JP2013191398A - Excimer light irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structure in which stress concentration is prevented from occurring in one point of a discharge container by regulating warpage of the discharge container at two points by a movement regulation member with respect to the warpage of the discharge container, in an excimer light irradiation device composed of excimer lamps each having an ultraviolet reflection film on the inner face of the non-light emission side of the discharge container held in a housing, and a movement regulation member which regulates the warpage of the discharge container to the ultraviolet reflection film side by being abutted on the surface of the ultraviolet reflection film side of the discharge container and has rotary rollers rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the discharge container.SOLUTION: A movement regulation member includes bifurcated legs to hold rotary rollers at the tip thereof and is supported in an intermediate part of the legs so as to be swingable in the rotation direction of the rotary rollers.

Description

  The present invention relates to an excimer light irradiation apparatus used for ultraviolet irradiation treatment, and more particularly to an excimer light irradiation apparatus using an excimer lamp in which an ultraviolet reflecting film is formed.

At present, for example, in a process of cleaning a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display panel by ultraviolet irradiation, an excimer light irradiation apparatus including an excimer lamp that emits vacuum ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 200 nm or less is used.
As an excimer lamp used in such an excimer light irradiation apparatus, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-80351 (Patent Document 1), in order to radiate ultraviolet rays efficiently, Excimer lamps with an ultraviolet reflecting film are often used. In such a lamp, an ultraviolet reflecting film mainly composed of silica particles is formed on the inner surface opposite to the light emitting side in a horizontally disposed long discharge vessel.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure thereof, which has a rectangular shape with a flat cross section. On the outer surface of the long discharge vessel 31, translucent external electrodes 32, 32 are provided. The light is emitted through 34 and irradiated on the irradiated object.
An ultraviolet reflecting film 33 made of silica particles or the like is formed on the inner surface of the non-light emitting wall 35 opposite to the light emitting side.

In the excimer lamp having such a structure, the ultraviolet rays generated in the discharge vessel 31 are reflected by the ultraviolet reflecting film 33 on the inner surface of the upper non-light emitting wall 35 and emitted from the lower light emitting wall 34. The ultraviolet light does not reach the glass of the non-light emitting wall 35, while the lower light emitting wall 34 is irradiated / transmitted with the ultraviolet light obtained by adding the reflected light directly to the emitted light.
For this reason, as the lighting time elapses, the ultraviolet light distortion caused by irradiating the vacuum light to the glass constituting the lower light emitting wall 34, that is, the wall on the light emitting direction side of the discharge vessel 31 ages. Accumulated. On the other hand, since the upper wall 35 on which the ultraviolet reflecting film 33 is formed is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays, ultraviolet distortion is not accumulated.
As a result, the glass on the light emitting direction side contracts mainly in the longitudinal direction due to the influence of the ultraviolet distortion, and the entire discharge vessel 31 is convex toward the non-light emitting wall 35 where the ultraviolet reflecting film 33 is formed. It has been confirmed that it will warp. In the schematic diagram of FIG. 5, the discharge vessel 31 is a discharge vessel 31 before the dotted line is warped in a convex shape, and the solid line is the discharge vessel 31 warped in a convex shape in an arrow direction.

In this way, when the excimer lamp (discharge vessel) is warped upward, the distance between the work surface of the excimer lamp such as the liquid crystal glass substrate and the excimer lamp is the distance between the excimer lamp and the center portion. Different in the longitudinal direction. If the distance between the work surface and the excimer lamp is different, the light irradiation illuminance will differ depending on the part on the work surface, and uniform ultraviolet treatment will not be possible, naturally resulting in defects in the work after processing. .
In order to solve such problems, Patent Document 1 proposes a structure in which a movement restricting body that mechanically restricts movement is provided so that the excimer lamp does not warp upward at the center of the excimer lamp. Yes.

The outline is shown in FIG. 6. In the excimer light irradiation apparatus 1, an excimer lamp 3 is supported on the casing 2 by a lamp holder 4, and the excimer lamp 3 has a central portion on the upper surface side of the discharge vessel 31. A movement restricting body 20 is provided so as to abut. A rotary roller 21 that can rotate in the longitudinal direction of the excimer lamp is provided at the tip of the movement restricting body 20.
Of course, in this example, as shown in FIG. 4, an ultraviolet reflecting film is formed on the upper inner surface of the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3, and the ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the irradiated object W placed below the lamp. Is.
In this prior art, the movement restricting body 20 is intended to restrict the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3 from warping upward due to ultraviolet distortion.

  However, in the conventional excimer light irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. 6, since there is only one rotating roller 21 at the tip of the movement restricting body 20, warping upward of the excimer lamp 3 due to accumulation of ultraviolet distortion due to the passage of lighting time. When the amount increases, the stress due to the restriction of the rotary roller 21 is concentrated at one place in the central portion of the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3, and the discharge vessel is damaged at this stress concentration location. The problem of end up has arisen.

JP 2010-80351 A

  In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention provides an excimer lamp having an ultraviolet reflection film on the inner surface of the discharge vessel on the non-light emitting side, and a surface of the discharge vessel in contact with the excimer lamp. In an excimer light irradiation device comprising a movement restrictor provided with a rotating roller that restricts the warping toward the ultraviolet reflecting film side, when restricting the movement of the discharge vessel that tends to warp toward the ultraviolet reflecting film side due to the accumulation of ultraviolet distortion An object of the present invention is to provide a structure capable of preventing the discharge vessel from being damaged without stress concentration.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, the movement restricting body includes a bifurcated leg portion that holds a rotating roller at the tip, and swings in the rotation direction of the rotating roller at an intermediate portion of the leg portion. It is supported as possible.
Further, the leg portion is supported on the housing by an insulating support member.

According to the present invention, the movement restricting body that comes into contact with the discharge vessel of the excimer lamp includes the bifurcated leg portion, and the rotating roller at the tip thereof makes contact with the discharge vessel at two places, so that the warping of the discharge vessel is restricted. In this case, stress concentration does not occur, and the discharge vessel can be prevented from being damaged.
In addition, since the bifurcated leg portion is supported so as to be swingable, when the discharge vessel starts to warp, one of the rotating rollers comes into contact with the warping, and then the other rotating roller also Since the two rotating rollers are in contact with the discharge vessel evenly, the warpage of the discharge vessel is regulated with an equal force, and the stress is not unevenly applied.

1 is an overall view of an excimer light irradiation apparatus of the present invention. The perspective view of the movement control body of this invention. The figure which shows the behavior of the control of a movement control body with respect to the curvature of a discharge vessel. The perspective view (A) and sectional drawing (B) of the conventional excimer lamp. The schematic diagram which shows the curvature of a discharge vessel. The whole figure of the conventional excimer light irradiation apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the excimer light irradiation device 1 of the present invention, a long excimer lamp 3 is supported in a horizontal state by a lamp holder 4 on a housing 2. An object to be irradiated W is disposed below the object, and vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the excimer lamp 3. Electrodes 32 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3, and the upper wall of the discharge vessel 31, that is, the inner surface of the non-light emitting side wall is as shown in FIG. An ultraviolet reflecting film is formed.
And the movement control body 5 is provided in the approximate center of the longitudinal direction of the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, the movement restricting body 5 includes a support portion 6 made of an insulating material and a bifurcated leg portion 7 (7a, 7b). The leg portion 7 has an intermediate portion. The rotary shaft 8 is supported by the support portion 6 so as to be swingable. As shown in FIG. 1, the support portion 6 is supported by the housing 2, and the rotating roller 9 (9 a, 9 b) at the tip of the swingable leg portion 7 is substantially in contact with the upper surface of the discharge vessel 31. Yes.

Here, “substantially abut” means that the upper surface of the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3 is in a state where the ultraviolet distortion is not yet accumulated, that is, in a state where there is no upward warping. In a state having a gap of about a little (for example, about 1 mm). Note that the gap is appropriately selected depending on the length of the excimer lamp 3, the distance from the irradiation object W, and the like.
The rotating roller 9 at the tip of the leg 7 is attached to be rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3.

Based on FIG. 3, the behavior of the movement restricting body 5 with respect to the warp of the discharge vessel 31 due to the accumulation of ultraviolet distortion as the excimer lamp 3 is turned on will be described.
FIG. 3A shows the relationship between the discharge vessel 31 and the movement restricting body 5 in the initial use of the lamp. As described above, in the initial stage of use, the discharge vessel 31 is hardly warped due to ultraviolet distortion, and the rotary rollers 9a and 9b at the tips of the bifurcated leg portions 7a and 7b of the movement restricting body 5 are provided in the discharge vessel 31. It is arrange | positioned in the state slightly spaced apart from the upper surface.

When ultraviolet distortion accumulates in the discharge vessel 31 as the lighting time elapses and warps upward, as shown in FIG. 3B, the bifurcated leg portion 7 of the movement restricting body 5 is moved. One of the legs, in this example, the rotating roller 9a of the left leg 7a contacts the upper surface of the discharge vessel 31.
When the warp amount of the discharge vessel 31 further increases, as shown in FIG. 3C, the leg portion 7 swings around the rotation shaft 8, and both of the bifurcated leg portions 7 a and 7 b are discharged into the discharge vessel 31. Abut. In this state, further upward warping of the discharge vessel 31 is restricted.
Thus, the rotary rollers 9a and 9b are brought into contact with the discharge vessel 31 at two locations to avoid stress concentration.

The casing 2 in the excimer light irradiation apparatus 1 is usually formed of a metal member such as aluminum, and the bifurcated leg portion 7 is also formed of a metal member. The part 6 is preferably made of an insulating material.
In the excimer lamp 3, a high voltage electrode is usually disposed on the upper surface side of the discharge vessel 31 because of the relationship with the irradiated object W, and the high voltage electrode is short-circuited to the housing 2 through the movement restricting body 5. This is to prevent that.
Moreover, although the discharge vessel 31 of the excimer lamp 3 has a flat rectangular shape, it may be a double cylindrical discharge vessel comprising an inner tube and an outer tube.

As described above, in the excimer light irradiation device according to the present invention, when the warpage of the discharge vessel due to ultraviolet distortion is restricted by contacting substantially the center portion of the discharge vessel of the excimer lamp, the movement restricting body has a rotating roller at the tip. 2 is provided, and the warp of the discharge vessel is regulated at two locations by being supported so as to be swingable in the rotation direction of the rotating roller at the intermediate portion of the leg portion. Thus, warping of the discharge vessel can be regulated at two locations, and stress concentration is not caused only at one central portion of the discharge vessel, and breakage of the discharge vessel can be prevented.
Further, since the bifurcated leg portions are swingable, the rotating rollers of both leg portions are simultaneously brought into contact with the discharge vessel, so that stress concentration due to local contact does not occur.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Excimer lamp light irradiation apparatus 2 Housing 3 Excimer lamp 31 Discharge vessel 32 Electrode 33 Ultraviolet reflective film 4 Lamp holder 5 Movement control body 6 Support part 7 Leg part 8 Rotating shaft 9 Rotating roller W Subject to be irradiated

Claims (2)

A housing,
An excimer lamp, which is held in the housing, has electrodes disposed on the outer surface of the discharge vessel, and has an ultraviolet reflecting film on the inner surface of the discharge vessel on the non-light emitting side;
A movement restricting body provided with a rotating roller rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the discharge vessel, which is in contact with the surface of the discharge vessel on the side of the ultraviolet reflection film and limits the warpage of the discharge vessel toward the ultraviolet ray reflection film,
In the excimer light irradiation apparatus consisting of
The movement restricting body includes a bifurcated leg portion that holds a rotating roller at the tip, and is supported by an intermediate portion of the leg portion so as to be swingable in the rotating direction of the rotating roller. Light irradiation device. The excimer light irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leg portion is supported by the housing by an insulating support member.

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