Patent ID: 6442181
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: G03F,H01S,H03K

Abstract:
An extreme repetition rate gas discharge laser capable of operating at pulse repetition rates in the range of 4,000 to 6,000 pulses per second, said laser comprising:A) a laser chamber having two elongated electrodes, defining a discharge region and having a gas flow path with a gradually increasing cross section downstream of said electrodes of about 15 to 25 degrees to permit recovery of a large percentage of static pressure drop occurring in the discharge region, B) a squirrel cage type fan for producing sufficient gas velocities in said discharge region to clear from said discharge region, following each pulse, substantially all discharge produced ions prior to a next pulse when operating at a repetition rate in the range of 4,000 pulses per second or greater, C) a finned heat exchanger system capable of removing at least 16 kw of heat energy from said laser gas, D) a pulse power system configured to provide electrical pulses to said electrodes sufficient to produce laser pulses at rates of at least 4,000 pulses per second with precisely controlled pulse energies in the range of about 5 mJ to 10 mJ, and E) a laser beam measurement and control system capable of measuring pulse energy wavelength and bandwidth of substantially every pulse with feedback control of pulse energy and wavelength.