Preionization arrangement for a gas laser

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping by arc discharge of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• an electric circuit external to said housing and electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit via a conductive feedthrough which penetrates through said housing, and
• wherein said electric circuit includes one or more passive electrical components including one or more resistors for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode, and
• wherein said one or more resistors have a resistance which is greater than or substantially equal to the wave impedance of the preionization electrode.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping by arc discharge of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• an electric circuit external to said housing and electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit via a conductive feedthrough which penetrates through said housing, and
• wherein said electric circuit includes one or more passive electrical components including one or more resistors for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode, and
• wherein said one or more resistors have a resistance which is between 8 ohms and 70 ohms.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping by arc-discharge of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• a circuit including only one or more passive electrical components electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping by arc-discharge of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• a circuit including one or more passive electrical components including one or more resistors electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode,
• wherein said one or more resistors have a resistance which is greater than or substantially equal to the wave impedance of the preionization electrode.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping by arc-discharge of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• a circuit including one or more passive electrical components including one or more resistors electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode,
• wherein said one or more resistors have a resistance which is between 8 ohms and 70 ohms.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge, peaking capacitors being the only active components connected to said preionization unit;
• and
• one or more resistors having a resistance at a value that is greater than or equal to the wave impedance of the preionization electrode and electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said internal electrode.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main arc-discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main arc-discharge electrodes for electrical pumping of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• one or more resistors having a resistance at a value that is greater than or equal to the wave impedance of the preionization electrode and electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said internal electrode,
• wherein the one or more resistors have a resistance value which is between 8 ohms and 70 ohms.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main discharge electrodes for electrical pumping of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge, the set of peaking capacitors being the only active components connected to the preionization unit;
• and
• an electrical component electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillation within said preionization electrode.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main discharge electrodes for electrical pumping of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• an electrical circuit including one or more resistors electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode,
• wherein said one or more resistors have a resistance which is greater than or substantially equal to the wave impedance of the preionization electrode.

A discharge chamber for a gas arc-discharge laser, comprising:

• a housing configured to hold a laser gas mixture;
• a pair of opposed main arc-discharge electrodes within said housing defining a main discharge region;
• a set of peaking capacitors connected to at least one of the main discharge electrodes for electrical pumping of the main arc-discharge region;
• a corona-type preionization unit within said housing, the preionization unit and said one of the main arc-discharge electrodes are each coupled to said set of peaking capacitors which power both a main arc-discharge and a preionization discharge;
• and
• an electrical circuit including one or more resistors electrically connected to an electrode of said preionization unit for damping electrical oscillations within said preionization electrode,
• wherein said one or more resistors have a resistance which is between 8 ohms and 70 ohms.