Continuous noble gas - halide - and / or noble gas - halogen excimer laser

摘要

Noble gas-halide and noble gas-halogen excimer lasers, capable of continuous high pressure (more than 10 LPa) gas discharge operation, are new. Also claimed are (i) laser electrodes for the excimer lasers, consisting of metal foils (max. 1mm. thick) combined with massive metallic, semiconductive and/or insulating bodies; and (ii) pre-ionisation discharge paths characterised by a discharge between three electrodes and an insulating layer. USE/ADVANTAGE - The lasers are useful in medicine and bio-technology, esp. in genetics, as well as in micro-lithography, photochemistry, spectroscopy, non-linear optics, inertial fusion and environmental protection diagostics. The lasers are continuous wave excimer lasers having high efficiency (up to 10%) and a miniaturised laser head. The elecrodes are resistant to high temps., to halogens or halides and to gas flow velocities of 100-1000 m./sec. The discharge path provides homogeneous pre-ionisation with high photon yields (more than 5eV) and self-limitation of photo-emission.