Gas discharge laser, method of operating a gas discharge laser, and use of a sintered filter

US6798814B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Tui Laser AG · DE

Inventors

• Stephan Geiger · Wurmlingen, DE
• Claus Strowitzki · Gilching, DE
• Tobias Pflanz · Munich, DE
• Ansgar Matern · Germering, DE
• Thomas Petracek · Munich, DE
• Martin Kappels · Deggendorf, DE
• Andreas Goertler · Weil, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 25, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 28, 2004
• Expiry date: Nov 6, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/0346
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a gas discharge laser including a discharge tube (1), in which a gas is present and which has at least one aperture (19) through which a laser beam emerges or at which a laser beam is reflected. For withdrawing a partial amount of the gas contained in the discharge tube (1), at least one gas withdrawal point (9) is present, from which the withdrawn gas is supplied to a sintered filter (11) for being cleaned. The cleaned gas may be led in via at least one gas inlet point (27) in the zone of the aperture (19). The invention further relates to a method of operating a gas discharge laser, and the use of a sintered filter for cleaning gas withdrawn from a discharge tube (1) of a gas discharge laser.