Excimer laser device operable at high repetition rate and having high band-narrowing efficiency
View Patent ↗A narrow-band discharge excited laser device including a laser chamber having a laser gas sealed therein, a pair of electrodes provided within the laser chamber to face each other with a predetermined distance therebetween, a band-narrowing module having a magnifying prism and a grating and receiving laser light passing through a slit, and a cross-flow fan circulating the laser gas passing between the electrodes, in which a pulsed voltage is applied from a high-voltage power supply to the pair of electrodes to generate electric discharge between the electrodes, and the pair of electrodes have a width of 1 to 2 mm, a ratio between the electrode width and the inter-electrode distance (electrode with inter-electrode distance) being 0.25 to 0.125.
1. A narrow-band discharge excited laser device comprising:
a laser chamber having
a laser gas sealed therein,
a pair of electrodes provided therein, the pair of electrodes facing each other with a predetermined inter-electrode distance therebetween, and the pair of electrodes each having a width of 1 mm to 2 mm, and
a cross-flow fan for circulating the laser gas passing between the pair of electrodes;
a high-voltage power supply connected to the pair of electrodes; and
a band-narrowing module having a magnifying prism, a slit, and a grating;
wherein the band-narrowing module receives laser light generated by the laser chamber that passes through the slit,
wherein the high-voltage power supply applies a pulsed voltage to the pair of electrodes to generate electric discharge between the electrodes, and
wherein a ratio between the width of each of the pair of electrodes and the predetermined inter-electrode distance (electrode width/inter-electrode distance) is 0.25 to 0.125.
2. The narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 1 , wherein the slit of the band-narrowing module has a width of 2 mm or less.
3. The narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage power supply applies the pulsed voltage to the pair of electrodes at a repetition rate of 10 to 20 kHz.
4. The narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 2 , wherein the high-voltage power supply applies the pulsed voltage to the pair of electrodes at a repetition rate of 10 to 20 kHz.
5. A two-stage laser device comprising:
an oscillation stage laser (MO); and
an amplifier (PA) or an amplification stage laser (PO),
wherein the oscillation stage laser is the narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 1 .
6. A two-stage laser device comprising:
an oscillation stage laser (MO); and
an amplifier (PA) or an amplification stage laser (PO),
wherein the oscillation stage laser is the narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 2 .
7. A two-stage laser device comprising:
an oscillation stage laser (MO); and
an amplifier (PA) or an amplification stage laser (PO),
wherein the oscillation stage laser is the narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 3 .
8. A two-stage laser device comprising:
an oscillation stage laser (MO); and
an amplifier (PA) or an amplification stage laser (PO),
wherein the oscillation stage laser is the narrow-band discharge excited laser device according to claim 4 .