Gas laser chamber/optics support structure

摘要

A chamber/optics support structure (100) for a laser having a laser chamber (156) with a vibration source. The chamber and the laser resonance cavity optical elements are supported on a platform (150). The chamber is supported by a plurality of wheels which in turn rests on two tracks (158,162) on track supports mounted on the platform. A flexible clamp (166,168) flexibly clamps the chamber in a horizontal position to align it with the resonance cavity optical elements and to substantially decouple vibration between the chamber vibration source to the optical elements in a frequency range of concern. The invention is especially useful for positioning the heavy laser chamber of a narrow band excimer laser and for decoupling vibrations resulting from its blower from the lasers line narrowing module and output coupler. In a preferred embodiment the plurality of wheels is three wheels, two of which rest in a V-groove (158) track and one of which rests on a flat track (162). This preferred embodiment uses two flex-clamps each having an adjustment bolt and four symmetrically spaced silicon rubber vibration isolators. Precise horizontal alignment of the chamber is accomplished using the adjustment bolt which is then held in position with a lock nut and a clamping bolt. Silicon rubber dampers in the isolators decouple horizontal chamber vibrations from the optical elements. <IMAGE>