Patent ID: 6721344
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
An injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device (11) used with a processing device (25), the injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device (11) and the processing device (25) being electrically connected with each other and mutually communicable, comprising:a laser controller (29) for outputting a laser trigger signal (GL) when receiving a trigger signal (G), which is a sign of laser oscillation, from the processing device (25); an oscillator (11A) for exciting a laser gas by oscillator discharge caused by application of an oscillator voltage (VA) across oscillator electrodes (14A, 15A), which are disposed in an oscillator chamber (12A) where the laser gas is sealed, from an oscillator discharge circuit (43A), the oscillator exciting the laser gas in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to generate a seed laser light (21A), and oscillating the seed laser light (21A) with a wavelength band being narrowed by a band-narrowing unit (30) including a grating (33); an amplifier (11B) for amplifying the seed laser light (21A) by amplification discharge caused by application of an amplifier voltage (VB) across amplifier electrodes (14B, 15B), which are disposed in an amplifier chamber (12B) where the laser gas is sealed, by means of an amplification discharge circuit (43B) in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to emit an amplified laser light (21B) to the processing device (25); and a first wavelength monitor (34A) disposed between the oscillator (11A) and the amplifier (11B) for detecting a center wavelength (&lgr;c) of the seed laser light (21A), wherein the laser controller (29) adjusts an angle of the seed laser light (21A) incident to the grating (33) on the basis of the center wavelength (&lgr;c) of the seed laser light (21A) detected by the first wavelength monitor (34A) to accommodate the center wavelength (&lgr;c) of the seed laser light (21A) within an allowable range.