Abstract

The interaction of high intensity 100-ps laser pulses with micron-sized noble gas (argon and krypton) droplets is experimentally investigated via a series of pump–probe experiments monitoring the delay-dependent X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission, and by imaging frequency-doubled probe light scattered from the interaction region. An understanding of the time scales for this interaction is important for optimization of EUV sources for next-generation lithography that utilizes laser-produced plasmas (LPP). Depending on the spectral region of interest, the type of emission, and the droplet characteristics, the effective emission lifetime was found to extend from a few hundred picoseconds to as long as several nanoseconds, in agreement with the expected plasma expansion, EUV excitation, and recombination emission time scales.

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