Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A high energy photon source comprising: A. a vacuum chamber,  B. at least two electrodes located within said vacuum chamber and defining an electrical discharge region and arranged to create high frequency plasma pinches at a pinch site upon electrical discharge,  C. a working gas comprising an active gas and a buffer gas, said buffer gas being a noble gas, and said active gas being chosen to provide light at least one spectral line,  D. a working gas supply system for supplying a working gas to said discharge region,  E. a pulse power source for providing electrical pulses and voltages high enough to create electrical discharge between said at least one pair of electrode, and  F. a conical nested debris collector with surfaces aligned with light rays extending out from the pinch site toward the radiation collector-director. 2. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said pulse power source is programmable to provide electrical pulses at frequencies of at least 1000 Hz. claim 1 3. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is lithium vapor. claim 1 4. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is lithium hydride. claim 1 5. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  and further comprising a light pipe arranged to transmit radiation collected and directed by said collector-director. claim 1 6. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said buffer gas is argon. claim 1 7. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said buffer gas is radon. claim 1 8. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said at least two electrodes are three disk shaped electrodes defining two outer electrodes and an inner electrode, said two inner electrodes during operation being at a polarity opposite said inner electrode. claim 1 9. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said conical nested debris collector is fabricated as a part of said radiation collector-director. claim 1 10. A high energy photon source as in  claim 9  wherein said material is lithium. claim 9 11. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is a vapor of a metal defining a melting point and further comprising a heating means to maintain said radiation collector and said debris collector at a temperature in excess of the melting point of said metal. claim 1 12. A high energy photon source as in  claim 11  wherein said lithium is located in one of said two electrodes. claim 11 13. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is produced by heating of a material. claim 1 14. A high energy photon source as in  claim 13  and further comprising a position adjustment means to adjust said lithium relative to said central electrode tip. claim 13 15. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  and further comprising a blast shield comprised of electrical insulator material positioned to limit elongation of said plasma pinches wherein said blast shield comprises a hole located so as to permit extreme ultraviolet light rays from said pinch to pass through said blast shield. claim 1 16. A high energy photon source as in  claim 15  wherein said hole is beveled to permit increased off axis collection of the light rays. claim 15 17. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said two electrodes are configured coaxially to define a central electrode defining an axis and an outer electrode comprised of an array of rods. claim 1 18. A high energy photon source as in  claim 17  wherein said array of rods are arranged to form in a generally cylindrical shape. claim 17 19. A high energy photon source as in  claim 17  wherein said array of rods are arranged to form a generally conical shape. claim 17 20. A high energy source as in  claim 1  and further comprising a beam splitter for transmitting extreme ultraviolet radiation and reflecting visible light. claim 1 21. A high energy source as in  claim 20  wherein said window is comprised of a sheet of a solid material having a thickness of less than 1 micron. claim 20 22. A high energy source as in  claim 20  wherein said material is chosen from a group of materials consisting of beryllium, zerconium and silicon. claim 20 23. A high energy source as in  claim 1  and further comprising a preionizer for preionizing said working gas. claim 1 24. A high energy source as in  claim 23  wherein said preionizer is a RF driven spark gap. claim 23 25. A high energy source as in  claim 23  wherein said preionizer comprises a spiker circuit. claim 23 26. A high energy source as in  claim 23  wherein said preionizer is a DC spark gap ionizer. claim 23 27. A high energy source as in  claim 26  wherein said preionizer is a RF driven surface discharge. claim 26 28. A high energy source as in  claim 26  wherein said preionizer is a corona discharge. claim 26 29. A high energy source as in  claim 1  and further comprising a vacuum chamber window for transmitting extreme ultraviolet radiation and reflecting visible light. claim 1 30. A high energy source as in  claim 29  wherein said window is comprised of a sheet of a solid material having a thickness of less than 1 micron. claim 29 31. A high energy source as in  claim 29  wherein said material is chosen from a group of materials consisting of beryllium and silicon. claim 29 32. A high energy photon source as in  claim 29  and further comprising a focusing means for focusing said radiation on to said windows. claim 29 33. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  and further comprising an external reflection radiation collector-director for collecting radiation produced in said plasma pinches and for directing said radiation in a desired direction. claim 1 34. A high energy photon source as in  claim 33  wherein said metal is lithium. claim 33 35. A high energy photon source as in  claim 34  wherein said two electrodes are configured coaxially to define a central electrode defining an axis and a central tip and said lithium is positioned along said axis. claim 34 36. A high energy photon source as in  claim 33  wherein said electrodes are comprised of an electrode material and said collector-director is coated with the same electrode material. claim 33 37. A high energy photon source as in  claim 36  wherein said buffer gas is helium. claim 36 38. A high energy photon source as in  claim 36  wherein said electrode material is tungsten. claim 36 39. A high energy photon source as in  claim 38  wherein said electrode material is silver. claim 38