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 thin film forming apparatus using a laser includes a chamber (1), a target (5) placed therein, a laser light source (10) for emitting a laser beam to target 5, and a substrate holder (3). When the target is irradiated with a laser beam, a plume (15) is generated, and materials included in plume 15 are deposited on the surface of a substrate (2) held by the substrate holder (3). A magnetic field is generated to direct the plume. The magnetic field can be parallel to the surface of the substrate or in another embodiment a cusp magnetic field can be used (see FIG. 130).

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: At least the opposing surface portions of the main electrodes of an excimer laser device are covered with materials which are resistive to chemical etching than nickel. The etching resistive material may be a platinum based alloy containing rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, or osmium; a nickel based alloy containing gold, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, or osmium; or rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, or osmium. Thus, an excimer laser device is realized by which the lives of the electrodes and the laser gas are prolonged.

Abstract: A discharge pumping circuit of spiker/sustainer type for the Excimer laser oscillator, wherein spiker unit is isolated from the sustainer unit by a switching device such as a magnetic isolator is disclosed. In the pumping circuit, the switching device shifts from its OFF state to its ON state, during the process of charging a spiker capacitor, before its terminal voltage reaches a voltage which initiates the discharge, and a sharp-rise pulse voltage is applied by a transfer of electric charge from said sustainer capacitor to said spiker capacitor, to initiate the discharge for the pumping. In another discharge-pumping circuit which also has a means for preionizing the laser gas, the timing for the preionization is set to start after the initiation of charging the sustainer capacitor and before the initiation of charging the spiker capacitor in a polarity opposite to that of the sustainer capacitor, and is controlled for maintaining the discharge initiating voltage constant for the repetition frequency.

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: 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 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