Patent ID: 6671302
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
An excimer or molecular fluorine laser, comprising:a discharge chamber filled with a gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing species and a buffer gas; a pair of elongated main discharge electrodes within the discharge chamber for forming a discharge therebetween; a sliding surface preionization unit within the discharge chamber including an elongated dielectric plate; a discharge circuit for supplying electrical pulses to said main discharge electrodes to energize the gas mixture, the discharge circuit further including multiple peaking capacitors connected between the main discharge electrodes and having a main discharge peaking capacitance, the sliding surface preionization unit being connected between a main discharge electrode and one or more of the multiple peaking capacitors, the one or more peaking capacitors connected to the sliding surface preionization unit having a preionization capacitance that is less than said main discharge peaking capacitance; and a resonator for generating a laser beam.