Patent ID: 6404795
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
An excimer laser system, comprising:a discharge chamber filled with a gas mixture including a laser gas and traces of an additive gaseous species; a gas valve assembly coupled with the discharge chamber for controlling the gas mixture within the discharge chamber, the gas valve assembly being coupled with gas supply lines including a first line for flowing said additive gaseous species, a second line for flowing a buffer gas of said laser gas, a third line for flowing a halogen containing species of said laser gas, and a fourth line for flowing an active rare gas of said laser gas, said additive gaseous species comprising a molecular species different from each of said halogen-containing species, said buffer gas and said active rare gas of said laser gas; a resonator including a wavelength selection unit for providing a narrowed emission of said laser; and a wavelength control unit; an energy detector; a processor for communicating with said wavelength selection unit and said wavelength control unit in a feedback loop arrangement, and for communicating with said power supply and said energy detector in a feedback loop arrangement, wherein a wavelength of the narrowed emission of said laser is controlled by the processor based on wavelength information received from said wavelength control unit, and wherein an energy of the output laser beam is controlled by the processor based on energy information received from said energy detector.