Elements of a 200 watt pulsed excimer laser

The theoretical and experimental investigation into many aspects of circuit and component design for high average power short pulse systems is examined. The primary objective is to develop both circuit design criteria and pulsed components for long life rare gas halide lasers. A pulsed system consists of 3 major components: energy storage, switches, and load. The type of circuit which uses capacitive energy storage in combination with a closing switch to transfer electrical power to a load is considered. Specific loads are not addressed but the implications of load characteristics that affect circuit/component design and life are considered. The physical and electrical characteristics and analysis of phenomena that adversely affect the performance and life of pulse duty components are described. In the area of capacitive storage, lifetimes of one particular design was improved by 3 orders of magnitude and a means of detecting the imminent failure of oil filled capacitors was devised and patented. In the area of switching, methods are described by which hydrogen thyratrons can be operated in parallel with equal current sharing without the need for inductive or resistive ballasting. The design and testing of a 200 watt XeCl laser modulator is presented.