Appeal No. 2005-0616 Page 10
Application No. 09/661,653
cause a net flow of gas to occur in the direction of lesser resistance. As a
consequence, the acoustic diodes interact with the compression waves to circulate the
gas through the interior of the laser.
Figure 1 depicts a cross-sectional view of the pulse discharge laser. A gas 1 is
contained within the volume enclosed by interior wall 2 and exterior wall 3 of the laser.
The portions of the gas located within the active regions 4 of the laser are excited by an
electrical current discharged in a pulsed manner between pairs of electrodes 5.
Although two discharge regions are depicted in the preferred embodiment, a single
region or more than two regions could instead be used. The discharge of electricity also
generates a pair of compression waves in the gas which propagate in opposite
directions away from the active regions 4 and which waves each have a width
approximately equal to the width of the discharge electrodes 5, i.e., the width of the
active regions 4. Although the gas mixture in the preferred embodiment of the Xe Cl
laser comprises 2% xenon (Xe) and 0.2% hydrogen chloride (HCl) in a diluent of neon
at 4 atmospheres, other combinations of gases, diluents and pressures may be used in
the invention. X-ray gun 14 preionizes the gas prior to the discharge of electricity
through active region 4.
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