Low cost, high average power, high brightness solid state laser

Abstract

Abstract A high average power, high brightness solid state laser system. A laser produces a first pulse laser beam with a high pulse frequency. A pulse spacing selector removes from the first pulse laser beam more than 80 percent of the pulses to produce a second pulse laser beam having a series of periodically spaced short pulses in excess of 1,000 pulses per second. A laser amplifier amplifies the second pulse train to produce an amplified pulse laser beam which is focused to produce pulses with brightness levels in excess of 1011 Watts/cm2. A preferred embodiment produces an amplified pulse laser beam having an average power in the range of 1 KW, an average pulse frequency of 12,000 pulses per second with pulses having brightness levels in excess of 1014 Watts/cm2 at a 20 mu m diameter spot which is steered rapidly to simulate a larger spot size. These beams are useful in producing X-ray sources for lithography. As compared with prior art high brightness lasers, we have reduced the pulse duration by about 2 or 3 orders of magnitude, from a few ns to 100 ps or less. We achieve our very high brightness by focusing on a very small spot, but we are able to simulate a much larger spot by very rapidly steering our high average power beam over the area we need.

Inventors

• 👤 Harry Rieger
• 👤 Henry Shields
• 👤 Richard M. Foster

Bibliographic Details