Komatsu Corporation

Ushio Inc.

Toru Abe

Takashi Matsunaga

To provide an excimer laser device and method in which the frequency of full gas exchange within the laser chamber is reduced, and more preferably full gas exchange is made unnecessary. The gas supply device and gas exhaust device are controlled so that the laser gas in the laser chamber is partially exchanged in a gas exchange quantity that maintains the quantity of impurities in the laser chamber at or below a fixed level. Also, the gas exchange quantity is obtained using the total quantity of output light energy reduction A, the total gas pressure in the laser chamber P, and output light energy reduction quantity per unit time k, for the case where partial gas exchange is repeated infinitely in the laser chamber.

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Tochigi, Japan

Toru Abe