Extreme repetition rate gas discharge laser
US6442181B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 6, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/2207
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A gas discharge laser capable of operating at pulse rates in the range of 4,000 Hz to 6,000 Hz at pulse energies in the range of 5 mJ to 10 mJ or greater. Important improvements over prior art designs include: (1) a laser chamber having a gas flow path with a gradually increasing cross section downstream of the discharge electrodes to permit recovery a large percentage of the pressure drop in the discharge region, (2) a squirrel cage type fan for producing gas velocities through the discharge region of more than 76 m/s and capable of continuous trouble-free operation for several months, (3) a heat exchanger system capable of removing in excess of 16 kw of heat energy from the laser gas (4) a pulse power system capable of providing precisely controlled electrical pulses to the electrodes needed to produce laser pulses at the desired pulse energies in the range of 5 mJ to 10 mJ or greater at pulse repetition rates in the range of 4,000 Hz to 6,000 Hz or greater and (5) a laser beam measurement and control system capable of measuring pulse energy wavelength and bandwidth on a pulse-to-pulse laser with feedback pulse-to-pulse control of pulse energy and wavelength.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.