JPH0548185A - Gas laser device preliminary ionization device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to provide proper ionization strength and extend the service life of spare ionization pins. CONSTITUTION:A spare ionization pin 10 connected with a charging section 1a and a discharging section 12 in parallel and a peaking capacitor 8 on the other side placed in parallel with a peaking capacitor 7 on one side are linearly connected with a serial circuit 10a of the peaking capacitor 8 on the other side. Since the current flowing in the spare ionization pin 10 is reduced and controlled by the peaking capacitor 7 on the side, it is possible to make proper the strength of the spare ionization in the spare ionization pin 10 and reduce the consumption of the spare ionization pin 10 and extend its service life.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a preionization device for a gas laser device applied to a gas laser device such as an excimer laser or a CO ₂ laser used for photochemical reaction or material processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional gas laser device is shown in FIGS.
Shown in. 3 and 5, the electric energy supplied from the power supply to the charging high-voltage terminal 1 and the ground terminal 2 passes through the inductances 4 and 6, and the storage capacitor 5
Accumulated in.

When the high voltage switch 3 is closed in this state,
The electrical energy stored in the storage capacitor is
The peaking capacitor 1 passes through the inductance 4, the switch 3, the smoothing inductance 9, and the preionization pin 10.
Go to 3 or 14. At this time, a preliminary discharge occurs in the preliminary ionization pin 10, and electrons are supplied to the discharge section 12.

After that, when the condition for the discharge section 12 to easily and uniformly discharge is established, the peaking capacitor 13 or 14 is reached.
Electrical energy is injected into the discharge part 12 from the discharge electrode 11 through the discharge electrode 11 to generate laser discharge.

In the conventional gas laser device, as shown in FIG.
The electric energy is peaking capacitor 1 as shown in
3, the electrons are generated in the preionization pin 10 to perform the preionization, or the preionization is performed at the time of shifting to the peaking capacitor 14 and at the time of injecting the electric energy into the discharge part 12 as shown in FIG. However, all the currents flowing in the peaking capacitors 13 or 14 in these circuits were involved in the preionization.

[0006]

In the ionization by the preliminary discharge in the conventional device, the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted is determined by the current flowing through the preliminary ionization pin, and this light generates electrons in the discharge part. .. Since the ultraviolet light intensity is proportional to the n-th power (n> 1) of the amount of current in the shaded area in FIGS. 4 and 6, the method shown in FIG. 5 has a higher ultraviolet light intensity than the method shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the life of the preionization pin is inversely proportional to the time integration of the current value in the shaded area in FIGS. 4 and 6 (area of the shaded area in FIGS. 4 and 6). Therefore, in the method shown in FIG. 5, since the integral value is large, the life of the preionization pin 10 is as shown in FIG.
It was shorter than the method shown in. From the above situation, there is a problem that the life of the preionization pin is short under the condition that the intensity of ultraviolet light is high.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems.

[0009]

A preionization device for a gas laser device according to the present invention is a gas laser device having a charging part and a discharging part connected so as to form a loop,
One of the peaking capacitors connected in parallel to the charging part and the discharging part, and a series circuit formed by connecting in parallel the pre-ionization pin and the other peaking capacitor connected in parallel to the same peaking capacitor. There is.

[0010]

In the above description, when the electric energy stored in the charging section is discharged from the charging section, it is stored in one peaking capacitor and also flows into the other peaking capacitor via the preionization pin to be stored therein. The electric energy accumulated in each peaking capacitor is injected into the discharge part when the conditions for uniform discharge in the discharge part are satisfied, and the discharge part generates laser discharge.

When the other peaking capacitor is charged and discharged, preliminary discharge is performed by the preliminary ionization pin and electrons are supplied to the discharge portion, which contributes to the formation of conditions for discharge in the discharge portion.

In the present invention, one peaking capacitor is connected in parallel in the series circuit formed by the preionization pin and the other peaking capacitor.
All the electric energy supplied to the discharge part for discharging is supplied not only from the other peaking capacitor but also from one peaking capacitor.

Therefore, when the electric energy supplied to the discharge unit is the same as that of the conventional device, the charging / discharging current flowing through the preionization pin can be made smaller than that of the conventional device, and the capacity of one peaking capacitor is reduced. The current value can be set to an appropriate value by selection.

Since the current flowing through the preliminary current pin is adjusted as described above, the intensity of preliminary ionization in the preliminary ionization pin can be made moderate, the consumption of the preliminary ionization pin can be reduced, and the life of the preliminary ionization pin can be extended. Become.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a preionization device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the preionization apparatus of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a high voltage switch 3 having a charging high voltage terminal 1 and a grounding terminal 2 respectively connected to both ends thereof is connected to a high voltage inductance 4, a storage capacitor 5, and a charging inductance 6 in sequence. A gas laser device comprising: a charging unit 1a that is connected to form a loop; and a discharging unit 12 that is connected to a charging inductance 6 of the charging unit 1a to form a loop and discharge electrodes 11 are provided at both ends. A peaking capacitor 7, which is connected in parallel to the charging inductance 6 and the discharging unit 12,
And a series circuit 10a which is connected in parallel to the capacitor 7 and is formed by sequentially connecting a smoothing inductance 9, a preionization pin 10 and a peaking capacitor 8.

In the above, when a power source is connected between the charging high-voltage terminal 1 and the ground terminal 2, the electric energy supplied between the terminals 1 and 2 passes through the inductances 4 and 6 and the storage capacitor as in the conventional device. Accumulated in 5.

When the high voltage switch 3 is closed in this state,
The electric energy stored in the storage capacitor 5 passes through the inductance 4 and the switch 3 and is stored in the peaking capacitor 7, while the inductance 4,
Switch 3, smoothing inductance 9 and preionization pin 1
It is accumulated in the peaking capacitor 8 through 0.

The electrical energy stored in the peaking capacitors 7 and 8 is injected into the discharge section 12 through the discharge electrode 11 when the conditions for generating a uniform discharge in the discharge section 12 are satisfied, and a laser discharge is generated. However, when electric energy is accumulated in the peaking capacitor 8 and when electric energy is injected from the peaking capacitor 8 through the discharge electrode 11 into the discharge part 12, a preliminary discharge occurs in the preionization pin 10, The supply of electrons to the discharge part 12 contributes to the formation of discharge conditions for the discharge part 12.

Let the capacitances of the peaking capacitors 7 and 8 be C _P1 and C _P2 , respectively, and let the capacitances of the peaking capacitors 13 and 14 of the conventional devices shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 be C _P3 and C _P4 , respectively. And C _P1 + C _P2 = C _P3 = C _P4 , and the respective peaking capacitors 7, 8, 13,
The relationship between the currents flowing through 14 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 6.

The currents 15 and 16 flowing in the peaking capacitors 7 and 8 shown in FIG. 2 are equal to the currents 18 and 19 flowing in the peaking capacitor 13 shown in FIG. 4, and the currents 20 and 21 flowing in the peaking capacitor 14 shown in FIG.
Is equal to In the case of the current 21 that contributes to the preliminary ionization shown in FIG. 6, the current value is large and the ultraviolet is strong, but the preliminary current pin 1
The life of 0 is short. Current 1 contributing to preionization shown in FIG.
In No. 8, since the current value is small, the life of the pin 10 is long, but ultraviolet light is weak. Therefore, by selecting C _P2 so as to have an appropriate current value in the middle of the two, the current 17 flowing in the peaking capacitor 8 shown in FIG. In addition, the life of the preionization pin 10 can be extended.

As described above, since the current flowing through the preionization pin is adjusted, the intensity of preionization in the preionization pin is moderated, the consumption of the preionization pin is reduced, and the life of the preionization pin can be extended.

The peaking capacitors 7 and 8 are arranged on one side of the discharge part 12 and the electrode 11 as shown in FIG.
As a division, the discharge part 12 and the electrode 11 are arranged symmetrically with each other, or the peaking capacitor 7 is arranged on one side of the discharge part 12 and the electrode 11, and the peaking capacitor 8 is provided.
May be arranged on the other side.

Further, at least two or more preionization pins 10 are arranged, these are grouped into two systems and connected to the peaking capacitors 8 divided into two, respectively.
The peaking capacitors 8 can be connected together in a system, and in any case, the same effect as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

[0024]

The preionization device for a gas laser device of the present invention is a preionization device in which one peaking capacitor is connected in parallel to a series circuit of a preionization pin connected in parallel to the charging part and the discharge part and the other peaking capacitor. Since the current flowing in the ionization pin is reduced and adjusted by one peaking capacitor, it is possible to make the intensity of preionization in the preionization pin moderate, reduce the wear of the preionization pin, and extend its life. Become.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an electric circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a current flowing through the electric circuit according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an electric circuit according to an example of a conventional device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a current flowing through an electric circuit according to an example of the conventional device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an electric circuit according to another example of the conventional device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a current flowing in an electric circuit according to another example of the conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 high-voltage terminal for charging 1a charging part 2 ground terminal 3 high-voltage switch 4 high-voltage inductance 5 storage capacitor 6 charging inductance 7,8 peaking capacitor 9 smoothing inductance 10 preionization pin 10a series circuit 11 discharge electrode 12 discharge part 15, 16,17 current

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Masanori Masumoto 4-6-22 Kannon Shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima City Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Hiroshima Research Institute (72) Kenichi Yanagi 4-6-22 Kannon Shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima No. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Hiroshima Research Laboratory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A gas laser device comprising a charging part and a discharging part connected to form a loop, wherein one peaking capacitor connected in parallel to the charging part and the discharging part, and the other peaking capacitor. A preionization device for a gas laser device, comprising a series circuit formed by connecting the preionization pins connected in parallel and the other peaking capacitor in series.