Abstract

The shortest wavelength (193 nm) of the ArF rare-gas halide laser has been used for microelectronics and photochemistry applications. The ArF laser holds the potential of being a high-power high-efficiency laser. According to recent results on the wavelength dependence of the laser beam absorption by a fuel pellet in laser-driven fusion experiments, the shorter-wavelength lasers were found to be absorbed more efficiently. Therefore, the 193-nm ArF lasers may become more efficient drivers than the 248-nm KrF laser. However, kinetics for the ArF laser has not been clarified, although kinetics for KrF and XeCl lasers is understood to a large extent. To our knowledge, not even the gain measurement of the ArF laser has yet been reported.

© 1984 Optical Society of America