Patent ID: 7158553
Filing Date: 2007-01-02
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system, comprising: a master oscillator including therein a first discharge chamber filled with a first gas mixture, the first discharge chamber containing a first plurality of electrodes for energizing the first gas mixture and generating an oscillator beam; a power amplifier including therein a second discharge chamber filled with a second gas mixture, the second discharge chamber containing a second plurality of electrodes for energizing the second gas mixture and amplifying the oscillator beam received from the master oscillator for output as an output beam; an acousto-optical modulator positioned along a beam path between the master oscillator and the power amplifier, the acousto-optical modulator operable to selectively control an amount of the oscillator beam to be received by the power amplifier; and a pair of cylindrical lenses positioned on either side of the acousto-optical modulator along the beam path between the master oscillator and power amplifier, the pair of cylindrical lenses operable to match a beam size of the oscillator beam to an active area of the acousto-optical modulator.