Hybrid electrode support bar

Abstract

An excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser which may comprise a pair of electrodes extending longitudinally across a lasing chamber forming a discharge region, and method of operating same, is disclosed which may comprise a fan providing sufficient gas movement to allow for arc-free laser operation at a selected laser output light pulse repetition rate; a flow guiding mechanism extending longitudinally across the lasing chamber along the length of the discharge region configured to optimize the fan power consumption at a selected fan speed, e.g., that is greater than an arc free fan speed; and a flow speed increasing mechanism selectively positioned along the length of the flow guiding mechanism selectively increasing the lasing gas flow rate in the vicinity of the flow increasing mechanism to thereby enable running at the selected fan speed at a reduced power consumption level in the fan.

1 . An excimer or molecular fluorine gas discharge laser comprising a pair of electrodes extending longitudinally across a lasing chamber forming a discharge region, comprising: 
 a fan providing sufficient gas movement to allow for arc-free laser operation at a selected laser output light pulse repetition rate;    a flow guiding mechanism extending longitudinally across the lasing chamber along the length of the discharge region configured to optimize the fan power consumption at a selected fan speed;    a flow speed increasing mechanism selectively positioned along the length of the flow guiding mechanism selectively increasing the lasing gas flow rate in the vicinity of the flow increasing mechanism to thereby enable running at the selected fan speed at a reduced power consumption level in the fan.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 the flow speed increasing mechanism is selectively positioned in a plurality of discrete positions along the length of the flow guiding mechanism.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 the plurality of locations comprises the two ends of the flow guiding mechanism.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 the flow guiding mechanism comprising an electrode support optimizing the fan power consumption at a selected fan speed by being formed to have a plurality of flow slots separated by respective support member; and    the flow speed increasing mechanism comprises the absence of a slot at a selected position along the length of the flow guiding mechanism.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 the flow guiding mechanism comprising an electrode support optimizing the fan power consumption at a selected fan speed by being formed to have a plurality of flow slots separated by respective support member; and    the flow speed increasing mechanism comprises the absence of a slot at a selected position along the length of the flow guiding mechanism.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 the flow guiding mechanism comprising an electrode support optimizing the fan power consumption at a selected fan speed by being formed to have a plurality of flow slots separated by respective support member; and    the flow speed increasing mechanism comprises the absence of a slot at a selected position along the length of the flow guiding mechanism.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  further comprising: 
 the electrode support comprising an anode support bar.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 the electrode support comprising an anode support bar.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 the electrode support comprising an anode support bar.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 the anode support bar comprising a flue comprising a pocket formed along the longitudinal extent of the anode support bar.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 the anode support bar comprising a flue comprising a pocket formed along the longitudinal extent of the anode support bar.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 the anode support bar comprising a flue comprising a pocket formed along the longitudinal extent of the anode support bar.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 the anode support bar comprising a pocket formed in the vicinity of the flow speed increasing mechanism.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 the anode support bar comprising a pocket formed in the vicinity of the flow speed increasing mechanism.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 the anode support bar comprising a pocket formed in the vicinity of the flow speed increasing mechanism.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism being selected to reduce arcing downstream of the position of the flow speed increasing mechanism that occurs in the selected position at the selected fan speed.