Gas laser discharge pre-ionization using a simmer-discharge
US8391329B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 6, 2009 |
| Grant date | Mar 5, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 21, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/2232
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A gas discharge laser including a lasing gas between discharge electrodes and has a power supply for generating RF pulses to be delivered to the electrodes of the laser for energizing the lasing gas. A sequence of RF simmer pulses is delivered to the electrodes. The simmer pulses create sufficient free electrons in the lasing gas to facilitate subsequent ignition of the discharge while not causing laser action. RF lasing pulses having a longer duration than the simmer pulses are delivered to the electrodes to ignite the discharge and provide corresponding laser output pulses. Delivery of the simmer pulses is suspended during delivery of the lasing pulses to avoid amplitude or pulse-width modulation of the laser output pulses by the simmer pulses.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.