Patent ID: 7595594
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: H05G,H05H

Abstract:
1. An arrangement for switching high electric currents by way of a gas discharge for generating gas discharge plasma emitting EUV radiation, comprising: an anode and a cathode which are both shaped so as to be hollow in a rotationally-symmetric manner and through which a discharge space is formed in the interior of the anode; said cathode having a hollow cathode space for pre-ionization of a work gas and the hollow cathode space is delimited relative to the discharge space by a metal wall with a plurality of openings for streaming pre-ionized work gas into the discharge space which are arranged at regular spatial intervals in order to provide spatially distributed base points of gas discharge paths through the openings for a high current flow through the discharge space; said metal wall between the hollow cathode space and the discharge space having a thickness on the order of one centimeter so that the openings of the metal wall change into relatively long channels and the ends of the channels are directed to the discharge space on a common intersection point in the discharge space; and substantially radially extending cooling channels being introduced into the metal wall to reduce an ion erosion of the cathode through efficient cooling.