A nonlinear
crystal 300 comprising stacked
strontium tetraborate SrB4O7 (SBO)
crystal slabs 335-1, 335-2, 335-3, 335-4 cooperatively configured to produce a periodic structure for quasi-
phase matching (QPM) is used in the final frequency doubling stage 230A, 230B of the
laser assemblies 200A, 200B to produce
laser output light 239A, 239B having a
wavelength in the range of approximately 180 nm to 200 nm. One or more elementary
laser beams 211A, 211B are frequency doubled, down-converted, and / or summed using one or more
frequency conversion stages 220A, 220B-1, 221B, 222B to produce
intermediate frequency light 212A, 214B having a corresponding
wavelength in the range of about 360 nm to 400 nm, and then a final
frequency conversion stage 130 utilizes the nonlinear
crystal 300 to double the frequency of the
intermediate frequency light 212A, 214B to produce the desired laser output light 239A, 239B at high power. Methods, inspection systems,
lithography systems, and
cutting systems incorporating the laser
assembly are also described.