Method and apparatus for generating x-ray and/or extreme ultraviolet laser
US5317574A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 31, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 31, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S4/00
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing x-ray and/or extreme ultraviolet (EUV) is described. A liquid edge 2 is electrically connected to a cathode 8 via a high voltage pulse power supply 10. Liquid edge 2 is set to be parallel to cathode 8. When high voltage pulse power supply 10 is turned on, a vacuum discharge will occur in a space between liquid edge 2 and cathode 8. The plasma will be confined into a high density and high temperature thin plasma column 4 in a space near liquid edge 2 by strong magnetic field induced by the huge discharge current. A population inversion in the confined plasma column will lead to a amplified simultaneous emission of x-ray and/or EUV 6 along the axis of plasma column 4. Moreover, a large power x-ray and/or EUV laser can be built by using multi-liquid edge-shape anodes placed in a straight line and operated in a traveling-wave mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.