Excimer Lasers

Excimer Lasers

Excimer lasers produce short, intense ultraviolet (UV) light pulses. These lasers have the greatest power and versatility of any light source in the UV range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The four main types of excimer lasers are ArF (193nm), KrF (248nm), XeCl (308nm), and XeF (351nm). Excimer lasers are widely used in the scientific, industrial, and medical industries.

Important calculations to consider when selecting an excimer laser are its height, width, length, and weight. Other relevant factors include pulse energy, pulse length, beam divergence, and repetition rate. Pulse energy is the laser's energy per pulse. The pulse length, on the other hand, measures the length of a pulse in time. Beam divergence represents the change in beam diameter, and the amount of pulses per second is the repetition rate.

Exposure to excimer lasers can cause severe damage. Lasers are divided into six classes, according to their power output: Class I, Class I.A, Class II, Class IIIA, Class IIIB, and Class IV, which are the most dangerous. Built in engineering controls are required in laser systems to provide safety. All lasers, no matter what their power, must have an enclosure around them that limits access to the laser beam or radiation. Other safety controls that may be instituted include access restriction to the lasing area, eye protection, area controls, barriers, shrouds, education, and training.