Laser gas replenishment method

US6965624B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lambda Physik AG · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Stephan Albrecht · Göttingen, DE
• Klaus Vogler · Eckental, DE
• Juergen Kleinschmidt · Oettingen, DE
• Thomas Schroeder · Oettingen, DE
• Igor Bragin · Göttingen, DE
• Vadim Berger · Oebisfelde, DE
• Uwe Stamm · Göttingen, DE
• Wolfgang Zschocke · Göttingen, DE
• Sergei V. Govorkov · Mountain View, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 6, 2003
• Grant date: Nov 15, 2005
• Expiry date: Sep 5, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/1055
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for stabilizing output beam parameters of a gas discharge laser by maintaining a molecular fluorine component of the laser gas mixture at a predetermined partial pressure using a gas supply unit and a processor. The molecular fluorine is provided at an initial partial pressure and is subject to depletion within the laser discharge chamber. Injections of gas including molecular fluorine are performed each to increase the partial pressure of molecular fluorine by a selected amount in the laser chamber preferably less than 0.2 mbar per injection, or 7% of an amount of F2 already within the laser chamber. A number of successive injections may be performed at selected intervals to maintain the constituent gas substantially at the initial partial pressure for maintaining stable output beam parameters. The amount per injection and/or the interval between injections may be varied based on the measured value of the driving voltage and/or a calculated amount of the molecular fluorine in the discharge chamber. The driving voltage is preferably determined to be in one of multiple driving voltage ranges that are adjusted based on the aging of the system. Withi…