Electrostatic precipitator corona discharge ignition voltage probe for gas status detection and control system for gas discharge lasers

US6721345B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lambda Physik AG · DE

Inventors

• Igor Bragin · Göttingen, DE
• Juergen Kleinschmidt · Oettingen, DE
• Gerhard Ahlborn · Harste, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 12, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 13, 2004
• Expiry date: Apr 29, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/036
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An excimer or molecular fluorine laser system is provided which emits a laser beam during operation and has a gas mixture with a gas composition initially provided within a discharge chamber. The laser system includes a discharge chamber containing a laser gas mixture at least including a halogen-containing species and a buffer gas, multiple electrodes within the discharge chamber and connected to a discharge circuit for energizing the gas mixture, a resonator for generating a laser beam, an electrostatic precipitator for having a voltage applied thereto and for receiving and precipitating contaminant particulates from a flow of the gas mixture, and a processor for monitoring the corona discharge ignition voltage of the electrostatic precipitator and for determining a status of said gas mixture based on the monitored voltage.