Apparatus for producing soft X-rays using a high energy laser beam
US4723262A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 26, 1985 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 26, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/10
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The soft X-ray apparatus of the present invention includes a vessel at low pressure or a vacuum in which a liquid target material, preferably mercury, is discharged in the form of a series of discontinuous droplets. The flow of the droplets of liquid target material is controlled by a control device, and synchronized with a high energy pulse beam, preferably a high energy laser pulse beam, provided by a laser device through a window in the vessel. In the preferred embodiment, this laser device also is controlled by the control device so that the laser pulse beam impinges a droplet of mercury inside the vessel to produce plasma to thereby generate soft X-rays. The droplets of mercury are sized to correspond to the size of the laser pulse beam at the point where the laser pulse beam impinges the droplet of mercury to maximize the strength of the soft X-rays and efficiently utilize the power of the high energy laser pulse beam. The soft X-rays exit the vessel through additional windows for subsequent use. A recovery mechanism is connected to the vessel to cover any unused liquid target material so that this material can be recirculated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.