JPH066523Y2 - Lateral discharge excitation pulse gas laser - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention requires preionization, such as an excimer laser or a TEACO ₂ laser, and a pair of a ground side electrode and a high voltage electrode (hereinafter referred to as a main discharge electrode). The present invention relates to a so-called lateral discharge excitation pulse gas laser (hereinafter referred to as a pulse gas laser) that excites a laser by a discharge (hereinafter, main discharge) in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis using a pair).

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an example of a conventional pulse gas laser.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of ground-side electrode bodies 8 connected to the ground-side electrode 11 and the peaking capacitors 1 respectively.
A plurality of high-voltage side electrode bodies 9 connected to the high-voltage side electrode 12 via 3 form a pair, and along the main discharge electrode pair of the ground-side electrode 11 and the high-voltage side electrode 12, the main discharge electrode pair An arc discharge for preionization of ultraviolet rays is obtained between a pair of the ground side electrode body 8 and the high voltage side electrode body 9 which are provided in the longitudinal direction of the optical axis. Further, the grounding lead body 10 is used to ground the grounding side electrode 11.

Such a conventional pulse gas laser is described in the document "Journal of Applied Physics 54 [12] (1985)" Technical Note "High repetition high power excimer laser"".

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the conventional pulse gas laser as shown in FIG. 3, in order to obtain a stable and highly efficient laser output, the number of the ground side electrode body 8 and the high voltage side electrode body 9 that make a pair is increased. It is necessary to increase the number of arc discharges for UV preionization.

An object of the present invention is to obtain arc discharge for preionization of ultraviolet rays between the grounding lead body and the high-voltage side electrode body, thereby eliminating the need for the grounding-side electrode body, and to provide one high-voltage side electrode body. To obtain a desired number of arc discharges with half the number of high-voltage side electrode bodies required in the conventional pulse gas laser.

[Means for solving problems]

The pulse gas laser of the present application requires pre-ionization, and laterally excites laser by main discharge in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of a pair of main discharge electrodes each having a ground side electrode and a high voltage side electrode parallel to the optical axis. In the directional discharge excitation pulsed gas laser, the ground-side electrodes are grounded by using rod-shaped or plate-shaped grounding lead bodies arranged along the main discharge electrode pair in the direction of the optical axis, and the adjacent grounding leads are grounded. A high-voltage side electrode body connected to the high-voltage side electrode via a peaking capacitor is installed in the middle of the body, and two adjacent ground lead bodies and the high-voltage side electrode body sandwiched by the two ground lead bodies are provided. Between the two, it is configured to generate two arc discharges for preionization of ultraviolet rays.

[Action]

Since the high-voltage side electrode body is sandwiched between the two adjacent grounding lead bodies, two arc discharges for ultraviolet preionization occur between the high-voltage side electrode body and the two adjacent grounding lead bodies. . Therefore, the ground side electrode body is unnecessary, and two arc discharges can be obtained with one high voltage side electrode body,
The desired number of arc discharges can be obtained with half the number of high voltage side electrode bodies required in a conventional pulse gas laser.

〔Example〕

 Next, examples will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are perspective views of a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the pulse gas laser of the present invention, each showing a portion related to the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, laser excitation is performed by the main discharge in the main discharge electrode pair formed by the ground side electrode 3 and the high voltage side electrode 4, and as the ground lead body 1, along the main discharge electrode pair, A high voltage side electrode body of a T-shaped rod-shaped metal in which a plurality of rod-shaped metals are installed in the optical axis direction which is the longitudinal direction of the main discharge electrode pair, and one end is connected to the peaking capacitor 5 and the other end is branched into two. 2 is installed in the middle of two adjacent ground lead bodies 1.

In this embodiment, when a high-voltage pulse voltage is applied between the high-voltage side electrode 4 and the ground lead body 1, the high-voltage side electrode body 2 in the middle of the adjacent ground lead bodies 1 branches into two.
Arc discharge occurs between each tip of the letter-shaped portion and the ground lead bodies 1 on both sides.

As described above, according to the present invention, since two arc discharges for preionization of ultraviolet rays can be obtained with one high-voltage side electrode body 2, the high-voltage side electrode body 2 necessary for obtaining stable and highly efficient laser output can be obtained. The number can be reduced. Further, the grounding side electrode body for obtaining the arc discharge becomes unnecessary.

Next, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, as a high-voltage side electrode body, instead of the high-voltage side electrode body 2 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
A plate-shaped metal ground lead having a rod-shaped metal high-voltage side electrode body 7 whose one end is connected to the peaking capacitor 5 and a metal rod standing vertically toward the high-voltage side electrode body 7 instead of the ground lead body 1. Body 6 is used.

In this embodiment, when a high voltage pulse voltage is applied between the high voltage side electrode 4 and the ground lead body 6, the high voltage side electrode body 7 installed in the middle of the adjacent ground lead body 6 and the high voltage side electrode body 7 from both sides. An arc discharge is generated between each of the metal rods, which are vertically oriented to the plate-shaped metal which is the grounded lead body 6 and which is oriented.

Also in this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Although the rod-shaped metal is used as the grounding lead body in the first embodiment, it may be a plate-shaped metal body, and the metal rod is used as the high-voltage side electrode body in the second embodiment, but a plate-shaped metal may be used. . Further, in the first and second embodiments, the ground lead body and the high voltage side electrode body are installed along only one side of the main discharge electrode pair, but they may be installed along both sides.

[Effect of device]

Compared with the conventional pulse gas laser, the pulse gas laser with the configuration according to the present invention can obtain a stable and highly efficient laser output even if the number of high voltage side electrode bodies is reduced to half, and the ground side electrode body is unnecessary. Therefore, there is an effect that the device can be simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 are perspective views of a portion of the pulse gas laser according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention relating to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional pulse gas laser. 1, 6 ... Ground lead body, 2, 7 ... High-voltage side electrode body, 3
…… Ground side electrode, 4 …… High voltage side electrode, 5 …… Peaking capacitor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A lateral direction in which laser excitation is performed by a main discharge in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of a pair of main discharge electrode pairs which require preliminary ionization and each have a ground side electrode and a high voltage side electrode parallel to the optical axis. In the discharge-excited pulsed gas laser, the ground-side electrodes are grounded by using a rod-shaped or plate-shaped grounding lead body arranged along the main discharge electrode pair in the optical axis direction, and the adjacent grounding lead bodies are grounded. A high-voltage side electrode body connected to the high-voltage side electrode via a peaking capacitor is installed in the middle of, and the two adjacent ground lead bodies and the high-voltage side electrode body sandwiched by the two ground lead bodies are A transverse discharge excitation pulsed gas laser characterized by causing two arc discharges for ultraviolet preionization between the two.