A new type of electrode for XeCl excimer lasers has been developed. In order to produce a stable discharge at a high repetition rate, we calculated the electric field strength distribution of the discharge area, using the finite-element method. On the basis of the calculation results, we fabricated a new type of electrode, applied it to an XeCl excimer laser, and operated the laser at a repetition rate of 3 kHz. The laser power during 3 kHz operation was 18.9 W with the Ernst-type electrode and 24.4 W with the new-type electrode. The space distribution of density variance due to gas expansion in the discharge area could be checked by the laser schlieren method. With the Ernst-type electrode, the energy is concentrated in the center of the discharge area. With the new-type electrode, in contrast, the energy concentration is reduced, making the discharge stable.
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