Patent ID: 7897948

Claim:
Plasma discharge lamp for generating EUV radiation and/or soft X-rays by means of an electrically operated discharge, comprising at least two electrodes arranged in a discharge space at a distance from one another to form a gap which allows the ignition of a plasma ( 14 ) in a gaseous medium between said electrodes, a metal applying device to apply a metal to a surface of said electrodes, said electrodes being formed of conveyor belts ( 15 ) driven to transport the metal to said gap, wherein for each of the electrodes a shaper element ( 13 ), over which the conveyor belt ( 15 ) is moved, is provided at the gap to ensure a proper form and distance of the electrodes at the gap, and an energy beam device ( 4 ) adapted to direct an energy beam onto at least one of said surfaces in the gap evaporating said applied metal at least partially thereby producing said gaseous medium.