JP2013191399A - Excimer lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To greatly improve a starting aid effect and to provide a structure for performing reliable starting aid at any positions of the rotation direction of a lamp, in an excimer lamp including a double cylindrical discharge container comprising an inner tube and an outer tube, an inner electrode provided on an outer surface of the inner tube, an outer electrode provided on an outer surface of the outer tube, and a starting aid body arranged in a discharge space and coming into contact with both in inner surface of the inner tube and an inner surface of the outer tube.SOLUTION: The starting aid body includes a conductive fixing part provided on the inner surface of the inner tube, and a conductive movable body connected to the fixing part, and an area on which the movable body is brought into contact with the outer tube is smaller than an area on which the fixing part is brought into contact with the inner tube.

Description

  The present invention relates to an excimer lamp, and more particularly, to an excimer lamp having a double cylindrical discharge vessel in which an outer tube and an inner tube are coaxially arranged and having a starting auxiliary body inside. .

Conventionally, as an excimer lamp used as an ultraviolet light source for photochemical reaction, one having a double cylindrical discharge vessel is known, and in this excimer lamp, light is irradiated in all directions of the outer tube. When attaching the lamp to a reaction device or the like, there is an advantage that it can be attached without worrying about the directionality of the discharge vessel in the rotational direction.
In recent years, this type of excimer lamp has been required to have a higher output. Therefore, an increase in the discharge gap length and an increase in the pressure of the filled gas cause a rise in the discharge start voltage and the input voltage during normal lighting. It is increasing. For this reason, the request | requirement for the performance of the step-up transformer included in the lamp lighting device is increasing.

In order to reliably turn on such a high-power excimer lamp, it is necessary to use a step-up transformer that can generate a voltage sufficiently higher than the discharge start voltage of the excimer lamp.
However, in order to generate a high voltage in a step-up transformer, it is necessary to increase the number of coil windings, which leads to an increase in size of the transformer itself. Although a method of reducing the wire diameter of the coil is also conceivable, the electrical resistance increases, which causes another problem of causing heat generation from the transformer.
For this reason, it is not preferable to design a step-up transformer that can generate a voltage sufficiently higher than the discharge start voltage as a means for reliably lighting the excimer lamp, and reliable lighting by reducing the discharge start voltage itself. A method for securing the above has been studied.

  As one method for lowering the discharge start voltage of the excimer lamp, a method is provided in which a conductive member that is in contact with the inner surface portion of the container facing the electrode is disposed inside the discharge container, thereby improving the lighting startability. Such a technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-313285 (Patent Document 1).

This prior art is shown in FIGS.
In FIG. 4, the excimer lamp has a double cylindrical discharge vessel 10, which comprises an inner tube 11 and an outer tube 12, in which an annular light emitting space 13 is formed. A cylindrical inner electrode 14 is provided on the outer surface of the inner tube 11, and a translucent outer electrode 15 is provided on the outer surface of the outer tube 12.
A start assisting body 16 is provided in the light emitting space 13, and the start assisting body 16 is made of a platinum wire 17 and is wound around the inner surface of the inner tube 11. It is bent in a circle and is in contact with the inner surface of the outer tube 12. The platinum wire 17 is in contact with the outer tube 12 with a weak elastic force within the range of plastic deformation.
However, in the starting auxiliary body 16 having this structure, as the lamp is repeatedly turned on and off, the platinum wire 17 repeatedly expands and contracts, resulting in brittle fracture and eventually losing elasticity. Thereby, there exists a malfunction that one end of a wire will not contact the inner surface of the outer side pipe | tube 12, and it will stop functioning as a starting auxiliary body.

FIG. 5 shows a different conventional example. In this conventional example, the starting auxiliary body 16 is composed of a ring body 18, which abuts against the inner surface of the inner tube 11 and on the inner surface of the outer tube 12. It has a diameter large enough to abut. An annular recess 19 is formed in the inner tube 11 so that the ring body 18 stably contacts. The ring body 18 contacts the inner tube 11 in the recess 19.
However, in the starting auxiliary body 16 of this structure, since the ring body 18 is in point contact with both the inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12, there is a problem that a significant improvement in starting performance cannot be expected.

JP 2002-313285 A

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are a double cylindrical discharge vessel composed of an inner tube and an outer tube, an inner electrode provided on the outer surface of the inner tube, and an outer electrode provided on the outer surface of the outer tube. And an excimer lamp disposed in the discharge space and in contact with both the inner surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube. The present invention provides a structure that can bring about a significant improvement in startability without causing poor contact and by changing the area of contact between the starter auxiliary body and the inner tube and the outer tube.

In order to solve the above-described problem, in the excimer lamp according to the present invention, the starting auxiliary body provided in the discharge space is connected to the conductive fixing portion provided on the inner surface of the inner tube and the fixing portion. An area where the movable body abuts on the outer tube is smaller than an area where the fixed portion abuts on the inner tube.
Further, the fixed portion is formed of a ring-shaped linear body wound around the inner surface of the inner tube, and the movable body is formed of a rod-shaped body that is flexibly engaged with the linear body. A plurality of bodies are provided in the circumferential direction of the linear body.
Further, the rod-like body itself is bendable.
Further, the fixed portion is made of a conductive coating formed on the inner surface of the inner tube, and the movable body is a ring member that rotates and contacts the conductive coating and contacts the inner surface of the outer tube. It is characterized by that.

According to the excimer lamp of the present invention, when the excimer lamp is attached to the ultraviolet irradiation device, the starting auxiliary body includes the fixed portion provided in the inner tube and the conductive movable body connected to the fixed portion. Regardless of the position in the rotation direction, the movable body always abuts against the outer tube, so that a reliable contact state is brought about, and a contact failure due to deterioration of the starting auxiliary body is caused even after repeated lighting and extinction. There is nothing.
Further, as described later, since the contact area of the movable body with the outer tube is smaller than the contact area with the fixed portion of the inner tube, the startability can be greatly improved.

The side sectional view (A) and the cross section (B) of the excimer lamp of the present invention. The cross-sectional view of another Example. Side sectional view (A) and transverse sectional view (B) of another embodiment. Sectional drawing of a prior art. Sectional drawing of another prior art.

1A and 1B show a starting auxiliary body 1 in an excimer lamp according to the present invention.
The starting auxiliary body 1 includes a conductive fixing portion 2 formed of a ring-shaped linear body 21 wound at a position facing the inner electrode 14 on the inner surface of the inner tube 11, and is flexibly engaged with the fixing portion 2. The conductive movable body 3 is composed of the joined rod-shaped body 31, and the tip of the rod-shaped body 31 is in contact with the inner surface of the outer tube 12 at a position facing the outer electrode 15.
The fixed portion 2 and the movable body 3 are preferably provided so as to be in contact with the positions facing the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15, respectively, but the start assist effect is impaired in consideration of the influence on the emitted light. It may be provided at a position slightly deviated from the electrode in the axial direction within the range.
A plurality of rod-like bodies 31 constituting the movable body 3 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the ring-like linear body 21 (four in the illustrated example). At any position, at least one of the plurality of rod-like bodies 21 is in contact with the inner surface of the outer tube 12.
In this embodiment, since the fixed portion 2 is composed of a linear body 21 wound around the inner tube 11, the contact area between the linear body 21 and the inner tube 11 is such that the rod-shaped body 31 constituting the movable body 3 is outside. It is larger than the contact area that contacts the tube 12. In other words, the contact area between the movable body 3 and the outer tube 12 is smaller than the contact area between the fixed portion 2 and the inner tube 11.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the movable body 3, and the rod-like body itself constituting the movable body 3 is configured to be bendable. In this example, it consists of a chain body 32.
In any of the above embodiments, the fixed portion 2 and the movable body 3 are made of, for example, platinum, gold, tungsten, iron, nickel, stainless steel, inconel, phosphor bronze, tungsten, beryllium copper, or the like.

The reason why startability is improved in the above configuration will be described.
In the starting auxiliary body 1 provided in the excimer lamp, the tip of the rod-shaped movable body 3 is in point contact with the inner surface of the outer tube 12 at the time of starting the lamp, and the fixed portion 2 is in line contact or surface with the inner surface of the inner tube 11. The tip of the movable body 3 is in contact with the potential on the inner electrode 14 side. At this time, if the inner electrode 14 is, for example, on the high potential side, the starting auxiliary body 1 approaches a high electric potential, the tip of the movable body 3 constituting the starting auxiliary body 1, the outer electrode 15 on the outer surface of the outer tube 12, Due to the potential difference between the two electrodes, a local discharge is generated in the meantime, and this discharge is propagated between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15, and the discharge is started between these electrodes to start the lamp.

Here, between the inner electrode 14, the starting auxiliary body 1, and the outer electrode 15, the contact portion between the inner surface of the inner tube 11 and the fixed portion 2 becomes one resistance (resistance 1), and the tip of the movable body 3 and the outer side The contact portion with the inner surface of the tube 12 becomes the other resistance (resistance 2).
When a discharge start voltage is applied between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15, if the resistance 1 and the resistance 2 have the same resistance value, the voltages applied between the resistance 1 and the resistance 2 are equal.
However, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the area of the contact portion between the fixed portion 2 and the inner surface of the inner tube 11 is larger than the area of the contact portion between the tip of the movable body 3 and the inner surface of the outer tube 12, the resistance 1 <resistance value 2 is satisfied.
In this case, the discharge start voltage applied between the resistor 1 and the resistor 2 is smaller in the voltage applied to the resistor 1 than the voltage applied to the resistance value 2.
In other words, when a discharge start voltage is applied between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15, the starting voltage is apportioned according to the magnitudes of the resistance 1 and the resistance value 2, so that the resistance value 2 is applied. The voltage is larger than the voltage applied to the resistance value 2 when the contact area is the same, and as a result, the startability is improved.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, and the fixing portion 2 constituting the starting auxiliary body 1 is composed of a conductive coating 22 formed on the inner surface of the inner tube 11. 11 is a metal foil wound around. On the other hand, the movable body 3 is composed of a ring body 33. The ring body 33 is larger in diameter than the outer diameter of the inner tube 11, and rotates and contacts the conductive coating (metal foil) 4 at the same time. In contact with the inner surface of the outer tube 12.
Further, the conductive coating 22 can be configured by coating the inner surface of the inner tube 11 with a metal vapor deposition film or water gold in addition to the metal foil wound.
Also in this configuration, the contact area between the movable body 3 (ring body 33) and the outer tube 12 is smaller than the contact area between the fixed portion 2 (conductive covering member 22) and the inner tube 11.

As described above, the excimer lamp according to the present invention includes a starting auxiliary body provided in the discharge vessel, which includes a conductive fixing portion provided in the inner tube and a conductive movable body connected to the fixing portion. Since the area where the movable body abuts on the outer tube is smaller than the area where the fixed portion abuts on the inner tube, electric discharge easily occurs between the distal end of the movable body having a small contact area and the outer electrode. The start assist effect is greatly improved.
In addition, since the movable body is provided with respect to the fixed portion provided in the inner tube and is brought into contact with the outer tube, the movable body and the outer tube are reliably contacted at any position in the rotation direction of the lamp. Starting assistance is steadily made.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Start auxiliary body 2 Conductive fixing | fixed part 21 Ring body 22 Conductive coating body 3 Conductive movable body 31 Rod-shaped body 32 Chain body 33 Ring body 10 Double cylindrical discharge vessel 11 Inner tube 12 Outer tube 13 Annular discharge space 14 Inner electrode 15 Outer electrode

Claims (4)

A double cylindrical discharge vessel in which an inner tube and an outer tube are coaxially arranged, an inner electrode provided on the outer surface of the inner tube, an outer electrode provided on the outer surface of the outer tube, and a discharge space An excimer lamp comprising: a starting auxiliary body disposed and abutting both the inner surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube;
The starting auxiliary body includes a conductive fixing portion provided on the inner surface of the inner tube, and a conductive movable body connected to the fixing portion.
An excimer lamp characterized in that an area where the movable body abuts on the outer tube is smaller than an area where the fixed portion abuts on the inner tube. The fixing portion is composed of a ring-shaped linear body wound around the inner surface of the inner tube,
2. The movable body includes a rod-like body that is flexibly engaged with the linear body, and a plurality of the rod-like bodies are provided in a circumferential direction of the linear body. Excimer lamp described in 1.   The excimer lamp according to claim 2, wherein the rod-like body itself is freely bendable. The fixed portion is made of a conductive coating formed on the inner surface of the inner tube,
2. The excimer lamp according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is a ring body that contacts the inner surface of the outer tube while rotating and contacting the conductive coating.

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