Excimer laser device

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To generate specially even microwave discharge plasma and to enhance the efficiency of a laser by a method wherein excimer laser gas is encapsulated between a conductor wall forming part of a microwave circuit for performing laser excitation by discharging a microwave having an electric field component vertical to the boundary between a dielectric and plasma and the dielectric, which is provided in opposition to this conductor wall and is used as a microwave incident window. CONSTITUTION:The discharge of high-voltage excimer laser gas encapsulated in a discharge space 25 is broken by a microwave electromagnetic field to generate a plasma, the plasma is produced and a state population inversion of is obtained. In case a mode of a microwave having an electric field component vertical to the boundary between a dielectric 24 and the plasma is formed by a microwave circuit, a mode of microwave having an electric field component vertical to the boundary between the plasma and a conductor wall 23 as well is formed because the dielectric 24 and the wall 23 oppose to each other and an electric field to penetrate the plasma is formed. Accordingly, the microwave infiltrates in the plasma, a current to penetrate the plasma flows and specially even discharge plasma is generated in the depth direction of the plasma from the continuity of this current.

Inventors

• 👤 Junichi Nishimae
• 👤 Kenji Yoshizawa
• 👤 Masakazu Taki
• 👤 Tadashi Yanagi
• 👤 Yoshihiro Ueda

Bibliographic Details