Characterization of an ArF excimer laser beam from measurements of the Wigner distribution function

An ArF excimer laser beam at a wavelength of 193 nm has been characterized by a quantitative determination of the Wigner distribution function. The setup, comprising a spherical lens, a rotating cylindrical lens and a moveable ultraviolet-sensitive CCD detector, enabled the mapping of the entire four-dimensional phase space within less than 20 min. Experiments yielded complete information about second-order moment-based parameters, spatial coherence, wavefront, beam profiles, as well as beam propagation and local distributions of radiant intensities.