Characterization of density profile of laser-produced Sn plasma for 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet source

We investigated the electron density profile corresponding to the dominant extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from a laser-produced Sn plasma using a combination of a green and an UV interferometer. A comparison between experimental results and a one-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic simulation shows reasonable agreement, and the discrepancy could be attributed to three-dimensional plasma expansion. It was found that, due to opacity effects, most of the EUV light comes from an under-dense plasma region. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.