Patent ID: 8354893

Claim:
A method of optimizing the performance of a gas laser, said gas laser being driven by RF power source and wherein the load associated with the laser is unknown, said method comprising the steps of: providing an electrical connection between the power source and the laser, said connection including first and second transmission-line sections each thereof having first and second opposite ends, with the first end of the first section being connected to the source, the second end of the first section being connected to the first end of the second section via a node therebetween, and the second end of the second section being connected to the load, with each of the first and second transmission-line sections having an electrical length equal to or less than about one-twelfth of a wavelength at the source-frequency, said connection including an electrical component having an electrical characteristic connected to the node between the first and second transmission-line sections, with the electrical characteristic of the component being selectively variable; and varying the electrical characteristic of the component while operating the laser to find the value for the component that optimizes the transfer of the power between the source and the laser.