Provided is a light source apparatus and an electrode design for use in a discharge chamber of the light source apparatus. The discharge chamber is configured to hold a gas discharge medium configured to output a light beam. The light source apparatus include a pair of opposed electrodes configured to excite a gas medium to form a discharge plasma. At least one electrode of the pair of opposing electrodes may include recessed portions or hollowed-out portions at each end of the electrode, or at other suitable locations. The disclosed electrode structures improve uniformity of the erosion profile of the electrodes, significantly extending the lifespan of the discharge chamber by redistributing the discharge particle flux through the electrode with an optimized design of the electrode geometry, as the local discharge particle flux is reduced at the recessed portions.

A laser chamber apparatus may include a pipe, an inner electrode extending along a longitudinal direction of the pipe and disposed in a through hole in the pipe, an outer electrode including a contact plate extending along the longitudinal direction of the pipe and being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the pipe and a ladder section formed of bar members each having one end connected to the contact plate and juxtaposed along a longitudinal direction of the contact plate, and a leaf spring extending along the longitudinal direction of the pipe and configured to press the outer electrode against the pipe. The leaf spring may include leaf spring pieces separated by slits, and the leaf spring pieces may each include a bent section bent along the edge and are configured to press the bar members in a position shifted from the bent sections toward the edge.

Disclosed is a device for generating a laser radiation including a box and an electrode, the electrode including a column extending along an axial direction and a collar surrounding the column and having a first face perpendicular to the axial direction and a second face parallel to the first face, the second face facing the box. The generating device includes a ring having a third face bearing against the box, the ring defining a hole emerging on the third face and accommodating the collar, the hole being defined along the axial direction by a bearing face arranged in the ring, perpendicular to the axial direction and facing the box, the first face bearing against the bearing face.

An excimer laser chamber device may include: a the laser chamber; a first electrode provided in the laser chamber; a second electrode provided in the laser chamber to face the first electrode; an electrode holder provided in the laser chamber to be connected to a high voltage; at least one connecting terminal including a first anchored portion anchored to the first electrode and a second anchored portion anchored to the electrode holder, the at least one connecting terminal being configured to electrically connect the first electrode and the electrode holder; a guide member held by the electrode holder, the guide member being configured to position the first electrode in a direction substantially perpendicular to both a direction of electric discharge between the first electrode and the second electrode and a longitudinal direction of the first electrode; and an electrode-gap-varying unit configured to move the first electrode in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of electric discharge.

A gas laser, including: a semiconductor laser, an optical beam-shaping system, a pair of electrodes, a discharge tube, a rear mirror, and an output mirror. The pair of electrodes includes two electrodes. The electrodes are symmetrically disposed at an outer layer of the discharge tube in parallel. The electrodes are connected to a radio-frequency power supply via a matching network, and the electrodes operate to modify working gas in the discharge tube through radio-frequency discharge. The rear mirror and the output mirror are disposed at two end surfaces of the discharge tube, respectively. The rear mirror, taken together with the output mirror and the discharge tube, form a resonant cavity. The output mirror is configured to output a laser beam.

There is provided a laser system having a cylindrically-shaped annular minor with at least one opening in its surface; a pair of planar metallic electrodes disposed proximate opposite edges of the annular mirror, normal to the axis of the annular minor, the electrodes configured to have an RF field applied between them; a pair of end minors disposed at said at least one opening; and a ceramic material in the form of a disc, disposed in the internal volume of the annular minor, the ceramic material having a series of channels formed therein such that they generate a zig-zag pathway in the ceramic material, wherein (i) the zig-zag path, when filled with a gain medium, (ii) the annular minor and (iii) the pair of end minors, together constitute a laser cavity.

A discharge chamber for a deep ultraviolet (DUV) light source includes a housing; and a first electrode and a second electrode in the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode being separated from each other to form a discharge region between the first electrode and the second electrode, the discharge region being configured to receive a gain medium including at least one noble gas and a halogen gas. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a metal alloy including more than 33% and less than 50% zinc by weight.

Discharge electrodes include a cathode and an anode. The anode is disposed to face the cathode in a discharge direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the cathode, and includes an electrode base 1, and a coating layer that covers a portion of a surface of the electrode base. First corners in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction connect first straight sections formed of first side surfaces that are side surfaces of the electrode base to a first curved section formed of a first discharge surface that is a discharge surface of the electrode base. The first corners are closer to the cathode in the discharge direction than second corners connecting second straight sections formed of second side surfaces that are side surfaces of the coating layer to a second curved section formed of a second discharge surface that is a discharge surface of the coating layer.

A copper electrode material comprising Cu and unavoidable impurities, wherein the content of the unavoidable impurities is 1 ppm by mass or less and the average crystal grain diameter is 100 μm or less. A copper-containing electrode material having improved corrosion resistance is provided by the copper electrode material.

Disclosed are methods of and apparatus for extending a useful lifetime of a laser discharge chamber in which a polarity of an electrode positioned at a fixed position within the chamber is caused to be positive with respect to the polarity of a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the first electrode and the first electrode is made of a material that forms an erosion resistant surface when the first electrode is used and an anode. Also disclosed is an arrangement in which a first electrode is positionable with respect a second electrode defining a discharge gap with the second electrode and the position of the first electrode controlled to maintain the width of the gap within a predetermined range.