Characteristics of excitation discharge of an excimer laser in gas density depletion

Abstract

The influences of gas density depletion on the highly-repetitive, high-pressure, pulsed glow discharge for excitation of excimer laser have been investigated eliminating the other instabilities, such as shock waves, residual ions, discharge products and electrode heating. The gas density depletion is simulated by utilizing a subsonic flow between the curved electrodes. The comparison has been made on the discharge occurred in the presence of the gas density depletion with the second discharge on the double-pulse experiment. We have found that the big gas density non uniformity, Ap/p0 3.6 % corresponding to a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of' 20 Hz, tends to cause the arc discharge without the shocks, ions, discharge products and electrode heating.On the other hand, the second discharge on the double-pulse experiment becomes arc discharge in much smaller non uniformity (Ap/p0 1 .2 % corresponding to PRR 3 Hz).The arc discharge in the double-pulse experiment might be driven by the residual ions and/or discharge products other than gas density depletion except for PRR >20 Hz.