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 gas laser apparatus includes a chamber containing a laser gas, a pair of electrodes disposed within the chamber, a fan disposed within the chamber, a motor connected to a rotating shaft of the fan, and a rotating speed control unit configured to control a rotating speed of the fan based on a wear-out parameter of the pair of electrodes.

Disclosed is a laser discharge chamber in which useful lifetime is extended by local electrical tuning using one or a combination of design of the chamber internal geometry, placement and distribution of components within the chamber such as electrodes, current returns, and capacitors, and selective electrical isolation of portions of the components.

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.

A laser chamber of a discharge-excitation-type gas laser apparatus may include a container which contains laser gas therein; a pair of discharge electrodes arranged in the container; a cross flow fan configured to supply the laser gas to a discharge space between the discharge electrodes, the cross flow fan including a rotation shaft with which the cross flow fan rotates in a predetermined rotation direction and a plurality of blades, each longitudinal direction of which is parallel to an axial direction of the rotation shaft; and a stabilizer arranged outside a rotation trajectory of the cross flow fan, and arranged such that a difference between a maximum position and a minimum position of an end portion in the rotation direction on a side opposite to the rotation direction is larger than 0 and is smaller than an interval of two blades adjacent to each other among the plurality of blades.

A laser cutter and safe power system therefor are disclosed. The power system of the laser cutter includes a resistive device arranged in a return line and configured to prevent anomalous tripping of a GFCI device by significantly minimizing electrical noise transmitted through the GFCI device when the laser cutter is operated in certain modes, such as a pulsing mode. The resistive device includes end caps that form a shroud around the connection between a return wire and the contact at each end of the resistive device. A main control board for a high voltage subsystem of the power system includes two isolated and independent enable signals, which are provided to different controllers on the main control board such that the different controllers can independently and redundantly respond to an unsafe condition.

A discharge excitation gas laser device includes: first and second discharge electrodes disposed to face each other; a plurality of peaking capacitors connected to the first discharge electrode; a charger; a plurality of pulse power modules, each one of the pulse power modules including a charging capacitor to which a charged voltage is applied from the charger, a pulse compression circuit that pulse-compresses and outputs electrical energy stored in the charging capacitor as an output pulse to a corresponding peaking capacitor, and a switch disposed between the charging capacitor and the pulse compression circuit; a plurality of output pulse sensors, each one of the output pulse sensors detecting an output pulse output by a corresponding pulse power module; and a control unit configured to control, based on a detection result of each of the output pulse sensor, a timing of a switch signal to be input to a corresponding switch.

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.

A laser chamber may include a first discharge electrode, a second discharge electrode, a fan making a laser gas flow through a discharge space between the first and second discharge electrodes, a first insulating member disposed on upstream side and downstream side of the first discharge electrode in the laser gas flow, a first metal damper member disposed on upstream side of the second discharge electrode and a second insulating member disposed on downstream side of the second discharge electrode in the laser gas flow, and a second metal damper member disposed on downstream side of the second insulating member in the laser gas flow. In a boundary portion between the second metal damper member and the second insulating member, a first discharge space side surface of the second metal damper member may be located further toward the opposite side to the discharge space than a second discharge space side surface of the second insulating member. A first corner formed by the first surface and a first side surface of the second metal damper member, the first side surface being on the side of the second insulating member, may be in contact with a second side surface of the second insulating member, the second side surface being on the side of the second metal damper member.

Disclosed is a laser discharge chamber in which useful lifetime is extended by local electrical tuning using one or a combination of design of the chamber internal geometry, placement and distribution of components within the chamber such as electrodes, current returns, and capacitors, and selective electrical isolation of portions of the components