At the forefront of deep ultraviolet laser technology, excimer lasers—serving as the core light source—are driving innovative advancements in multiple research fields, including materials science, spectral analysis, and micro‑ and nano‑fabrication. Yueyang Kaimite Electronic Special Rare Gas Co., Ltd., as a specialized gas supplier in this field, provides critical KrF, ArF, and other excimer laser gases to research institutions and university laboratories.

Yueyang Kaimite Electronic Special Rare Gas Co., Ltd. was established in 2018 and is located in Qilishan, Yueyanglou District, Yueyang City, Hunan Province. With a registered capital of 80 million yuan, the company is dedicated to the research, development, and production of electronic specialty gases. Relying on the industrial layout and technological expertise of its shareholders, the company employs advanced technologies and equipment such as cryogenic distillation and physicochemical adsorption to produce ultra-high‑purity gases and multi‑component laser gas mixtures that are urgently needed in fields like semiconductors, scientific research, and aerospace.

The company’s investment in an electronic specialty gas project plans to build 25 production and processing units for electronic specialty gases and mixed gases. The first phase of the project has already completed the construction of 12 production and auxiliary units, with a product portfolio that covers high‑purity gases such as neon (5N), helium (6N), krypton (5N), and xenon (5N/6N), as well as hydrogen chloride–based laser mixed gases, fluorine‑based molecular laser mixed gases, and other dynamic laser mixed gases.

Core Products: KrF and ArF Excimer Laser Gases

Excimer lasers refer to lasers generated by excited dimers, with the active medium primarily consisting of compounds formed by inert gases and halogen elements. The research-grade excimer laser gases produced by Yueyang Kaimite mainly include:

ArF Excimer Laser (193 nm): Generated by a mixture of argon gas (Ar) and fluorine gas (F₂), it operates at a wavelength of 193 nm and falls within the deep ultraviolet spectrum.

KrF Excimer Laser (248 nm): Generated by a mixture of krypton gas (Kr) and fluorine gas (F₂), with a wavelength of 248 nm, it is a commonly used excimer laser wavelength in scientific research.

These excimer laser gases feature short wavelengths, high photon energies, and narrow pulse widths, enabling high‑precision material processing and spectral excitation.

As the core light source in the deep ultraviolet band, excimer lasers hold special value in both scientific exploration and engineering applications. The primary applications of KrF and ArF excimer lasers in research include:

Pulsed Laser Deposition of Thin Films

Excimer lasers can be used in pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technology to fabricate various functional thin film materials. High‑energy ultraviolet lasers bombard the target material, generating a plasma plume that deposits high‑quality thin films onto the substrate. This technology finds important applications in research areas such as superconducting thin films, ferroelectric thin films, and semiconductor thin films.

Research on Laser–Matter Interactions

The high photon energy of excimer lasers enables them to directly break chemical bonds in materials, achieving a “cold processing” effect. Leveraging this characteristic, researchers have been exploring the interaction mechanisms between lasers and various materials, including studies on laser ablation and modification of polymers, ceramics, semiconductors, and more.

Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Spectroscopic Detection

In the field of analytical chemistry, excimer lasers are frequently employed in detection techniques such as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). High‑energy ultraviolet lasers can ablate tiny particles from the surface of solid samples for elemental composition analysis.

Micro- and Nano‑Fabrication and Surface Treatment

Researchers use KrF excimer lasers for microfabrication and surface treatment of materials. For example, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan have employed KrF excimer lasers to reduce the roughness of waveguide sidewalls, thereby enhancing light transmission performance and increasing tensile strength—while exhibiting minimal thermal influence, strong repair capabilities, and high quality. Beijing University of Technology has utilized excimer laser processing to treat SiC single crystals, achieving an 83% reduction in surface roughness.

Molecular Dynamics Research

The ultrashort pulse characteristics of excimer lasers—on the nanosecond timescale—make them an ideal tool for studying molecular dynamics. Through pump–probe techniques, researchers can observe energy transfer and structural changes in molecules over timescales ranging from femtoseconds to picoseconds.

Domestic scientific research capabilities continue to make breakthroughs.

Research on excimer laser technology in China began in the 1970s, with key research institutions including the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, and Tianjin University. Recently, the research team led by Researcher Liang Xu at the Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has achieved a new breakthrough in the ultra‑compact system design and application research of excimer lasers. They have successfully developed a novel ultra‑compact excimer laser based on the principles of electrohydrodynamics, with their findings published in the internationally renowned optics journal “Applied Physics Letters – Photonics.”

With the support of China’s major national science and technology projects, excimer laser technology in our country has undergone rapid development. A series of core key technologies for high‑performance excimer lasers have been successfully mastered, and a preliminary system of independent intellectual property rights has been established.

Obtain international certification and have product quality recognized.

In September 2021, Yueyang Kaimite Electronic Special Rare Gas Co., Ltd. received a test confirmation letter from Coherent Germany, a U.S.-based company. The 193nm laser gas mixture produced by the company for use in ExciStar lasers had successfully passed their testing. This test result attested to the high quality of the company’s excimer laser gas products, as well as its comprehensive capabilities in areas such as cylinder inner-wall treatment for electronic specialty gases, multi‑component gas blending at the ppm level containing fluorine, and gas analysis.

In May 2025, the company received another letter of qualification as a supplier from GIGAPHOTON Co., Ltd. of Japan, officially securing its qualification as a supplier for lithography gases (Kr/Ne, Ar/Ne/Xe). The endorsement from these leading international laser equipment manufacturers underscores the company’s production capabilities and product quality in the field of excimer laser gases.

From Gases to Scientific Research: Supporting the Advancement of Basic Research

The applications of excimer lasers in scientific research continue to expand. With breakthroughs in domestically produced laser technology and the ongoing increase in research funding, excimer lasers are playing an increasingly important role in both fundamental and applied research. Yueyang Kaimite Electronic Special Rare Gas Co., Ltd. will continue to deepen its expertise in the field of electronic specialty gases, providing reliable products and technical services to support research institutions and university laboratories with stable gas supplies, thereby contributing to the advancement of China’s basic research and technological innovation.