JP3596582B2 - Discharge lamps and processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a discharge lamp and a processing apparatus in which a rare gas is sealed .
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a discharge lamp of this type, for example, a configuration described in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-21369 is known.
[0003]
In Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-21369, a substance that emits ultraviolet light such as xenon (Xe) is sealed in a glass container made of quartz, which is an electric insulator that transmits ultraviolet light, and a mesh-like material is formed outside the glass container. Is a so-called dielectric barrier discharge in which a glass container itself is used as a dielectric and a high voltage is applied to the electrode to cause discharge.
[0004]
Further, the discharge is a so-called silent discharge due to the discharge through the glass container, and a pulse-like current flows.
[0005]
Since this pulsed current has a high-speed electron flow and many pauses, it excites a large amount of substances that emit ultraviolet light, such as xenon, and the excited substances are temporarily bonded to the molecular state in the excimer state. Then, when returning to the ground state, ultraviolet light with little re-absorption is efficiently emitted.
[0006]
In addition, since a mesh-shaped electrode is used, a discharge is stably generated in a large area, and light emission is observed near an intersection of each mesh of the electrode during a stable discharge.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the configuration described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-21369, a voltage of several kV needs to be applied to discharge through a glass container serving as a dielectric, and a high voltage is required to increase the amount of light emission. Has to be applied.
[0008]
In particular, when increasing the light intensity of the discharge lamp or making the discharge lamp long, a high voltage exceeding the dielectric breakdown voltage must be applied due to the discharge through the glass container, and the electron adhesion When a neutral halogen gas is sealed, electrons adhere to the halogen gas, so that it is difficult for the entire road to be destroyed, and a high voltage is required.
[0009]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a discharge lamp and a processing apparatus that output with high efficiency without applying a high voltage.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The discharge lamp according to claim 1 includes: a container having an electric insulator that transmits ultraviolet light in at least a part of a discharge space that is hermetically sealed and contains a rare gas; and a pair of electrodes. electrodes in electrode voltage stored in the discharge space Ru is heated is applied in the vessel, the other electrode is intended an electrode provided outside the container without the heated Ru electrode and the counter, in the discharge space electrodes housed Ru heated through the electrode and the container provided outside the container and discharge between the electrodes, the thermal electron emission by heating by applying a voltage to the electrodes that will be heated during the discharge, By providing sufficient electrons in the discharge space, the discharge is facilitated, thereby making it easy to break down the entire path and reducing the applied voltage such as the starting voltage.
[0011]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discharge lamp including at least one of a halogen group gas and a rare gas according to the first aspect, and using a gas having a relatively high electron adhesion. Even when thermionic electrons are sufficiently emitted, the discharge is facilitated, the entire circuit is easily broken, the applied voltage such as the starting voltage is reduced, and a halogen gas or a rare gas is used. Light emission from the excimer gas is easily obtained.
[0012]
A discharge lamp according to a third aspect of the present invention is the discharge lamp according to the first or second aspect, further comprising a phosphor that converts ultraviolet light into visible light, and generates visible light.
[0013]
A processing apparatus according to a fourth aspect includes the discharge lamp according to any one of the first to third aspects, and a processing apparatus main body that accommodates the discharge lamp, and has respective functions.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a vertical section of the processing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge lamp 1 has a glass container 2 made of quartz glass, which is an electric insulator. The glass container 2 has a cylindrical shape with a total length of 200 mm, an outer diameter of 30 mm, an inner diameter of 27 mm, and a thickness of 1.5 mm, and both ends are sealed. A discharge space 3 is formed in the closed glass container 2 in an airtight manner. The discharge space 3 contains 53000 Pa of rare gas xenon gas (Xe) emitting ultraviolet light and bromine gas in the form of CH ₂ Br _2. But 1000 ppm is enclosed.
[0016]
A cylindrical mesh electrode 4 is formed on the outer surface of the glass container 2, and a tungsten filament electrode 5 having a wire diameter of 0.15 mm is accommodated in the lamp.
[0017]
Further, a power supply 6 having a frequency of 40 kHz is connected between the electrode 4 and the filament electrode 5, and a heating power supply 7 such as a commercial AC power supply is connected between both ends of the filament electrode 5.
[0018]
These are housed in a processing apparatus main body 8 which irradiates an ashing device for curing ink, ashing of semiconductor attached matter, a water purification device, or an ultraviolet ray for sterilization.
[0019]
Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
[0020]
First, a high-frequency voltage of 40 kHz is applied between the electrode 4 and the filament electrode 5 of the discharge lamp 1 from the power source 6, and a voltage is applied between the both ends of the filament electrode 5 from the heating power source 7. Heat to 1700K.
[0021]
Then, a discharge occurs in the discharge space 3 between the electrode 4 and the filament electrode 5 via the glass container 2. This discharge is a so-called barrier discharge which is a high-frequency silent discharge, and a large number of thread-like discharges are generated, and ultraviolet rays are induced from the discharges to irradiate ultraviolet light.
[0022]
According to the experiment, when xenon gas and bromine gas in the form of CH ₂ Br ₂ are sealed in the discharge space 3, the discharge does not start even if 5 kV is applied by the power supply 6, but the heating power supply 7 does not start. By heating the filament electrode 5 to a color temperature of 1700K, even if the voltage applied from the power supply 6 is 3.5 kV, the discharge is stable.
[0023]
Similarly, when xenon gas is sealed in the discharge space 3, the discharge is started by applying 1.7 kV with the power supply 6, but the heating power supply 7 heats the filament electrode 5 to a color temperature of 1700K. Even when the voltage applied from the power supply 6 is 0.8 kV, the discharge is stable.
[0024]
That is, by heating the filament electrode 5 with the heating power source 7, thermal electrons are emitted from the filament electrode 5 even if the number of initial electrons is small, and by supplying electrons into the discharge space 3, electron adhesion such as halogen gas Discharge can be obtained without increasing the voltage through the glass container 2 even if a gas having a high gas content is contained.
[0025]
On the other hand, when xenon gas and bromine (Br) gas are sealed in the discharge space 3, light having a wavelength of 172 nm of xenon and a wavelength of 282 nm of bromine are observed, and a three-wavelength fluorescent lamp is disposed in the vicinity. Thereby, white light emission was obtained.
[0026]
Therefore, for example, a phosphor (Y, Gd) BO3: Eu having a red peak wavelength for converting ultraviolet light into visible light and a phosphor LaPO4: Ce, Te having a green peak wavelength are provided on the inner surface or the outside of the discharge lamp 1, for example. And a phosphor (Ba, Eu) MgAl ₁₀ O ₁₇ having a blue peak wavelength, the ultraviolet light from the discharge lamp 1 reaches the phosphor and excites the phosphor. To produce uniform white light.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
According to the discharge lamp of claim 1, wherein, when the discharge between the electrodes through the vessel, by applying a voltage to the heated Ru electrode in the discharge space heat emission by heating, in the discharge space By providing sufficient electrons, it is possible to easily discharge and thereby easily break the entire road, thereby reducing the applied voltage such as the starting voltage.
[0028]
According to the discharge lamp of the second aspect, in addition to the discharge lamp of the first aspect, even if a gas having a relatively high electron adhesion such as a halogen group gas is used, thermions are sufficiently emitted. As a result, the discharge can be facilitated, the entire circuit can be easily broken, and the applied voltage such as the starting voltage can be reduced, and light emission from a halogen group gas or an excimer gas formed from a halogen group gas and a rare gas can be easily obtained. be able to.
[0029]
According to the discharge lamp according to the third aspect, in addition to the discharge lamp according to the first or second aspect, since a phosphor for converting ultraviolet light into visible light is provided, visible light can be generated.
[0030]
According to the processing apparatus of the fourth aspect, since the processing apparatus main body accommodating the discharge lamp of any one of the first to third aspects is provided, each effect can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a processing apparatus according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Discharge lamp 2 Glass container 3 Discharge space 4 Electrode 5 Filament electrode 8 Processing device main body

Claims (4)

A container having an electric insulator that transmits ultraviolet light in at least a portion forming a discharge space in which a rare gas is sealed in an airtight manner;
Comprising a pair of electrodes,
In one of the electrodes is an electrode voltage stored in the discharge space Ru is heated is applied in the container and the other electrode, characterized in that an electrode provided outside the container without the heated Ru electrode and the counter Discharge lamp. The discharge lamp according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a halogen group gas and a rare gas. The discharge lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a phosphor that converts ultraviolet light into visible light. A discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3;
A processing apparatus main body accommodating the discharge lamp;
A processing device comprising:

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