The influence of charge-mode operation of a XeCl laser on the beam profile

The shape of the beam profile of a discharge excited XeCl excimer laser using a spiker-sustainer electrical circuit has been varied from a ‘bell’-, through a ‘top-hat’-, to a ‘camel-back’-profile by varying the delay between the spiker pulse and the maincurrent with the circuit operating in the charge-mode. Fine-tuning of the beam profile can be done by varying the charging voltage of the main pulse forming network or the temperature of a gas purifier regulating the Xe and HCl partial pressures.