Abstract: A system for supplying Iodine gas to a laser cavity includes a cartridge for generating Iodine gas and delivery piping for transporting Iodine gas from the cartridge to the laser cavity. The cartridge includes a hollow, cylindrical casing having an open end. The casing contains a solid preheat material, a solid mixture containing Iodine, and a purge material. An ignitor squib is disposed in the casing near the open end to initiate a burn front. The burn front travels through the preheat material to generate hot gas for preheating the delivery piping, preventing Iodine gas condensation in the piping. Next, the burn front travels through the mixture containing Iodine to generate Iodine gas which flows through the preheated delivery piping to the laser cavity. The burn front then passes through the purge material generating a purge gas to remove any traces of corrosive Iodine gas from the delivery piping.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser device having a protective coating with a high-reliability formed on an end surface, and to a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, in forming a semiconductor laser device, an electrode comprising Au is patterned so that the electrode does not exist in the vicinity of a light emitting end surface. Thereby, even when an Si film is formed on the light emitting end surface, the Si film is prevented from contacting with the light emitting end surface. In addition, after patterning the electrode, an insulating film (a silicon nitride film) is formed on the electrode for preventing the Si in the protective coating on the end surface from contacting with Au in the electrode, even when the Si film contacts with a surface of the electrode.

Abstract: A compound intercavity interferometer for a free-electron laser (FEL) comprising at least two beam splitters positioned at a predetermined angles with respect to optical pathways. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of meaning of the claims.

Abstract: Passive thermal compensation for wavelength agile tuners provides high speed, accurate laser tuning over a wide range of wavelengths and temperatures. Thermal shims (104) and (106) closely coupled to agile tuning elements (100) perform wavelength offset corrections (73) in the rapidly changing thermal environment associated with high power pulse lasers. Sensor coupling mechanisms (114) compensate housing and tuning element for gain or band sensitivity thermal variations (62). Thermal injection from both wide temperature extreme ambient and tuned energy is accommodated. Improved thermal characteristics lead to a wider range of materials for higher performance and reduced metallurgical incompatibilities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ArF excimer laser apparatus for lithography capable of stretching the laser pulse width even when the repetition rate exceeds 4 kHz and also relates to a KrF excimer laser apparatus and fluorine laser apparatus for lithography capable of stretching the laser pulse width even when the repetition rate exceeds 2 kHz.

Abstract: A free-electron laser (FEL), which in a preferred embodiment comprises a relativistic electron beam generator; an optical cavity capable of storing a co-propagating optical beam; an interaction region; a phase displacement device disposed in the interaction region; and an output coupler interposed in the optical cavity through which a predetermined portion of the co-propagating optical beam exits as a coherent output optical beam. In certain embodiments, an optical beam spectral filter may be interposed in the optical cavity. FEL components and methods of use are also disclosed. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of meaning of the claims.

Abstract: The semiconductor laser has a resonance cavity composed of a gain chip, a Mach-Zehnder wide tuning port, and a wavelength-selective mirror component formed either as a ring resonator or a reflective Fabry-Perot etalon. Optical signals generated by the gain chip propagate through the wide tuning port and into the wavelength-selective mirror component and are then reflected back to the gain chip. The wavelength-selective mirror component is configured to reflect only those optical signals having wavelengths within a set of sharp peaks so that the laser cavity resonates only within the sharp peaks. The wavelength-selective mirror component is heated to adjust internal dimensions to maintain one of the sharp peaks at a selected emission wavelength. As optical signals pass through the wide tuning port, the signals are split between two channels of differing lengths resulting in optical interference.

Abstract: A laser-radiation source includes a laser delivering an output beam, a lens, and an optical arrangement for dividing the output beam into a main beam and an auxiliary beam. The main and auxiliary beams are coupled by the lens into entrance faces of respectively a main optical fiber and an auxiliary optical fiber. The entrance face of the main optical fiber is located on the optical axis of the lens. The entrance face of the auxiliary optical fiber is laterally displaced from the optical axis of the lens.

Abstract: A laser apparatus includes a master laser for emitting reference laser pulse light RPref having a wavelength of 914 nm and a pulse width of 0.5 ns; a microlens array for dividing the reference laser pulse light RPref into N pieces of light; optical fiber amplifiers 14-1 to 14-N being set to increase their length progressively in that order so as to have a propagation delay time of 0.5 ns, which is the pulse width of the divided pieces of reference laser pulse light DRPref1 to DRPrefN; a third harmonic generating unit for receiving the divided pieces of reference laser pulse light on which amplifying and delaying effects have been produced, and generating third harmonics TRD1 to TRDN having a wavelength of 305 nm and a pulse width of 0.5 ns; and an illuminating optical system for successively disposing the N third harmonics TRD1 to TRDN in parallel with each other, subjecting the N third harmonics TRD1 to TRDN to time multiplexing, and emitting the result.

Abstract: A timing synchronization device of a pulsed laser is composed of a first laser gain medium having a first gain region, a second laser gain medium having a second gain region that is not included in the first gain region, and first and second resonators provided with the first and second laser gain media, respectively, and arranged so that two laser pulses occurring in the first and second resonators, respectively, overlap with each other in one of the first and second laser gain media. The second laser gain medium has an oscillation wavelength at which the first laser gain medium crystal cannot cause oscillation.

Abstract: A discharge electrode for a laser device which can cause stable main discharge to occur is provided. To this end, the discharge electrode includes a cathode base (8) made of an insulating material for sealing up a chamber opening (7) provided in a laser chamber (2) for containing laser gases, a cathode (5) attached to the cathode base (8) with a bottom surface (5A) of the cathode (5) in contact therewith, and a plurality of high-voltage feeder rods (12) disposed in a longitudinal direction, penetrating through the cathode base (8) from an outside of the laser chamber (2) which supplies a high-voltage current to the cathode (5), in which an O-ring groove (22) for sealing in the laser gases is formed on the bottom surface of the cathode (5) to surround a plurality of holes (24) for fixing the high-voltage feeder rods (12) disposed on the bottom surface of the cathode (5).

Abstract: An optical pulse generator, consisting of a semiconductor device and an optical output assembly. The semiconductor device includes an optically-active region having a gain section and a saturable absorber (SA) section, which are adapted to generate coherent optical pulses. The device also includes an output facet for coupling therethrough of the optical pulses generated in the optically-active region, and an SA electrode for application of a radio-frequency (RF) modulation of a desired frequency to the SA section. The optical output assembly is optically coupled to the output facet of the semiconductor device so as to partially reflect the coherent optical pulses within a predetermined wavelength range.

Abstract: The present invention belongs to the field of optoectronics. The main content of the present invention is to determine the optimum cut-orientations of ReCOB crystal frequency-doubling devices. For an example, the cut-angles of the YCOB crystal for 1064 nm are &thgr;1=(65.9±5.0)°, &phgr;1=(36.9±5.0)° or &thgr;2=(66.3±5)°, &phgr;2=(143.5±5)°. The present invention has solved the problem of low frequency-doubling conversion efficiency in the prior technique. The frequency-doubling technique of the present invention has advantages of high frequency-doubling conversion efficiency and low energy dissipation, and is useful for the application of the ReCOB crystal.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods that provide a tunable laser output wavelength which varies linearly or with high predictability over time, and which can provide tuning speeds of greater than 100 nanometers per second. The apparatus includes a laser resonator cavity having first and second reflective elements, at least one of which is movable to provide a constant change in output wavelength with respect to time. A tuning assembly associated with the movable reflective element is structured, configured, and positioned to adjust the movable reflective elements such that constant changes in output wavelength and high tuning speeds are provided.

Abstract: An excimer laser apparatus using a bandwidth-narrowing optical system including a beam diameter-enlarging optical system and a Littrow mounting reflection type diffraction grating is made suitable for use as a laser light source for semiconductor lithography or the like by surmounting the limit to bandwidth narrowing due to wavefront distortion induced by the reflection type diffraction grating. In an excimer laser apparatus having a bandwidth-narrowing optical system including a Littrow mounting reflection type diffraction grating and a combination of a beam diameter-enlarging optical system and a slit placed on the entrance side of the reflection type diffraction grating, diffracted wavefront distortion (a measured value for He—Ne laser light) within the laser irradiation area of the reflection type diffraction grating in Littrow mounting is not more than &lgr;/10, where &lgr; is a measuring wavelength.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for generating a plurality of laser beams. The device comprises: a laser source emitting an initial beam at P wavelengths; a wavelength splitter assembly for splitting the initial beam into N intermediate beams where N≦P, each intermediate beam containing a group of wavelengths comprising at least one wavelength; and N′ energy splitter assemblies where N′≦N for splitting an intermediate beam into ni divisional beams, each of the ni divisional beams having substantially the same energy, whereby K divisional beams are obtained with K = N - N ′ + ∑ i = 1 i = N ′ ⁢ n i .

Abstract: Commercially available diode lasers are operated immersed in liquid nitrogen (LN2, 77 K), in another cryo-fluid, or are cryo-cooled (77 K-250 K) by conduction in all high-power (>0.1 W) applications. The result is higher output power per diode chip area, higher conversion efficiency, lower cost per watt of laser power, longer lifetime, higher reliability, smaller thermal gradients inside the laser chip and therefore better thermal management due to the higher thermal conductivity of the semiconductor and substrate material. The cryo-diode lasers are driven by cryogenically cooled and integrated power electronics ciruitry using Cryo-MOSFETs or Cryo-CMOS ICs. Applications of the Cryo-Diode Laser/Cryo-Driver assembly include generation of hyperpolarized He-3 or Xe-129 gases for inert gas magnetic resonance imaging of the airways in human beings, metal and materials working and processing with laser tools, “pumping” solid-state lasers and many others.

Abstract: A laser apparatus and method with compact cavity design that provides suppression of source spontaneous emission (SSE) and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light with minimal loss. The laser comprises a gain medium emitting a light beam along an optical path, a tuning element positioned in the optical path and configured feed back light of a selected wavelength to the gain medium and configured to define a first output beam directed along a first output path, a partial reflector located in the optical path and positioned to create a second output beam directed along a second output path substantially parallel to the first output path; and having a spontaneous emission component that is spatially separated from the selected wavelength. The second output beam can be coupled into optical fiber and produce a coherent light source with high spectral purity and tunable wavelengths.

Abstract: A wavelength calibration system determines an absolute wavelength of a narrowed spectral emission band of an excimer or molecular laser system. The system includes a module including an element which optically interacts with a component of an output beam of the laser within the tunable range of the laser system around the narrowed band. An inter-level resonance is detected by monitoring changes in voltage within the module, or photo-absorption is detected by photodetecting equipment. The absolute wavelength of the narrowed band is precisely determinable when the optical transitions occur and are detected. When the system specifically includes an ArF-excimer laser chamber, the module is preferably a galvatron containing an element that photo-absorbs around 193 nm and the element is preferably a gas or vapor selected from the group consisting of arsenic, carbon, oxygen, iron, gaseous hydrocarbons, halogenized hydrocarbons, carbon-contaminated inert gases, germanium and platinum vapor.

Abstract: A fiber-optic laser source capable of emitting one useful wavelength at a given time, electrically step-tunable to the ITU grid wavelengths, is disclosed. The laser preferably comprises a diode-pumped rare-earth doped fiber amplifier as gain medium, a periodic filter to define ITU grid lasing wavelengths, and a tunable filter electrically step tunable to any wavelength defined by the periodic filter. The arrangement is enclosed in a ring single mode optical fiber resonator. The ring resonator may be made, in part or in total, with polarization-maintaining optical fiber. The resonator also comprises in-line optical isolators to ensure unidirectional operation and to eliminate undesired reflections. A polarization controller and polarizer device and a gain-flattening filter may also be included within the resonator depending on the desired output characteristics of the laser. The laser may be designed to operate in single cavity longitudinal mode.