data to the power source so that, in the oscillator, a repetitive operation is carried out between a continuous pulse oscillating operation of the laser beam for a predetermined number of times at a predetermined interval and a pause time of the continuous pulse oscillating operation for a predetermined time, the output control system comprising:
• memory means for previously storing therein, for each pulse of the continuous pulse oscillation, control data for setting an energy of one pulse of the laser beam output from the oscillator to a target energy value according to predetermined combinations of parameters including a time elapsed from sealing of the laser gas, a pulse number accumulated from the sealing of the laser gas, partial pressures of the laser gas, a temperature of the laser gas, a temperature of a discharging electrode, a repetitive frequency of the laser, a time elapsed from start of the operation of the laser device, a pulse oscillation interval, a pulse number accumulated from replacement of a laser head, a pulse number accumulated from replacement of a charging circuit, a pulse number accumulated from replacement of a laser window and an impurity concentration;
• detection means for detecting the energy of one pulse of the laser beam output from the oscillator;
• and
• correction means, based on a value obtained by subtracting the target energy value from a detected energy value of each pulse of the laser beam in a previous continuous pulse oscillation, for correcting the control data previously stored in association with each pulse so that the energy of each pulse of the laser beam output from the oscillator is set to be the target energy value.

An output control system for a laser device including a laser power source section for allowing pulse discharging with a predetermined pulse width at predetermined intervals across electrodes disposed within a laser chamber in accordance with applied control data;

• an oscillator for oscillating a laser beam by exciting laser gas in the laser chamber by the pulse discharging across the electrodes and for outputting the oscillated laser beam to outside;
• and an output control section for applying the control data to the power source section so that, in the oscillator, a repetitive operation is carried out between a continuous pulse oscillating operation of the laser beam for a predetermined number of times at a predetermined interval and a pause time of the continuous pulse oscillating operation for a predetermined time, the output control system comprising:
• memory means for previously storing therein, for each pulse of the continuous pulse oscillation, control data for setting the energy of one pulse of the laser beam output from the oscillator to a target energy value according to predetermined combinations of parameters including a time elapsed from sealing of the laser gas, a pulse number accumulated from the sealing of the laser gas, partial pressures of the laser gas, a temperature of the laser gas, a temperate of a discharging electrode, a repetitive frequency of the laser, a time elapsed from start of the operation of the laser device, a pulse oscillation interval, a pulse number accumulated from replacement of a laser head, a pulse number accumulated from replacement of a charging circuit, a pulse number accumulated from replacement of a laser window and an impurity concentration;
• detection means for detecting the energy of one pulse of the laser beam output from the oscillator;
• and
• correction means, when an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting the target energy value from a detected energy value of each pulse of the laser beam in a previous continuous pulse oscillation is not less than a predetermined threshold value, for performing a correction of the control data previously stored in association with each pulse so that the energy of each pulse of the laser beam output from the oscillator is set to be the target energy value and, when the absolute value of the subtracted value is less than the predetermined threshold value, for not performing the correction of the control data.