[en] In the system consisting of a master oscillator, a three-pass telescopic amplifier, and saturable absorbing cells, CO₂ laser pulses with an energy of 100 J and duration variable from 15 to 80 ns were obtained. A theoretical model for the calculation of interaction of CO₂ laser radiation with resonance absorbing and amplifying media was developed. The system consisting of an absorber saturated at the leading edge of the pulse and an amplifier working in the deep-saturation mode was shown to provide a considerable increase in the gain and pulse compression. (lasers)

[en] Results are presented from experimental and theoretical studies of the efficiency of using a CO₂ laser to create a high-power source of 13- to 14-nm EUV radiation for lithography. For a laser intensity of ∼2 x 10¹¹ W/cm², a conversion efficiency of k_EUV ≅ 1.5% was achieved on a plane solid Sn target. The calculated gas dynamics and population kinetics of Sn plasma ions agree qualitatively with experimental results.