Narrow band excimer or molecular fluorine laser with adjustable bandwidth

US6298080A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Lambda Physik AG · DE

Inventors

• Peter Heist · Jena, DE
• Jürgen Kleinschmidt · Hersbruck, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 1, 1999
• Grant date: Oct 2, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 1, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/225
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A line-narrowed excimer or molecular fluorine laser system includes a gain medium surrounded by a resonator for generating a laser beam, a discharge circuit including a plurality of electrodes for energizing the gain medium and a line-narrowing unit within the resonator for narrowing the bandwidth of the laser system. The resonator includes a deformable resonator reflector. A technique for adjusting the bandwidth of the laser system includes adjusting a surface contour of the deformable resonator reflector. A desired bandwidth may be selected manually or using a processor which automatically controls the surface contour adjustment.