Laser plasma light source and method of generating radiation using the same
AssigneeAgency of Industrial Science and Technology
InventorToshihisa Tomie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid target (11) is formed with a cavity (12). The inner wall of the solid target at the cavity is ablated by ablation pulsed laser beams (13). The solid target is left standing until a highly densified portion (15) of a vaporized substance (14) is formed in the space within the cavity (14), and the highly densified portion (15) is then irradiated with heating pulsed laser beams (17), thereby forming high-temperature plasma (18) for generating radiation rays (19). As a result, good-quality radiation rays accompanied by a minimal amount of debris can be generated.
Claims14
A laser plasma light source for generating radiation rays from plasma obtained by irradiating a solid target with laser beams, comprising:
- a cavity formed in a portion of the solid target at which the laser beams are projected;
- an ablation laser source for projecting the laser beams (13) toward said portion to vaporize a surface-layer substance of said portion and form a highly densified portion of the vaporized substance at a specific region within said cavity;
- and
- a heating laser source for projecting heating laser beams onto the highly densified portion to form a high-temperature plasma.
A method for generating radiation rays using a laser plasma light source provided with a solid target, characterized by the steps of:
- providing the solid target with a cavity;
- projecting ablation laser beams toward said cavity to vaporize a surface-layer substance of the solid target at said cavity;
- leaving a vaporized substance standing until it is compressed within the cavity;
- and
- projecting heating laser beams onto the compressed substance to form a high-temperature plasma, thereby generating radiation rays.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.