Air-cooled carbon-dioxide laser

1. A laser apparatus, comprising:

an elongated, gas-filled resonator unit;

an elongated radio-frequency (RF) power supply unit for energizing gas in the resonator unit, the resonator and power supply units aligned, spaced apart and parallel to each other;

an elongated cooling unit including a plurality of elongated fins separating the power supply and resonator units, the fins being spaced and parallel to each other and extending in a length direction of the power supply and resonator units, opposite side edges of the fins being in direct thermal contact with the resonator unit and the power supply unit respectively; and

a plurality of fans arranged to drive air between the spaced-apart fins for cooling the power supply and resonator units.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas in the resonator unit is a mixture of gases including carbon dioxide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at about the center thereof, and expelled from opposite ends of the cooling unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at opposite ends thereof, and expelled from the center of the cooling unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at one end thereof and drawn out the cooling unit at an opposite end thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power-supply unit includes an RF power-supply assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB) and the resonator unit includes a ceramic plate having at least one waveguide-channel in a surface thereof for guiding a lasing mode of the laser, and wherein the PCB and the ceramic plate are in thermal communication with the cooling unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the waveguide-channeled surface of the ceramic plate faces the cooling unit.

8. A laser apparatus, comprising:

an elongated, gas-filled resonator unit;

an elongated radio-frequency (RF) power supply unit for energizing gas in the resonator unit, the resonator and power supply units aligned, spaced apart and parallel to each other;

an elongated cooling unit including a plurality of elongated fins separating the power supply and resonator units, the fins being spaced and parallel to each other and extending in a length direction of the power supply and resonator units;

a plurality of fans arranged to drive air between the spaced-apart fins for cooling the power supply and resonator units, wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at about the center thereof, and expelled from opposite ends of the cooling unit; and

the apparatus further including a plenum region aligned with the fans, said plenum region being positioned such that the plenum region takes the place of portions of the fins, said plenum region including baffles to direct air flow into the spaces between the fins.

9. A laser apparatus, comprising:

an elongated, gas filled resonator unit;

an elongated radio-frequency (RF) power supply unit for energizing gas in the resonator unit, the resonator and power supply units aligned, spaced apart and parallel to each other;

an elongated cooling unit including a plurality of elongated fins separating the power supply and resonator units, the fins being spaced and parallel to each other and extending in a length direction of the power supply and resonator units; and

a plurality of fans arranged to drive air between the spaced-apart fins for cooling the power supply and resonator units, the resonator and power-supply units each having a base in thermal communication with the cooling unit, with an RF power-supply mounted on the base of the power-supply unit and a resonator assembly mounted on the base of the resonator-unit, the base of the power-supply unit having a first thickness and the base of the resonator unit having a second thickness, and wherein the first and second thicknesses are selected such that the laser apparatus is thermo-mechanically neutral and wherein opposite side edges of the fins are in direct thermal contact with the base of the resonator unit and the base of the power supply respectively.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first thickness is less than the second thickness.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the gas in the resonator unit is a mixture of gases including carbon dioxide.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at about the center thereof, and expelled from opposite ends of the cooling unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at opposite ends thereof, and expelled from the center of the cooling unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fans are arranged such that air is drawn into the cooling unit at one end thereof and drawn out the cooling unit at an opposite end thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the RF power-supply is assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB) and the resonator assembly includes a ceramic plate having at least one waveguide-channel in a surface thereof for guiding a lasing mode of the laser, and wherein the PCB and the ceramic plate are in thermal communication with respectively the base of the resonator-unit and the base of the power-supply unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the waveguide-channeled surface of the ceramic plate faces the cooling unit.

17. A laser apparatus comprising:

an elongated housing formed from a single piece of aluminum, said housing including a lower chamber holding electrodes and a laser gas, said lower chamber being terminated on opposite ends by laser mirrors, said housing further including an upper chamber holding a power supply for energizing the electrodes, said housing further including a plurality of spaced-apart machined fins extending between the opposite ends of the housing and being located between and directly connected to both the upper and lower chambers;

a pair of opposed plenum regions located intermediate the length of the housing and on the side edges of the housing extending into the region of the fins, said plenum regions including baffles for directing air flow to the spaces between the fins; and

a plurality of fans, aligned with the plenum regions, for driving air into the spaces between the fins and out the opposite ends of the housing.