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US 6,603,789 B1Granted
Narrow band excimer or molecular fluorine laser with improved beam parameters
AssigneeLambda Physik AG
InventorJuergen Kleinschmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system includes a discharge chamber filled with a gas mixture including a halogen-containing molecular species and at least one noble gas including a buffer gas, multiple electrodes within the discharge chamber and connected to a pulsed power supply circuit for energizing the gas mixture, and a resonator for generating an output beam. The resonator includes the discharge chamber and one or more optics for narrowing a bandwidth of the beam and for magnifying the beam in each of orthogonal beam axis directions for suppressing fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters.
Claims55
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber, the resonator including at least one line-narrowing optic, resonator reflecting optics being disposed at either end of said resonator and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator, said resonator reflecting optics forming an unstable resonator in each of orthogonal (x,y) cross-sectional beam axis directions for suppressing fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z).
3 more elements
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber and resonator reflecting optics at either end and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator;
- a first intracavity optic for narrowing a bandwidth of the output beam and configured to magnify the beam in a first cross-sectional beam axis direction (x) and to render the resonator unstable in the first direction (x);
- and
- a second intracavity optic configured to magnify the beam in a second cross-sectional beam axis direction (x±θ) angularly offset from the first cross-sectional beam axis direction and to render the resonator unstable in the second direction (x±θ), said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z), and
- wherein the first and second intracavity optics thereby suppress fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters.
7 more elements
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber and resonator reflecting surfaces at either end and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator;
- at least one intracavity optic for narrowing a bandwidth of the output beam;
- a first intracavity optic configured to magnify the beam in a first cross-sectional beam axis direction (x) and to render the resonator unstable in the first direction (x);
- and
- a second intracavity optic configured to magnify the beam in a second cross-sectional beam axis direction (x±θ) angularly offset from the first cross-sectional beam axis direction and to render the resonator unstable in the second direction (x±θ), said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z), and
- wherein the first and second intracavity optics thereby suppress fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters.
8 more elements
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber and resonator reflecting surfaces at either end and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator;
- an intracavity optic for narrowing a bandwidth of the output beam and configured to magnify the beam in a first and a second orthogonal cross-sectional beam axis directions (x,y) for suppressing fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z).
4 more elements
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber and resonator reflecting surfaces at either end and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator;
- a first intracavity optic for narrowing a bandwidth of the output beam;
- and
- a second intracavity optic including a surface configured to magnify the beam in a first and a second orthogonal cross-sectional beam axis directions (x,y) for suppressing fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z).
6 more elements
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber and resonator reflecting optics at either end and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator;
- at least one optic for narrowing a bandwidth of the output beam;
- and
- a first intracavity optic configured to magnify the beam in a first cross-sectional beam axis direction (x);
- and
- a second intracavity optic configured to magnify the beam in a second cross-sectional beam axis direction (x±θ) angularly offset from the first cross-sectional beam axis direction, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z), and
- wherein the first and second intracavity optics thereby suppress fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters.
9 more elements
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising:
- a laser chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing molecular species and a buffer gas;
- a plurality of electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and at least one preionization unit within the laser chamber, the main electrodes defining a discharge area therebetween;
- a pulsed discharge circuit connected to the electrodes including a pulse compression circuit and a high voltage power supply for supplying electrical energy in compressed electrical pulses to the electrodes within the laser chamber to energize the gas mixture;
- a fan for circulating the gas mixture through the discharge area;
- a heat exchanger at least for cooling the gas mixture;
- a resonator for generating an output beam including the discharge area within the laser chamber and resonator reflecting surfaces at either end and retro-reflecting the beam within the resonator;
- at least one optic for narrowing a bandwidth of the output beam;
- a reflective optic configured to magnify the beam in a first cross sectional beam axis direction. (x);
- and
- an intracavity optic configured to magnify the beam in a second cross sectional beam axis direction (x±θ) angularly offset from the first cross sectional beam axis direction, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z), and
- wherein said reflective and intracavity optics thereby suppress fluctuations in one or more output beam parameters.
8 more elements
A method for suppressing fluctuations in one or more beam parameters of an excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising the steps of:
- energizing a gain medium of the laser system by applying a pulsed discharge for generating the beam;
- narrowing a bandwidth of the beam by interacting the beam with one or more line-narrowing optical elements;
- and
- magnifying the beam in orthogonal cross-sectional beam axis directions (x,y) by interacting the beam with one or more magnifying optical elements for suppressing said fluctuations in said one or more output beam parameters, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z).
1 more element
A method for suppressing fluctuations in one or more beam parameters of an excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising the steps of:
- energizing a gain medium of the laser system by applying a pulsed discharge for generating the beam;
- narrowing a bandwidth of the beam by passing the beam through one or more line-narrowing optical elements;
- and
- magnifying the beam intracavity in orthogonal cross-sectional beam axis directions (x,y) by interacting the beam with one or more magnifying optical elements for suppressing said fluctuations in said one or more output beam parameters, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z).
1 more element
A method for suppressing fluctuations in one or more beam parameters of an excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising the steps of:
- energizing a gain medium of the laser system by applying a pulsed discharge for generating the beam;
- narrowing a bandwidth of the beam by passing the beam through one or more line-narrowing optical elements;
- magnifying the beam intracavity in a first cross-sectional beam axis direction (x) and magnifying the beam in a second cross-section beam axis direction (x±θ) angularly offset from the first cross sectional beam axis direction by interacting the beam with one or more magnifying optical elements for suppressing said fluctuations in said one or more output beam parameters, said beam propagating within the resonator substantially in a third direction (z).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.