Abstract: A thin film forming apparatus using laser includes a chamber (1), a target (5) placed therein, a laser light source (10) for emitting laser beam to target (5), and a substrate holder (3). When target (5) is irradiated with laser beam (16), a plume (15) is generated, and materials included in plume (15) are deposited on the surface of a substrate (2) held by substrate holder (3). The laser beam emitted from laser light source (10) has its cross section shaped to a desired shape when passed through a shielding plate (4804), for example, so that the surface of the target (5) is irradiated with the beam having uniform light intensity distribution. Therefore, a plume (15) having uniform density distribution of active particles is generated, and therefore a thin film of high quality can be formed over a wide area with uniform film quality, without damaging the substrate.

Abstract: A thin film forming apparatus using laser includes a chamber (1), a target (5) placed therein, a laser light source (10) for emitting laser beam to target (5), and a substrate holder (3). When target (5) is irradiated with laser beam (16), a plume (15) is generated, and materials included in plume (15) are deposited on the surface of a substrate (2) held by substrate holder (3). The laser beam emitted from laser light source (10) has its cross section shaped to a desired shape when passed through a shielding plate (4804), for example, so that the surface of the target (5) is irradiated with the beam having uniform light intensity distribution. Therefore, a plume (15) having uniform density distribution of active particles is generated, and therefore a thin film of high quality can be formed over a wide area with uniform film quality, without damaging the substrate.

Abstract: The laser transfer machining apparatus comprises a shaping unit for shaping the laser beam so that the laser beam has a beam pattern which corresponds to a desired pattern to be machined in the object to be machined and a generating unit disposed separately from the shaping unit for simultaneously generating a plurality of laser beams each having the beam pattern from the laser beam shaped by the shaping unit. The generating unit is adapted to emit the plural laser beams while simultaneously defining a plurality of radiation directions of the generated plural laser beams to the object to be machined. The laser transfer machining apparatus can provide a high efficiency of utilization of light and reduce the time required for machining. Furthermore, the laser transfer machining apparatus can utilize a laser with a relatively low spatially coherence such as an eximer laser.

Abstract: A switch device used for a laser device, includes series-parallel connected switch elements or modules. The switch elements or modules are simultaneously turned on by trigger signals from trigger circuits. The transmission lines for connecting the trigger circuits to respective switch elements are equal to one another in length. A protecting circuit is provided for the switch elements, and indicators are provided for indicating the shortcircuit of the switch elements. In the switch device, the number of wires for the switch elements is made small and heat generated from the switch elements is effectively radiated. The modules are easily stacked, and firmly connected to a control unit for controlling the switch elements. A discharge excited laser device using the switch device has a high efficiency and a long lifetime and is reliable.

Abstract: A discharge-excited laser apparatus includes a pair of discharge electrodes extending in a direction of an optical axis; a plurality of charging capacitors charged by a power source; a plurality of peaking capacitors arranged in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the discharge electrodes and receiving energy accumulated in the charging capacitors; and a plurality of semiconductor switches arranged with conductive plates in the longitudinal direction of the discharge electrodes and connected in series and in parallel to the peaking capacitors. The construction of the semiconductor switches enables uniform shift of the energy in the charging capacitors to the peaking capacitors and reduction of inductance of a loop for capacity shifting.

Abstract: A wavelength monitor/stabilizer for narrowly controlling the bandwidth of laser; the monitor/stabilizer uses parameters Q, F or G derived by measuring diameters of interference fringes given by the beam of the wavelength-controlled narrow bandwidth laser e.g. excimer laser and those given by the reference light e.g. of a mercury lamp. The controlling is made by controlling the parameter to be in a predetermined range. An image sensing unit for detecting the interference fringes are splitted into plural image sensors with adjustable distance for enabling more rapid measurement by skipping the in-between part.

Abstract: A saturable reactor comprising a magnetic core (1) having an annular or an elongated race-track configuration, an electrical insulator (6) disposed around the magnetic core and a conductor winding (3) wound around the insulator (6). A coolant duct (7) is provided in the insulator to extend radially transversely across the magnetic core and having a radially separated inlet and outlet (8,9). A saturable reactor may comprises an annular magnetic core (51), a conductor winding including a first conductor (55) surrounded by the magnetic core (51) and a second conductor (56) disposed around the magnetic core and connected to the first conductor (55) through a load. A control winding (54) extends through the first and second conductors (55,56), and at least one of the first and second conductors (55,56) has a notch or a through hole (57,59) for insulatingly receiving the control winding (54) therein.

Abstract: Laser devices including a rough and a fine adjustment etalons are controlled for wavelength stabilization. Further, a power monitoring mechanism may be provided for measuring the output power of the laser beam, and the rough adjustment etalon is selectively controlled in response to the power monitoring mechanism or to the calculation means. Alternatively, a separate light source oscillating at a wavelength different from the oscillation wavelength of the laser resonator emits light which is split into two parts by a beam splitter. The beams of light emitted from the light source and reflected by the rough adjustment etalon are received by a pair of photosensors, and the rough adjustment etalon is controlled so as to minimize the differential output of the two photosensors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stabilizing the wavelength in a laser. The apparatus includes a first and second etalon for fine and rough tuning, respectively, of a laser oscillator. The output power and wavelength of the laser beam, for example, can be used to adjust these etalons to provide a constant output power and to counteract the change in etalon characteristics due to heat.

Abstract: A laser apparatus comprising a Fabry-Perot etalon for selecting a laser oscillation wavelength and a wavelength monitor means for monitoring a laser beam taken out from a laser oscillator whose wavelength is variable, whereby the pressure at the gap in the Fabry-Perot etalon is adjusted on the basis of a signal output from the wavelength monitor means. In order to adjust the pressure at the gap the Fabry-Perot etalon is hermetically sealed in a vessel containing a gas and the gas pressure is controlled on the basis of the output signal.

Abstract: Methods of controlling the wavelength and output power of a laser device with two intracavity etalons are disclosed, together with a wavelength monitor capable of detecting sidebands. A method is characterized by the usage of hot/cold parameter K which takes two values 0 and 1 indicating the cold and hot state of the device, respectively. The parameter K, which is reset to 0 at the start, is set to 1 when the laser beam is stabilized; it is reset to 0, whenever the lasing pause exceeds a predetermined time length. Preparatory starting steps are performed or omitted at the start, depending on the value of K. Another method is characterized by the adjustment of the intracavity etalons during the lasing pauses, in accordance with exponential functions with thermal time constants. The sideband detecting wavelength monitor comprises a single etalon whose free spectal region FSRm is selected with respect to that, FSR.sub.

Abstract: A laser wavelength is stabilized by deriving a portion of laser beam emitted from a wavelength variable laser oscillator, spectroscopically processing the laser beam portion by means of a wavelength monitor mechanism, measuring a spatial intensity distribution of the spectroscopically processed beam portion, spectroscopically processing light having a specific wavelength and measuring a spatial intensity distribution thereof, analyzing the measured spatial intensity distribution of the spectroscopically processed beam portion on the basis of the measured spatial intensity distribution of the spectroscopically processed light having the specific wavelength, and controlling wavelength of the laser oscillator according to a result of the analysis.

Abstract: A discharge excitation type short pulse laser device is provided with a preliminary ionization circuit, the effeciency of preliminary ionization of which is remarkably improved. The laser device comprises a main discharge circuit including first and second main electrodes which are confronted with each other in a laser medium, main discharge capacitor means for storing energy for main discharge, and a discharge starting high voltage switch; and a preliminary ionization circuit connected to said high voltage switch, said preliminary ionization circuit including a discharging gap for preliminary ionization, a preliminary ionization capacitor and an inductance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to excimer laser equipment which is one kind of gas laser, and in particular to a rare gas-halide excimer laser using rare gases and halogens as laser media, and adapted to control the concentration of halogens contained in laser media therewithin on the basis of the result of the measurement of the concentration of halogens in the laser media which is being used for the oscillation of laser rays therein, whereby the stabilized oscillation of the laser is always possible.

Abstract: A discharge excitation type short pulse laser device which is constructed with first and second main electrodes disposed in confrontation with the direction of the laser beam axis as their longitudinal direction, an auxiliary electrode provided on the rear surface part of the second main electrode and opposed to the second main electrode through the dielectric member, a pulse circuit for applying a pulse voltage across the first and second main electrodes, and a circuit for applying a voltage across the auxiliary electrode and the second main electrode, the circuit forming a part of the pulse circuit, or being independent of the pulse circuit, wherein the second main electrode is made of an electrically conductive material having a plurality of apertures therein, the second main electrode and the dielectric member are disposed in tight adhesion each other, and the second main electrode is thinly formed to enable creeping discharge to be produced on the surface of the dielectric member, thereby distributing el