Abstract

High-power excimer lasers are of considerable interest for both physical and industrial applications. In 1990 we have reached 1 kW (10 J × 100 Hz) average power emitted by the XeCl laser with active volume 10 × 8 × 80 cm³.¹ A creeping discharge on dielectric surface was used as UV preionizer. The LC inversion circuit for main discharge volume was switched by low inductance rail gap switch, equipped own gas flow, and cooling systems. XeCl laser had emitted 1 kW average power in burst mode (2 minutes) at charging voltage 70 kV. Recently, 1 kW average power XeCl laser (10 J/short at 100 Hz or 12,5 J/short at 80 Hz) has been reached by SOPRA'VEL Laser in burst mode (0.5 second).²

© 1994 IEEE