GAS DISCHARGE LASER WITH GAS TEMPERATURE CONTROL

摘要

A gas discharge laser (90) with fast response gas temperature control to maintain laser gas temperature within desired limits during burst mode operation. Preferred embodiments include a passive temperature stabilizer having fans with surface areas exposed to flowing laser gas at least equal to the surface area of the cooling fins of a laser gas heat exchanger (66). Preferred embodiments utilize heating elements and coolant flow control to regulate laser gas temperatures using processors programmed to anticipate idle periods.