Abstract: An excimer laser is disclosed in which a gas-discharge is formed for exciting an excimer-forming lasing-gas mixture. The gas discharge is formed between an elongated anode electrode and a elongated cathode electrode. The anode is in contact with a dielectric surface and the cathode is supported above the dielectric surface, laterally spaced from and parallel to the anode. The gas-discharge has a surface-discharge or sliding discharge portion extending from the anode over the dielectric surface, and a volume-discharge portion connecting the sliding-discharge portion to the cathode. The volume-discharge excites the lasing-gas mixture. A laser resonator is arranged to generate laser radiation from the excited gas mixture. The sliding-discharge has homogeneous, stable characteristics that are inherited by the volume-discharge. An ion-wind generator provides circulation of the lasing-gas mixture through the volume-discharge.

Abstract: An excimer laser has a laser chamber containing a laser gas and including an electrode assembly for firing gas discharge pulses in the laser gas for pumping the laser. The electrode assembly includes two elongated electrodes, one or both of which is partially covered by a ceramic foam. The electrodes are arranged to provide a discharge gap between the electrodes. The ceramic foam on an electrode serves to damp acoustic disturbances and resulting refractive index disturbances in the gas that occur as a result of firing a gas discharge pulse in the discharge gap.