Patent ID: 6359922
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: G03F,H01S

Abstract:
A single chamber gas discharge laser system with a line narrowed seed beam comprising:A) a single discharge chamber containing a laser gas and a heat exchanger; B) at least two elongated electrodes disposed inside said single discharge chamber and configured to provide at least two discharge regions, C) a pulse power source for providing high voltage electrical pulses to produce electrical discharges in each of said at least two discharge regions at rates of at least 1000 pulses per second, D) optical means defining at least one resonant cavity and defining, together with said at least two discharge regions and said pulse power source, a first gain region and a second gain region, said first and second gain regions producing optical gain only during said electrical discharges, which electrical discharges produce debris in each of said first and second discharge regions, said optical means comprising a line narrowing means for line narrowing said seed beam, E) a circulation means, comprising a tangential blower, for circulating laser gas and for: 1) circulating debris produced in said first discharge region, a) past said heat exchanger and then b) back through either said first discharge region or said second discharge region and 2) circulating debris produced in said second discharge region, a) past said heat exchanger and then b) back through either said first discharge region or said second discharge region, wherein said line narrowed seed beam is produced in said first gain region and subsequently amplified in said second gain region and wherein debris produced in each discharge region passes said heat exchanger prior to being circulated back through either said first or said second discharge region.