Abstract: A laser produced plasma light source comprises a vacuum chamber with a rotating target assembly supplying a target into an interaction zone with focused laser beam. The target is layer of a fluid and/or free-flowing target material on a surface of annular groove in the rotating target assembly. An output beam of short-wavelength radiation exits the interaction zone to an optical collector through the means for debris mitigation. A linear velocity of the target is not less than 100 m/s and a vector of the linear velocity of the target in the interaction zone is directed on one side of a plane passing through the interaction zone and the rotation axis while the focused laser beam and the output beam are located on another side of said plane. The optical collector comprises two ellipsoidal mirror units arranged in a tandem.

Abstract: A laser produced plasma (LPP) light source comprises a rotating target assembly supplying a target into an interaction zone with a focused beam of a high-repetition-rate pulsed laser. High effective cooling of the light source is provided by thermal radiation of a peripheral part of the rotating target assembly and through a meander-shaped gap between the rotating target assembly and a fixed heat exchanger with a gas blowing through the slit gap. In an embodiment, a sealing between the vacuum chamber and a shaft of rotating drive unit is provided by a magnetic fluid seal (MFS) with an additional heat exchanger. A heat transfer from the rotating target assembly is provided through the shaft and MFS to additional heat exchanger and by convection air cooling of a counterweight of the rotating target assembly fixed on the shaft. High brightness and high output power of LPP light source are provided.

Abstract: An X-ray beam is generated in an interaction zone of an electron beam and a target, the zone being an annular layer of a molten fusible metal in an annular channel of a rotating anode assembly. The channel has a surface profile which prevents slopping of the molten metal in the radial direction and in both directions along the rotation axis. The liquid-metal target forms a circular cylindrical surface due to the centrifugal force acting thereupon. The linear velocity of the target is preferably higher than 80 m/s; in a vacuum chamber, a changeable membrane made of carbon nanotubes is installed in the X-ray beam path and a protective screen with apertures for electron beam entry and X-ray beam exit is arranged around the interaction zone. The technical result consists in an X-ray source with increased power, brightness, lifetime and ease of use.

Abstract: An X-ray beam is generated in an interaction zone of an electron beam and a target, the zone being an annular layer of a molten fusible metal in an annular channel of a rotating anode assembly. The channel has a surface profile which prevents slopping of the molten metal in the radial direction and in both directions along the rotation axis. The liquid-metal target forms a circular cylindrical surface due to the centrifugal force acting thereupon. The linear velocity of the target is preferably higher than 80 m/s; in a vacuum chamber, a changeable membrane made of carbon nanotubes is installed in the X-ray beam path and a protective screen with apertures for electron beam entry and X-ray beam exit is arranged around the interaction zone. The technical result consists in an X-ray source with increased power, brightness, lifetime and ease of use.

Abstract: A laser produced plasma light source comprises a vacuum chamber with a rotating target assembly supplying a target into an interaction zone with focused laser beam. The target is layer of a fluid and/or free-flowing target material on a surface of annular groove in the rotating target assembly. An output beam of short-wavelength radiation exits the interaction zone to an optical collector through the means for debris mitigation. A linear velocity of the target is not less than 100 m/s and a vector of the linear velocity of the target in the interaction zone is directed on one side of a plane passing through the interaction zone and the rotation axis while the focused laser beam and the output beam are located on another side of said plane. The optical collector comprises two ellipsoidal mirror units arranged in a tandem.

Abstract: A radiation source contains a collector module comprising an optical collector, positioned in a vacuum chamber with an emitting plasma, further comprising a means for debris mitigation which include at least two casings arranged to output debris-free homocentric beams of the short-wavelength radiation, coming to the optical collector preferably consisting of several identical mirrors. Outside each casing there are permanent magnets that create a magnetic field inside the casings to mitigate charged fraction of debris particles and provide the debris-free homocentric beams of short-wavelength radiation. Other debris mitigating techniques are additionally used. Preferably the plasma is laser-produced plasma of a liquid metal target supplied by a rotating target assembly to a focus area of a laser beam. The technical result of the invention is the creation of high-powerful high-brightness debris-free sources of short-wavelength radiation with large, preferably more than 0.25 sr, collection solid angle.

Abstract: A radiation source contains a collector module comprising an optical collector, positioned in a vacuum chamber with an emitting plasma, further comprising a means for debris mitigation which include at least two casings arranged to output debris-free homocentric beams of the short-wavelength radiation, coming to the optical collector preferably consisting of several identical mirrors. Outside each casing there are permanent magnets that create a magnetic field inside the casings to mitigate charged fraction of debris particles and provide the debris-free homocentric beams of short-wavelength radiation. Other debris mitigating techniques are additionally used. Preferably the plasma is laser-produced plasma of a liquid metal target supplied by a rotating target assembly to a focus area of a laser beam. The technical result of the invention is the creation of high-powerful high-brightness debris-free sources of short-wavelength radiation with large, preferably more than 0.25 sr, collection solid angle.

Abstract: Laser-produced plasma light source contains a vacuum chamber with a rotating target assembly providing a target in an interaction zone with a laser beam focused on the said target, which is a molten metal layer. A debris shield is rigidly mounted to surround the interaction zone, said shield comprising only two opening forming an entrance for the laser beam and an exit for a short-wavelength radiation beam. The means for debris mitigation can additionally include: the rotation of target with high linear velocity exciding 80 m/s; the orientation of the short-wavelength radiation beam and/or of the laser beam at an angle of less than 45° to the target surface, a nozzle supplying a high-speed gas flow to the interaction zone, etc. The technical result is the creation of the high-brightness low-debris sources of soft X-ray, EUV and VUV light at wavelengths of 0.4 to 200 nm.

Abstract: Laser-produced plasma light source contains a vacuum chamber with a rotating target assembly providing a target in an interaction zone with a laser beam focused on the said target, which is a molten metal layer. A debris shield is rigidly mounted to surround the interaction zone, said shield comprising only two opening forming an entrance for the laser beam and an exit for a short-wavelength radiation beam. The means for debris mitigation can additionally include: the rotation of target with high linear velocity exciding 80 m/s; the orientation of the short-wavelength radiation beam and/or of the laser beam at an angle of less than 45° to the target surface, a nozzle supplying a high-speed gas flow to the interaction zone, etc. The technical result is the creation of the high-brightness low-debris sources of soft X-ray, EUV and VUV light at wavelengths of 0.4 to 200 nm.

Abstract: High-brightness short-wavelength radiation source contains a vacuum chamber with a rotating target assembly having an annular groove, an energy beam focused on the target, a useful short-wavelength radiation beam coming out of the interaction zone, wherein the target is a layer of molten metal formed by a centrifugal force on a surface of the annular groove facing a rotation axis. A replaceable membrane made of carbon nanotubes may be installed on a pathway of the short-wavelength radiation beam for debris mitigation. In the embodiments of the invention the energy beam is a pulsed laser beam. The pulsed laser beam may consist of pre-pulse and main-pulse, with parameters such as laser pulse repetition rate chosen in order to suppress debris. In other embodiments the energy beam is the electron beam produced by an electron gun and the rotating target assembly is a rotating anode.

Abstract: High-brightness short-wavelength radiation source contains a vacuum chamber with a rotating target assembly having an annular groove, an energy beam focused on the target, a useful short-wavelength radiation beam coming out of the interaction zone, wherein the target is a layer of molten metal formed by a centrifugal force on a surface of the annular groove facing a rotation axis. A replaceable membrane made of carbon nanotubes may be installed on a pathway of the short-wavelength radiation beam for debris mitigation. In the embodiments of the invention the energy beam is a pulsed laser beam. The pulsed laser beam may consist of pre-pulse and main-pulse, with parameters such as laser pulse repetition rate chosen in order to suppress debris. In other embodiments the energy beam is the electron beam produced by an electron gun and the rotating target assembly is a rotating anode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus produce short-wave radiation from a gas-discharge plasma, comprising pre-ionization of the gas in the discharge region between coaxial electrodes achieved through an axial aperture formed in one of the electrodes and initiation of a pinch-type discharge. In order to increase the efficiency, energy, average power and stability of the radiation of the gas-discharge plasma, pre-ionization is achieved by a flux of radiation having wavelengths from the UV to X-ray range and by a flux of accelerated electrons from the plasma of a pulsed sliding discharge initiated in a region not optically communicating with the axis of the pinch-type discharge, with a rate of growth of the discharge voltage across the region of more than 1011 V/s, the fluxes of radiation and electrons being formed axially symmetrically and directed into the part of the discharge region outside the axis.