Patent ID: 6693938
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A discharge circuit for pulsed laser including a power supply and main discharge electrodes disposed in a laser medium, in which a main discharge is caused after causing a preionization between the main discharge electrodes, the discharge circuit comprising:a main discharge capacitor connected in parallel to the main discharge electrodes for accumulating electric charges; a forwarding capacitor connected in parallel to the main discharge capacitor for accumulating electric charges supplied from the power supply; a magnetic switch disposed in correspondence with the forwarding capacitor for transferring the electric charges accumulated in the forwarding capacitor to the main discharge capacitor; a preionization electrode separate from said main discharge electrodes for preionizing between the main discharge electrodes; a preionization capacitor directly connected at one connecting portion thereof to the preionization electrode, for accumulating electric charges for causing a preionization discharge at the preionization electrode; and a one-directional circuit element having a first connection portion and a second connection portion, the first connection portion being connected with the other connecting portion of the preionization capacitor and the second connection portion being connected with the forwarding capacitor and the magnetic switch disposed in correspondence with the forwarding capacitor, the one-directional circuit element allowing an electric current to flow from the first connection portion to the second connection portion and at least temporally preventing an electric current from flowing from the second connection portion to the first connection portion.