Patent ID: 6711202
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: G03F,H01S

Abstract:
A gas discharge laser comprising:A) a laser chamber containing a laser gas, B) two elongated electrode elements defining a cathode and an anode, each electrode having a discharge region, said electrodes being disposed within said laser chamber and said discharge region of said anode being covered with a porous insulating layer, having a porosity sufficient to effectively permit electrons to flow freely to and from the metal surface of said anode while effectively limiting substantial laser-gas-consitutent ion interaction with said anode, C) a pulse power system configured to provide electrical pulses at rates in excess of 1000 pulses per second to produce electric discharges, said electric discharges occurring in said discharge regions on said anode and on said cathode, D) a blower system for circulating said laser gas between said two electrodes at a velocity sufficient to remove substantially all debris produced by a discharge prior to a next subsequent discharge when operating at pulse rates in excess of 1000 pulses per second, and E) a heat exchanger having sufficient capacity to remove heat from said laser gas produced by said blower system and said discharge.