The inspection of a sample with VUV light from a laser sustained plasma includes generating pumping illumination including a first selected wavelength, or range of wavelength, containing a volume of gas suitable for plasma generation, generating broadband radiation including a second selected wavelength, or range of wavelengths, by forming a plasma within the volume of gas by focusing the pumping illumination into the volume of gas, illuminating a surface of a sample with the broadband radiation emitted from the plasma via an illumination pathway, collecting illumination from a surface of the sample, focusing the collected illumination onto a detector via a collection pathway to form an image of at least a portion of the surface of the sample and purging the illumination pathway and/or the collection pathway with a selected purge gas.