Powerlase Limited

Powerless Limited

Daniel A Allwood

Ian P Mercer

David Rupert Klug

Jason Palmer

Alan G Taylor

A laser is disclosed which includes a gain medium, a switch element, and a pulse controller. In one embodiment laser light of differing polarizations pass along respective paths and a pulsed laser output is generated via an electro-optical element. In another embodiment light of differing polarizations passes in differing directions through a cyclical path. The invention can make use of a prism-shaped polarizer having a polarization selection face and two further faces. Yet further initial pulses can be controlled to reduce energy, for example by progressively increasing the period or amplitude of successive pulses. As a result an efficient and high power laser apparatus is realized.

Pulse laser resonator

An extreme ultraviolet radiation generator is disclosed in which Xenon gas is continuously ejected from a high pressure nozzle into a low pressure chamber to generate Xenon atom clusters which are irradiated with a high repetition rate pulsed laser to form a plasma and yield quasi-continuous EUV generation. The nozzle has a beveled outer rim to enable the focus point of the laser light to be brought close to the nozzle. The nozzle is cooled to a temperature at which background Xenon gas condenses onto the nozzle forming a protective layer. A gas compressor serves to recirculate the Xenon gas and batch purification triggered by a mass spectrometer monitoring gas purity may be periodically applied.

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Durham, United Kingdom

Daniel A Allwood