DISCHARGE LASER HAVING SPUTTERING CAVITY AND ELECTRODE INCLUDING DISCHARGE PEAK

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser having a chamber including long lifetime electrodes in an electric discharge laser.;SOLUTION: A gas discharge laser comprises the laser chamber including two slender electrode members each having a discharge zone which has an optimum array of discharge peaks and sputtering cavities. Each cavity supplies sputtering metal ion contributing to a plasma between the electrodes, and supports a glow discharge. The peak brings about a high electric field for creating many filament discharges. Though the electrodes are gradually eroded, a discharge region is confined in the array of the peaks and the cavities. Accordingly, the shape of the discharge is substantially constant for pulses of billions. A pulse power system supplies electric pulses of at least 2 joules in a number of repetition of at least 1 kilohertz.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2002,JPO