Jmar Research, Inc.

Jmar Technology Co.

Photomedex

James H Morris

Harry Rieger

Michael Powers

Richard M Foster

I C Edmond Turcu

Jeffrey I Levatter

Jose M Sasian

Edmond Turcu

David M Brooks

A method and apparatus for generating membrane targets for a laser induced plasma is disclosed herein. Membranes are advantageous targets for laser induced plasma because they are very thin and can be readily illuminated by high-power coherent light, such as a laser, and converted into plasma. Membranes are also advantageous because illumination of the membrane with coherent light produces less debris and splashing than illumination of a thicker, solid target. Spherical membranes possess additional advantages in that they can be readily illuminated from variety of directions and because they can be easily placed (i.e. blown) into a target region for illumination by coherent light. Membranes are also advantageous because they can be formed from a liquid or molten phase of the target material. According to another embodiment, membranes can be formed from a solution in which the target materials are solvated. Membranes can be formed an a variety of ways, such as by rotating a circular apparatus through a reservoir of liquid target material such that membranes form across apertures that are disposed in the circular apparatus. Spherical membranes can also be formed by applying a gas (i.e. blowing) against a membrane formed in an aperture of a circular apparatus.

Method and apparatus for generating a membrane target for laser produced plasma

A method and apparatus for laser cutting a target material is disclosed. The method includes the steps of generating laser pulses from a laser system and applying the laser pulses to the target material so that the laser pulses cut through the material. The laser pulses have an approximately ellipse shaped spot, have a temporal pulse width shorter than about 100 nanoseconds, and have an energy density from about 2 to about 20 times the ablation threshold energy of the target material. The laser pulses are applied to the material such that the major axis of the ellipse shaped spot moves parallel to the cutting direction. The spot has a leading edge and a trailing edge on the major axis, and the energy density of each laser pulse increases from zero to a maximum along the leading edge and decreases back to zero along the trailing edge. The apparatus is a laser system for cutting a target material that includes: a seed laser system for producing a first pulse laser beam; a laser amplifier for amplifying the first pulse laser beam to produce an amplified pulse laser beam; a harmonic generation system for converting the amplified pulse laser beam into a second pulse laser beam having a shorter wavelength; a focussing system for focussing the second pulse laser beam to an approximately ellipse shaped third pulse laser beam; and a motion control system for moving a target material contacted by the third pulse laser beam.

Method and apparatus for laser ablation of a target material

A shaped plasma discharge system is provided in which a shaped radiation source emits radiation at a desired frequency and in a desired shape. In one embodiment, a laser source provides an output beam at a desired intensity level to shaping optics. The shaping optics alters the output beam into a desired shaped illumination field. In an alternate embodiment, plural laser sources provide plural output beams and the shaping optics can produce a compound illumination field. The illumination field strikes a target material forming a plasma of the desired shape that emits radiation with a desired spatial distribution, at a desired wavelength, preferably in the x-ray, soft x-ray, extreme ultraviolet or ultraviolet spectra. In another embodiment an electric discharge generates the required shaped radiation field. The shaped emitted radiation proceeds through an optical system to a photoresist coated wafer, imprinting a pattern on the wafer.

Shaped source of soft x-ray, extreme ultraviolet and ultraviolet radiation

A portable laser device for obtaining blood samples through the skin of humans or animals. A laser crystal is optically pumped to produce a short high power laser pulse which vaporizes a small hole in the skin. The pulse is shaped to produce a pulse cross section at a sampling location which has a long dimension and a short dimension similar to a blade cut.

Portable laser for blood sampling

Growing community of inventors

Encinitas, CA, United States of America

James H Morris