Electron beam irradiation of gases and light source using the same
AssigneeRutgers, The State University
InventorsJochen Wieser, Andreas Ulrich, Daniel E. Murnick, Werner Krötz
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Abstract
Excimers are generated by directing an electron beam at about 5 KeV to about 40 KeV into an excimer forming gas such as He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe or mixtures of these with other gases through a ceramic foil such as SiNx. Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light is emitted by the excimers or by other species in contact therewith. The invention can provide intense, continuously operable broadband or monochromatic VUV light sources.
Claims18
A component for an electron-beam excited gas laser comprising:
- (a) an emission chamber having opposite ends and means for reflecting light of a selected wavelength at said ends so that light of said selected wavelength will pass repeatedly along a predetermined path in an axial direction between said ends;
- and
- (b) an electron beam window partially bounding said chamber, said beam window being substantially transparent to a low-energy electron beam having energy less than about 100 KeV, said beam window being configured and aligned with said predetermined path so that an electron beam may be introduced into said chamber and pass through an elongated excitation zone within said chamber encompassing said predetermined path.
A method of operating a laser comprising the steps of forming mixed excimers of an inert gas and a halogen by directing electrons at energies of less than about 100 KeV into a gas mixture comprising the inert gas and halogen through a ceramic electron beam window, whereby said mixed excimers will decay and emit light at a predetermined fluorescence wavelength, and repeatedly reflecting light at said wavelength through said gas mixture.
A method of operating a laser comprising the steps of providing a gas mixture including one or more an inert gasses and pumping the gas mixture by directing electrons at energies of less than about 100 keV into the gas mixture so that the gas mixture emits light at a predetermined wavelength, and repeatedly reflecting light at said wavelength through said gas mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.