Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A high energy photon source comprising: wherein at least four of said at least five conical surfaces are nested within one of said five conical surfaces. A. a vacuum chamber,  B. two electrodes located within said vacuum chamber and defining an electrical discharge region between said two electrodes and arranged to create high frequency plasma pinches focused at a pinch site outside said electrical discharge region 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,  F. an external reflection radiation collector-director for collecting radiation produced in said plasma pinches and for directing said radiation in a desired direction, and  G. a conical nested debris collector having at least five conical 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 conical nested debris collector is fabricated as a part of said radiation collector-director. claim 1 3. 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 4. A high energy photon source as in  claim 3  wherein said metal is lithium. claim 3 5. 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 5 Hz. claim 1 6. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is produced by heating of a solid material. claim 1 7. A high energy photon source as in  claim 2  wherein said solid material is solid lithium. claim 2 8. A high energy photon source as in  claim 3  wherein said solid lithium is located in one of said two electrodes. claim 3 9. A high energy photon source as in  claim 7  wherein said two electrodes are configured coaxially to define a central electrode defining an axis and a central tip and said solid lithium is positioned along said axis. claim 7 10. A high energy photon source as in  claim 9  further comprising a position adjustment means to adjust said lithium relative to said central electrode tip. claim 9 11. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is lithium vapor. claim 1 12. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said active gas is lithium hydride. claim 1 13. 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 14. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said electrodes are comprised of an electrode material and said collector-directed is coated with the same electrode material. claim 1 15. A high energy photon source as in  claim 14  wherein said electrode material is tungsten. claim 14 16. A high energy photon source as in  claim 14  wherein said electrode material is silver. claim 14 17. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said buffer gas is helium. claim 1 18. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said buffer gas is argon. claim 1 19. A high energy photon source as in  claim 1  wherein said buffer gas is radon. claim 1 20. 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 21. 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 22. A high energy photon source as in  claim 21  wherein said array of rods are arranged to form in a generally cylindrical shape. claim 21 23. A high energy photon source as in  claim 21  wherein said array of rods are arranged to form a generally conical shape. claim 21 24. A high energy source as in  claim 1  and further comprising a preionizer for preionizing said working gas. claim 1 25. A high energy source as in  claim 24  wherein said preionizer is a DC spark gap ionizer. claim 24 26. A high energy source as in  claim 24  wherein said preionizer is a RF driven spark gap. claim 24 27. A high energy source as in  claim 25  wherein said preionizer is a RF driven surface discharge. claim 25 28. A high energy source as in  claim 25  wherein said preionizer is a corona discharge. claim 25 29. A high energy source as in  claim 24  wherein said preionizer comprises a spiker circuit. claim 24 30. 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 31. A high energy source as in  claim 30  wherein said window is comprised of a sheet of a solid material having a thickness of less than 1 micron. claim 30 32. A high energy source as in  claim 30  wherein said material is chosen from group of materials consisting of beryllium and silicon. claim 30 33. A high energy photon source as in  claim 30  and further comprising a focusing means for focusing said radiation on to said windows. claim 30 34. 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