Patent ID: 6128323
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: G03F,H01S,H03K

Abstract:
An electric discharge laser for producing a narrow band pulsed laser beam at repetition rates of at least about 2000 Hz, said laser comprising:A. a laser chamber comprising:1) two elongated electrodes;2) a laser gas comprisinga) a noble gas,b) fluorine, andc) a buffer gas;3) a gas circulator for circulating said gas between said electrodes at speeds of at least two cm/millisecondB. a pulse power system comprising a power supply and pulse compression and amplification circuits and pulse power controls for producing high voltage electrical pulses of at least 14,000 volts across said electrodes at rates of at least about 2000 Hz,C. a line narrowing system for controlling wavelengths of said laser beams to less than about 0.6 pm, FWHM; andD. a laser pulse energy control system for controlling the voltage provided by said pulse power system, said control system comprising a laser pulse energy monitor and a computer processor programmed with an algorithm for calculating, based on historical pulse energy data, electrical pulses needed to produce laser pulses having pulse energies within a desired range of energies.