Discharge instabilities in x-ray preionized F2-doped excimer laser gas mixtures are investigated using an intensified charge coupled device camera with a gating time of 300ps. In contradiction with earlier theories and observations, it is found that the discharges in He∕F2 mixtures are homogeneous only at very low concentration of F2 (0.025%). We present experimental results, which prove that in He∕Kr∕F2 mixtures the appearance of discharge filaments is coupled with the presence of F2 rather than Kr.
The effect of addition of xenon on the long term homogeneity of discharges in F 2 and ArF excimer laser gas mixtures was investigated in a small-volume discharge chamber. The gas mixture in the discharge chamber was preionized by X-rays. A special electrical excitation circuit containing a pulse forming line provided a long, squareshaped current pumping pulse of a predetermined duration to the discharge electrodes. The initiation and the development of the discharge was monitored via its fluorescence signal with an intensified CCD camera. We found that adding Xe up to partial pressures of 0.53 mbar extended the homo-
The influence of electrode materials and surface roughness on the discharge homogeneity of F 2 based excimer laser gas mixtures is investigated in a small x-ray preionised discharge chamber. The temporal and spatial evolution of the discharge is monitored by taking photographs of the discharge luminosity with an ICCD camera. It is found that for the same surface roughness, discharges with nickel coated aluminum electrodes are more homogeneous than the discharges using chromium or gold coated aluminum, massive copper, aluminum, brass and steel electrodes. Moreover, the surface roughness of copper electrodes does not have a large influence on the homogeneity of discharges in F 2 doped excimer laser gas discharges.
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