JPWO2010032849A1 - Excimer lamp, excimer lamp unit and ultraviolet irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an excimer lamp and an excimer lamp unit that can connect a power source to the external electrodes (3, 4) of the excimer lamp (1) without using a lead wire. The excimer lamp has a pair of external electrodes arranged on the upper and lower flat surfaces of a discharge tube (2) in which a discharge gas is sealed in an internal discharge space (2a), and a pair of connector terminals connected to these external electrodes, respectively. (8, 8) is arranged on the upper and lower flat surfaces of the connector (2b) provided at the end of the discharge tube. The excimer lamp unit is provided with a socket portion (7a) for detachably inserting and supporting the connector portion of the excimer lamp, and is in contact with a pair of connector terminals in the inserted connector portion inside the socket portion. The position includes a lamp socket (7) in which a pair of multi-point contact members (13, 13) connected to the power source of the excimer lamp are respectively disposed.

Description

  The present invention provides an excimer lamp that emits ultraviolet rays by generating discharge with an external electrode in a discharge space in a discharge tube enclosing a discharge gas, and supports the excimer lamp with a lamp socket and connects the external electrode and a power source. An excimer lamp unit to be performed, and an ultraviolet irradiation device using them are provided.

  The excimer lamp emits high-energy vacuum ultraviolet rays having a center wavelength of 172 nm when xenon gas is used as a discharge gas, so that the object to be irradiated such as a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display or a semiconductor wafer is subjected to light cleaning or the like. It can be used as a light source lamp of an ultraviolet irradiation device. This excimer lamp uses a cylindrical tube as a discharge tube that encloses a discharge gas (see, for example, Patent Document 1), uses a rectangular sealed container (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and the like. There is.

  Since vacuum ultraviolet rays are absorbed by oxygen and generate ozone, they are attenuated as soon as they are released into the air. For this reason, when using an excimer lamp using a discharge tube of a cylindrical tube, an excimer lamp is disposed inside an ultraviolet irradiation device having a glass plate disposed at the lower end to create an atmosphere purged of oxygen or the like. It is necessary to prevent the vacuum ultraviolet rays from being attenuated in the air unnecessarily by irradiating the flat irradiation object disposed below with a slight gap through the glass plate. However, when using an excimer lamp using a square discharge tube, it is possible to directly irradiate a flat irradiated object arranged with a slight gap below a wide lower flat surface with vacuum ultraviolet rays. The structure of the ultraviolet irradiation device can be simplified.

  10 and 11 show a conventional configuration example of an excimer lamp using a rectangular discharge tube. The discharge tube 2 of the excimer lamp 1 is a rectangular sealed container made of synthetic quartz and having a long side and a flat surface formed on the top and bottom, and a xenon gas is sealed in an internal discharge space 2a. As shown in FIG. 10, the discharge tube 2 has an external electrode 3 formed on the entire upper flat surface, and an external electrode 4 formed on the entire lower flat surface as shown in FIG. Yes. These external electrodes 3 and 4 are made of a metal thin film formed by depositing metal on the surface of the discharge tube 2 by vapor deposition or the like. However, the outer electrode 3 on the upper flat surface uniformly deposits a metal thin film in the film formation region, but the external electrode 4 on the lower flat surface is in the film formation region except for the left end. A metal thin film is formed in a net pattern.

  The excimer lamp 1 emits vacuum ultraviolet rays by applying a high frequency high voltage between the external electrodes 3 and 4 to generate a dielectric barrier discharge in the discharge space 2a inside the discharge tube 2 made of a dielectric. Therefore, this vacuum ultraviolet ray can be emitted downward through the mesh of the external electrode 4 on the lower flat surface.

  Here, in the conventional excimer lamp 1, lead wires 5 and 5 are connected to the external electrodes 3 and 4 as shown in FIG. . That is, the excimer lamp 1 is soldered with the tips of the lead wires 5 and 5 to the left ends of the external electrodes 3 and 4, respectively, and includes the tips of the lead wires 5 and 5, and the discharge tube 2 The end portion on the side is sandwiched and fixed from above and below by a pair of ceramic blocks 6 and 6. The ceramic blocks 6 and 6 are supported and fixed to an ultraviolet irradiation device (not shown), and the base side of the lead wires 5 and 5 is connected to a high-voltage terminal and a grounding terminal of a high-frequency high-voltage power supply (not shown). A high frequency high voltage is applied to the external electrodes 3 and 4.

  However, each lead wire 5 needs to cover the conductive wire with a covering material 5a for high-frequency high-voltage insulation. Therefore, the excimer lamp 1 uses, as the lead wire 5, a silicone wire in which a conductive wire is covered with a silicone resin having high insulation and heat resistance and flexibility because the discharge tube 2 becomes high temperature due to discharge.

JP 2001-243920 A (FIG. 4) JP 2000-260396 A

  However, the vacuum ultraviolet rays radiated in the discharge space 2a of the discharge tube 2 may leak outside from the left and right ends due to repeated reflection within the tube wall of the discharge tube 2, and the silicone resin is vacuum May be deteriorated by ultraviolet rays. For this reason, each lead wire 5 is further coated with a silicone resin of a silicone wire with PFA (thermoplastic fluororesin) that is hardly deteriorated by vacuum ultraviolet rays and has high insulation and heat resistance, and a two-layer structure of these silicone resin and PFA. The covering material 5a is used.

  However, as a result of repeated experiments and examinations by the inventors, the following has been found. The PFA used as the outer layer of the covering material 5a of the lead wire 5 also deteriorates to some extent when exposed to high energy vacuum ultraviolet rays for a long time. When this PFA is deteriorated by vacuum ultraviolet rays, decomposition gas is generated, and the external electrodes 3 and 4 are discolored or the surface of the discharge tube 2 is contaminated by the decomposition gas, so that the intensity of the vacuum ultraviolet rays irradiated by the excimer lamp 1 is increased. There was a problem of lowering. There is also a problem that the irradiated object is contaminated by the decomposition gas. Further, when cracks or the like due to deterioration occur in the upper layer PFA of the covering material 5a, vacuum ultraviolet rays hit the lower layer silicone resin to cause choking (chalking). There was also the problem of being contaminated.

  Even if the ultraviolet light has a longer wavelength than that of vacuum ultraviolet rays, the resin deteriorates to some extent. Therefore, these problems similarly occur in the case of an excimer lamp that emits ultraviolet rays other than vacuum ultraviolet rays. Moreover, since the power supply of an excimer lamp is a very high voltage, when using a lead wire for connection, the insulation by the resin coating | covering material 5a becomes essential.

  The present invention is intended to provide an excimer lamp and an excimer lamp unit that can solve the above-described problems, and an ultraviolet irradiation device that uses these.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 1 has a pair of external electrodes disposed at different portions on the outer surface of a discharge tube in which a discharge gas is sealed in an internal discharge space, and a pair of connector terminals respectively connected to these external electrodes. Are arranged at different portions on the outer surface side of the connector portion provided at the end of the discharge tube.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 2 is characterized in that the connector portion is an end portion on the left side or the right side of the discharge tube and does not have a discharge space therein.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 3 is a rectangular sealed container in which the discharge tube is long on the left and right and formed with a flat surface on the top and bottom, and a pair of external electrodes are arranged on the top and bottom flat surfaces of the discharge tube, respectively. It is characterized by being.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 4 is characterized in that each of the external electrodes is made of a metal thin film formed on the outer surface of the discharge tube.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 5 is characterized in that each of the external electrodes is made of a metal plate disposed on the outer surface of the discharge tube.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 6 is characterized in that each of the connector terminals is a portion disposed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube in the external electrode.

  The excimer lamp of claim 7 is characterized in that each of the connector terminals is a block-like terminal that is pressed through a multipoint contact material to a portion of the external electrode formed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube. And

  The excimer lamp according to claim 8 is characterized in that each connector terminal is made of a metal plate connected and fixed to a portion of the external electrode formed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube via a solder layer.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 9 is configured such that each connector terminal is connected to a portion formed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube of the external electrode via a solder layer via a multipoint contact material. It is a block-shaped terminal that is pressed.

  The excimer lamp according to claim 10 is characterized in that each of the block-like connector terminals is pressed by a pair of ceramic blocks in which the connector portion of the discharge tube is sandwiched and fixed from both sides.

  The eleventh aspect is characterized in that the excimer lamp emits vacuum ultraviolet rays.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, each of the connector terminals is a block-like terminal provided on a portion of the external electrode formed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube.

  An ultraviolet irradiation device according to a thirteenth aspect includes the excimer lamp.

  The excimer lamp unit according to claim 14 is provided with a socket portion for inserting and supporting the excimer lamp and a connector portion of the excimer lamp, and a pair of connector terminals in the inserted connector portion inside the socket portion. And a lamp socket in which a pair of terminal contacts connected to the power source of the excimer lamp are respectively arranged at positions in contact with each other.

  The excimer lamp unit according to claim 15 is characterized in that each of the terminal contacts is made of a multipoint contact material.

  The excimer lamp unit according to claim 16 is characterized in that each of the terminal contacts is made of a metal leaf spring.

  The ultraviolet irradiation device according to claim 17 includes the excimer lamp unit.

  Note that the left and right and up and down directions in these claims are merely for indicating directions orthogonal to each other, and do not necessarily match the actual left and right and up and down directions.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the connector portion connected to the external electrode is disposed at the end of the discharge tube, only the terminal contact or the like is brought into contact without connecting a lead wire to the external electrode. Thus, the resin coating of the lead wire can be prevented from generating decomposition gas due to deterioration of the resin due to ultraviolet rays, or dropping powdery substances due to choking.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since there is no discharge space inside the connector portion of the discharge tube, there is no possibility that the discharge tube is damaged even if pressure is applied to the connector portion. Therefore, it is possible to employ a structure in which the connector portion is pressed with a connector terminal or the like, or when the excimer lamp is supported with a lamp socket or the like, pressure is applied to securely support or connect.

  According to the invention of claim 3, even in an excimer lamp using a rectangular discharge tube, the possibility of contamination of the irradiated object can be eliminated. That is, if a glass plate or the like is disposed between the excimer lamp and the object to be irradiated, there is no risk that the decomposed gas generated by the deterioration of the resin or powdered material due to choking will contaminate the object to be irradiated. In the case of an excimer lamp using the above discharge tube, it is not necessary to dispose a glass plate or the like, and conventionally, there has been a risk that the decomposed gas or powdered material due to choking may contaminate the irradiated object. However, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to use a lead wire coated with a resin, so that such a problem of contamination can be solved.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the external electrode of the metal thin film can be brought into close contact with the outer surface of the discharge tube without any gap, so that the discharge efficiency can be increased.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the external electrode can be formed simply by disposing the metal plate on the outer surface of the discharge tube, the external electrode can be easily assembled.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the external electrode arranged on the outer surface of the discharge tube can be used as it is as the connector terminal in the connector portion, so that it is not necessary to separately assemble the connector terminal.

  According to the invention of claim 7, since the block-shaped terminal that becomes the connector terminal is pressed against the external electrode through the multipoint contact material, the connection between the block-shaped connector terminal and the external electrode is contact resistance. It is possible to attach and detach easily. In addition, since the multipoint contact material is connected through a large number of contact points, it is particularly suitable for the connection of an excimer lamp to which a high frequency and a high voltage are applied. In addition, since the block-shaped connector terminal has a large heat capacity, it is not easy to connect it directly to the external electrode by soldering or the like. Therefore, the connection is surely performed by pressing the block-shaped connector terminal to the external electrode via the multipoint contact material.

  According to the invention of claim 8, for example, even if the external electrode is easily scraped and peeled off like a metal thin film or the like, the connector terminal that contacts the terminal contact or the like or applies pressure to the external electrode is a solder layer. Therefore, the external electrodes can be prevented from being scraped or peeled off. Since the metal plate as the connector terminal has a relatively small heat capacity, it can be easily soldered to the external electrode that is a metal thin film.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, even if the external electrode is easily scraped or peeled off, such as a metal thin film, the connector terminal that contacts the terminal contact or the like or applies pressure becomes a block-shaped terminal. Further, it is possible to prevent the external electrode from being scraped or peeled off. In addition, the multipoint contact material interposed between the block-shaped connector terminal and the external electrode also comes into contact with the metal sheet connected and fixed to the external electrode via the solder layer. There is no risk of the external electrode being scraped or peeled off by the material. In addition, since the block-shaped connector terminal has a large heat capacity, it is not easy to solder it directly to an external electrode such as a metal thin film. Therefore, first, a metal sheet having a small heat capacity is soldered to the external electrode, and then the block-like connector terminal is pressed to the metal sheet through a multipoint contact material to ensure connection.

  According to the invention of claim 10, since the block-like connector terminal can be pressed by the pair of ceramic blocks which have insulating properties and are not likely to be deteriorated by ultraviolet rays, the connection of the connector terminal to the external electrode is ensured. Can be a thing.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an invention particularly suitable for an excimer lamp that easily emits high-energy vacuum ultraviolet rays and easily deteriorates the resin.
According to invention of Claim 12, it is not necessary to attach a lead wire, and it can be set as a structure simple for manufacture and handling.
According to the invention of claim 13, since the connector portion connected to the external electrode is disposed at the end portion of the discharge tube, the terminal contact or the like is merely brought into contact without connecting the lead wire to the external electrode. Can be connected to the power supply, and the resin coating of the lead wire should be an ultraviolet irradiation device that does not generate decomposition gas due to deterioration of the resin due to ultraviolet rays or powders fall due to choking. it can. Further, since there is no discharge space inside the connector portion of the discharge tube, there is no possibility of damaging the discharge tube even if pressure is applied to the connector portion. Therefore, it is possible to employ a structure in which the connector portion is pressed with a connector terminal or the like, or when the excimer lamp is supported with a lamp socket or the like, pressure is applied to securely support or connect.

  According to the invention of claim 14, the lamp socket supports the connector part of the excimer lamp by the socket part, and the pair of terminal contacts inside the socket part are brought into contact with the connector terminal of the excimer lamp and connected to the power source. Therefore, this excimer lamp can be attached and discharged. In addition, since it is not necessary to use a lead wire coated with resin, decomposition gas is not generated due to deterioration of the resin due to ultraviolet rays, and powdered materials are not dropped due to choking. The excimer lamp need not be supported only by the lamp socket, and may be mounted by, for example, a combination of support by the lamp socket and support by another support material.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, since the terminal contact of the lamp socket that contacts the connector terminal of the excimer lamp is made of a multipoint contact material, the connection between the excimer lamp and the high-frequency, high-voltage power source is reliable with low contact resistance. At the same time, it can be easily attached and detached. In addition, since the multipoint contact material is connected through a large number of contact points, it is particularly suitable for the connection of an excimer lamp to which a high frequency and a high voltage are applied.

According to the invention of claim 16, since the terminal contact of the lamp socket that contacts the connector terminal of the excimer lamp is made of a metal leaf spring, the connection between the excimer lamp and the high-frequency high-voltage power source is ensured, It can be easily attached and detached.
According to the invention of claim 17, the lamp socket supports the connector portion of the excimer lamp by the socket portion, and the pair of terminal contacts inside the socket portion are brought into contact with the connector terminal of the excimer lamp and connected to the power source. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ultraviolet irradiation device for mounting and discharging this excimer lamp. In addition, since it is not necessary to use a lead wire coated with resin, decomposition gas is not generated due to deterioration of the resin due to ultraviolet rays, and powdered materials are not dropped due to choking. In addition, since the terminal contact of the lamp socket that contacts the connector terminal of the excimer lamp is made of a multipoint contact material, the connection between the excimer lamp and the high-frequency high-voltage power source is reliable with low contact resistance, and can be attached and detached. Easy to do. In addition, since the multipoint contact material is connected through a large number of contact points, it is particularly suitable for the connection of an excimer lamp to which a high frequency and a high voltage are applied. In addition, since the terminal contact of the lamp socket that contacts the connector terminal of the excimer lamp is made of a metal leaf spring, the connection between the excimer lamp and the high-frequency high-voltage power source is ensured, and the attachment / detachment can be easily performed. .

1 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a configuration of an excimer lamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view (a), a side view (b), and a rear view (c) showing a configuration of a discharge tube of an excimer lamp. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a partially enlarged plan view (a) and a partially enlarged side sectional view (b) showing a configuration of an excimer lamp. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a configuration when an excimer lamp is inserted into a lamp socket according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing the configuration of an excimer lamp, showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing the configuration of an excimer lamp unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing the configuration of an excimer lamp unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a configuration when an excimer lamp is inserted into a lamp socket according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing the configuration of an excimer lamp unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a bird's-eye perspective view which shows a prior art example and shows the structure of the discharge tube of an excimer lamp. It is a top perspective view which shows a prior art example and shows the structure of the discharge tube of an excimer lamp. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows a prior art example and shows the structure of an excimer lamp.

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, the same reference numerals are given to constituent members having the same functions as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an excimer lamp 1 using a rectangular discharge tube 2 in which xenon gas is sealed and an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus that performs optical cleaning of an irradiation object such as a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display. A lamp socket 7 for mounting the excimer lamp 1 will be described.

[Excimer lamp discharge tube]
As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the discharge tube 2 of the excimer lamp 1 closes the left and right open ends of a rectangular cylinder made of synthetic quartz with a rectangular synthetic quartz block. This is a sealed container in which a discharge space 2a is formed, and xenon gas is sealed as a discharge gas in the discharge space 2a. In the discharge tube 2, the synthetic quartz block that closes the left open end of the cylinder has a longer left and right length than the right one, so that the left end of the discharge tube 2 has a certain length on the left and right sides. There is a portion where the discharge space 2a does not exist, that is, a portion made only of synthetic quartz, and this portion becomes the connector portion 2b. The discharge tube 2 is composed of an upper flat surface and a lower flat surface whose upper and lower surfaces are substantially flat. The external electrode 3 is formed on the upper flat surface, and the external electrode 4 is formed on the lower flat surface. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the upper flat external electrode 3 includes an aluminum vapor deposition film uniformly formed on almost the entire upper flat surface of the discharge tube 2 and a nickel vapor deposition film protecting the surface. This is a two-layer metal thin film. The external electrode 3 is also continuously formed on the upper flat surface of the connector portion 2b having no discharge space 2a below. As shown in FIG. 2C, the lower flat external electrode 4 includes an aluminum vapor deposition film formed in a net-like pattern on almost the entire lower flat surface of the discharge tube 2 and nickel protecting the net-like surface. It is a two-layer metal thin film made of a vapor-deposited film. The external electrode 4 is also continuously formed on the lower flat surface of the connector portion 2b that does not have the discharge space 2a above, and this portion is formed in a uniform pattern rather than a net.

  The discharge tube 2 of the excimer lamp 1 having the above configuration is configured such that when a high-frequency high voltage from a high-frequency high-voltage power source (not shown) is applied between the external electrodes 3 and 4, Since the barrier discharge occurs, the xenon atoms as the discharge gas are excited in the discharge space 2a, and when the xenon atoms return to the ground state, vacuum ultraviolet rays having a center wavelength of 172 nm are emitted (excimer light emission). Then, the vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted downward through the mesh of the external electrode 4 on the lower flat surface of the discharge tube 2. Therefore, if the object to be irradiated is irradiated with a vacuum ultraviolet ray emitted below the discharge tube 2 through a slight gap, the object to be irradiated can be optically cleaned. The high-frequency high-voltage power supply of the excimer lamp 1 of this embodiment has a frequency of 70 kHz and supplies a high-frequency high voltage of 14 kV at the start and 5 kV after the start of discharge.

[Connector terminal of excimer lamp]
As shown in FIG. 1, the excimer lamp 1 is connected to a pair of connector terminals 8, 8 attached to the upper and lower sides of a connector portion 2 b at the left end of the discharge tube 2, respectively. The connector terminals 8 and 8 are block-like terminals for connecting to the high-frequency and high-voltage power supply of the excimer lamp 1 through the lamp socket 7, and both are made of a copper alloy plated with nickel. And the connector terminal 8 attached above the connector part 2b is formed with a protruding part 8a protruding further upward in the center part of the upper surface of the rectangular block shape, and the connector terminal 8 attached below the connector part 2b has A projecting portion 8a projecting downward in a square shape is formed at the center of the lower surface of the rectangular block shape.

  Below, the attachment structure of the said connector terminals 8 and 8 is demonstrated in detail. Nickel sheets 10 and 10 are connected and fixed to the surfaces of the external electrodes 3 and 4 of the connector portion 2b via indium solder layers 9 and 9, respectively. And the connector terminals 8 and 8 are arrange | positioned through the multipoint contact materials 11 and 11 on the surface of the nickel sheets 10 and 10, respectively.

  Each multi-point contact material 11 is urged so that a large number of metal spring materials are in contact with the connector terminal 8 and the nickel sheet 10 vertically when the connector terminal 8 is pressed toward the nickel sheet 10. Since the connector terminal 8 and the nickel sheet 10 are connected in such a state that the spring material is pressed at a number of points, the contact material can be reliably connected with a small contact resistance even when a high voltage is applied. it can.

  As the metal spring material used for the multipoint contact material 11, it is preferable to use a metal material for a contact having high elasticity, high conductivity and low contact resistance, and plating or the like for reducing the contact resistance. The surface treatment may be performed. Further, when the multipoint contact material 11 supports a large number of spring materials with a frame or the like, this frame is also made of metal. As such a multipoint contact material 11, for example, a number of short leaf springs are arranged to be inclined between the connector terminal 8 and the nickel sheet 10, or a number of short coil springs are the connector terminals 8. And a plurality of coil springs that are arranged in a vertical direction between the connector terminal 8 and the nickel sheet 10 are arranged horizontally between the connector terminal 8 and the nickel sheet 10. Those arranged in the above are used.

  In the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2, a pair of ceramic blocks 6 and 6 are sandwiched and fixed from above and below. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper ceramic block 6 is made of a rectangular ceramic that is long in the front-rear direction, the lower surface center portion is recessed upward in a square shape, and a rectangular hole penetrating the upper surface is opened in the center portion of the recess. The front and rear end portions of the lower surface protrude downward. The lower ceramic block 6 is made of rectangular ceramics that are long in the front and back, the upper surface center part is recessed downward in a square shape, and a rectangular hole that penetrates the lower surface is opened in the center part of the recess. The part protrudes upward. These ceramic blocks 6 and 6 are sandwiched from above and below so as to straddle the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2, and the projecting ends of the front and rear end portions are overlapped and fixed with bolts 12 and 12. It is pinched and fixed.

  Here, when each ceramic block 6 clamps and fixes the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2 from above and below, the connector terminal 8 is fitted in the inner depression. At this time, each connector terminal 8 has a protruding portion 8a that fits into a hole in a recess inside the ceramic block 6 so that the tip portion protrudes. Each connector terminal 8 is configured to press the nickel sheet 10 through the multipoint contact material 11 by pressing the periphery of the protruding portion 8 a toward the discharge tube 2 by the ceramic block 6.

  With the mounting structure, the connector terminals 8 and 8 are reliably connected to the external electrodes 3 and 4 through the multipoint contact materials 11 and 11, the nickel sheets 10 and 10, and the indium solder layers 9 and 9, respectively. Here, since the connector terminal 8 has a large heat capacity, it is difficult to directly connect it to the external electrodes 3 and 4 by heating the connector terminal 8 and melting the indium solder layer 9. Further, if the connector terminal 8 is pressed against the external electrodes 3 and 4 via the multipoint contact material 11, the spring material of the multipoint contact material 11 may scrape or peel off the thin metal thin film of the external electrodes 3 and 4. . Therefore, the metal thin film of the external electrodes 3 and 4 is protected by heating the nickel sheet 10 having a small heat capacity to melt the indium solder layer 9 and soldering to the external electrodes 3 and 4. Further, since the nickel sheet 10 is not scraped or peeled off by the spring material of the multipoint contact material 11, a reliable connection is made by pressing the connector terminal 8 through the multipoint contact material 11. . If the connector terminals 8 and 8 can be directly connected and fixed to the external electrodes 3 and 4 made of a metal thin film via the indium solder layers 9 and 9 or by melting the connector terminals 8 and 8 themselves. The nickel sheets 10 and 10 and the multipoint contact materials 11 and 11 are not necessary.

(Lamp socket)
The lamp socket 7 is a mounting tool that supports the excimer lamp 1 and is connected to a high-frequency and high-voltage power supply, and is attached to an ultraviolet irradiation device or the like (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the lamp socket 7 has a concave socket portion 7a that opens to the right. The socket portion 7a is a recess that allows the connector portion 2b of the excimer lamp 1 to be inserted and supported together with the ceramic blocks 6, 6 and the like. , 13 (terminal contacts) are arranged.

  Similar to the multipoint contact materials 11 and 11, these multipoint contact materials 13 and 13 are sandwiched and pressed between upper and lower surfaces, so that a large number of metal spring materials are in contact with these upper and lower surfaces. This is a contact material that is energized in a state of being applied. The multi-point contact member 13 disposed on the inner upper surface of the socket portion 7a can be obtained by bringing the upper ends of a number of spring members into contact with the lower surface of the terminal connection plate 14 disposed at a position slightly depressed from the upper surface. The lower end of the spring material is disposed so as to protrude slightly below the upper surface inside the socket portion 7a. In addition, the multipoint contact member 13 disposed on the lower surface inside the socket portion 7a is brought into contact with the lower ends of a large number of spring members on the upper surface of the terminal connection plate 14 disposed at a position slightly depressed from the lower surface. The upper ends of these spring members are arranged so as to protrude slightly above the inner lower surface of the socket portion 7a. These terminal connection plates 14 are connected to a high-voltage terminal and a ground terminal of a high-frequency high-voltage power source, respectively.

  When the connector portion 2b at the left end of the excimer lamp 1 is inserted together with the ceramic blocks 6 and 6 into the socket portion 7a of the lamp socket 7 having the above-described configuration, the excimer lamp 1 is inserted into the lamp socket 7 as shown in FIG. Supported. The excimer lamp 1 is not necessarily supported only by the lamp socket 7. In the case of the excimer lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the front and rear width is about 70 mm, and the left and right lengths may exceed 1000 mm. You may make it support with another support material which is not shown in figure.

  When inserted into the socket portion 7a, the protruding portions 8a and 8a of the connector terminals 8 and 8 protruding vertically from the holes of the ceramic blocks 6 and 6 are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces inside the socket portion 7a. When the multiple spring members of the multi-point contact members 13 and 13 are inserted into the socket portion 7a while being pushed upward and downward, the multiple spring members of the multi-point contact members 13 and 13 are pressed against each other. Stop at the specified position.

  Therefore, when the excimer lamp 1 is connected to the lamp socket 7, the external electrode 3 of the excimer lamp 1 includes the indium solder layer 9, the nickel sheet 10, the multipoint contact material 11, and the connector terminal 8 on the upper side of the discharge tube 2. And is connected to a high-voltage terminal of a high-frequency high-voltage power source via a multipoint contact member 13 and a terminal connection plate 14 on the upper surface side inside the socket portion 7a. Further, the external electrode 4 of the excimer lamp 1 has an indium solder layer 9, a nickel sheet 10, a multipoint contact material 11, and a connector terminal 8 on the lower side of the discharge tube 2. The point contact member 13 and the terminal connection plate 14 are connected to the ground terminal of the high frequency high voltage power source.

[Effect of this embodiment]
According to the above configuration, the lamp socket 7 can support the connector portion 2b of the excimer lamp 1 by the socket portion 7a. Further, the pair of multi-point contact members 13 and 13 inside the socket portion 7a are pressed into contact with the connector terminals 8 and 8 of the excimer lamp 1, so that a high frequency high voltage power source is applied to the external electrodes 3 and 4 of the excimer lamp 1. Since it is connected, the excimer lamp 1 can be discharged.

  In addition, since it is not necessary to connect the lead wires coated with resin to the external electrodes 3 and 4 of the excimer lamp 1, decomposition gas is generated due to deterioration of the resin due to vacuum ultraviolet rays, or powdery substances due to choking fall on the irradiated object. There is nothing to do. That is, in the excimer lamp 1 of this embodiment, the nickel sheets 10 and 10 are connected and fixed to the external electrodes 3 and 4 via the indium solder layers 9 and 9, and the multi-point contact material 11 and 10 are attached to the nickel sheets 10 and 10, respectively. Since the connector terminals 8 and 8 are connected via the connector 11 and these connector terminals 8 and 8 are pressed by the ceramic blocks 6 and 6, the metal and ceramic members are deteriorated even if they are irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays. There is no risk. Further, the lamp socket 7 of the present embodiment also has no possibility of deterioration even when irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays because the multipoint contact members 13 and 13 and the terminal connection plates 14 and 14 inside the socket portion 7a are made of metal. .

  In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, since the excimer lamp 1 emits high-energy vacuum ultraviolet rays, the use of a resin makes the deterioration severe. It becomes extremely effective.

  In the case of this embodiment, the excimer lamp 1 uses a rectangular discharge tube 2, so that the object to be irradiated is directly irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet rays without a glass plate or the like below the discharge tube 2. Therefore, a configuration in which decomposition gas due to deterioration of the resin and powdery substances due to choking are not generated is extremely effective.

  In the case of the present embodiment, since the discharge space 2a does not exist in the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2 sandwiched between the ceramic blocks 6 and 6, these ceramic blocks 6 and 6 are connected from above and below with bolts 12 and 12. Even if the connector terminals 8 and 8 are pressed from above and below via the multipoint contact members 11 and 11, the discharge tube 2 is not damaged by these pressures.

[Other Embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the case where the xenon gas is used as the discharge gas is shown, but other rare gas capable of excimer light emission, its halide, and other substances can also be used. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case of emitting vacuum ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm is shown. However, since the wavelength of ultraviolet light is determined by the substance used as the discharge gas, it is not limited to the wavelength of 172 nm. Not exclusively.

  In the above embodiment, when the left and right open ends of a rectangular cylinder made of synthetic quartz are closed with a rectangular synthetic quartz block, the rectangular discharge tube 2 elongated to the left and right is produced. However, the manufacturing method of the discharge tube 2 is not limited to this. Here, the rectangular shape that is long to the left and right refers to a square that has the longest left and right lengths compared to the front and rear width and the vertical height. In addition, the square shape referred to here may be any shape as long as the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the cut surface along the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is substantially square, and the corners may be chamfered or rounded. Furthermore, if the upper surface and the lower surface are substantially flat surfaces, the front and rear side surfaces do not necessarily have to be flat surfaces, and may be curved slightly outward, for example. Furthermore, the outer shape of the discharge tube 2 may have some unevenness for gas suction / filling, excimer lamp 1 attachment, and the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, the excimer lamp 1 using the rectangular discharge tube 2 that is long on the left and right has been described. However, the shape of the discharge tube 2 is arbitrary, and for example, the discharge tube 2 made of a cylindrical tube is used. The same can be applied to the excimer lamp 1. When the discharge tube 2 is made of a cylindrical tube or the like, the ultraviolet emission surface (the lower flat surface in the above embodiment) is not a flat surface. A glass plate or the like may be disposed between the object to be irradiated. Even when a glass plate or the like is arranged in this manner, if a powdery substance due to decomposition gas or choking is generated due to deterioration of the resin, the external electrodes 3 and 4 are discolored or the surface of the discharge tube 2 and the glass plate are contaminated. The invention can solve such problems.

  Moreover, although the case where synthetic quartz was used for the discharge tube 2 was shown in the said embodiment, as long as the transmittance | permeability of the ultraviolet-ray to radiate is high and it is a material with little deterioration by this ultraviolet-ray, it will not necessarily be limited to synthetic quartz.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the nickel sheet | seats 10 and 10 were connected and fixed to the surface of the external electrodes 3 and 4 of the connector part 2b via the indium solder layers 9 and 9, the metal of the external electrodes 3 and 4 was shown. The solder material is not limited to the solder material using indium as long as it can be securely connected and fixed without damaging the thin film or the nickel sheets 10 and 10, and the solder using another solder material or brazing material. It is also possible to fix the connection through the layers.

  Moreover, although the case where the nickel sheet 10 was used was shown in the said embodiment, if it can connect reliably, without being scraped off or peeled off by the spring material of the multipoint contact material 11, another metal sheet In addition to the metal sheet, a metal plate or the like can also be used.

  In the above embodiment, the ceramic blocks 6 and 6 are used. However, the material is not limited to ceramics as long as it has sufficient rigidity and insulation and is not affected by ultraviolet rays. Synthetic quartz can also be used. Further, in order to press the connector terminals 8 and 8, the structure is not limited to the structure in which the connector portion 2 b of the discharge tube 2 is sandwiched and fixed by the ceramic blocks 6 and 6. For example, as shown in FIG. A structure in which the cap-shaped ceramic block 6 is fitted into the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2 may be employed.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the case where the thing which nickel-plated copper alloy was used as the connector terminals 8 and 8 was shown, if it is metal with sufficient rigidity, the material and surface of the connector terminals 8 and 8 will be shown. The treatment is arbitrary, and the shape is not limited to that of the above embodiment.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the case where the connector terminals 8 and 8 are connected to the external electrodes 3 and 4 which consist of a metal thin film via the multipoint contact materials 11 and 11, the nickel sheets 10 and 10, and the indium solder layers 9 and 9. As shown, the connector terminals 8 and 8 may be connected and fixed directly to the external electrodes 3 and 4 via the indium solder layers 9 and 9. FIG. 6 shows a configuration in which the connector terminals 8 and 8 are connected and fixed to the external electrodes 3 and 4 through solder layers. In this case, the connector terminals 8 and 8 are made of metal plates having a small heat capacity so that soldering by the indium solder layers 9 and 9 is easy.

  Further, when the block-like connector terminals 8, 8 can be directly connected and fixed to the external electrodes 3, 4 via the indium solder layers 9, 9, etc., as shown in FIG. Can be pulled out to a position so as to cover a part of the left end face of the discharge tube 2, and an inclined surface for connection can be provided at the left end of these connector terminals 8, 8. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the lamp socket 7 includes upper and lower metal terminal connection blocks 15 and 15 and a ceramic material 16 disposed between these terminal connection blocks 15 and 15 for insulation. The socket portion 7a is formed into a V-shaped recess that opens to the right, and the multipoint contact members 13 and 13 are arranged on the inclined end surfaces of the terminal connection blocks 15 and 15 exposed above and below the V-shaped recess. You can also In this case, for example, a support material (not shown) that presses the excimer lamp 1 to the left side is disposed at the right end of the excimer lamp 1, so that both the support material and the lamp socket 7 excimer lamp 1. Should be supported. Accordingly, the terminal connection in which the inclined surface at the left end of the connector terminal 8, 8 of the excimer lamp 1 is exposed to the V-shaped depression of the socket portion 7 a of the lamp socket 7 through the multipoint contact members 13, 13. Since it is press-contacted to the inclined end surfaces of the blocks 15, 15, it is reliably connected to a high-frequency high-voltage power source.

  In the above embodiment, the external electrode 3 is a metal thin film formed uniformly and the external electrode 4 is a metal thin film formed in a net pattern. The metal thin film may be formed in any pattern. For example, both of the external electrodes 3 and 4 may be metal thin films formed in a net-like pattern, and both the external electrodes 3 and 4 may be integrated as long as ultraviolet rays can be emitted to the outside of the discharge tube 2. A metal thin film formed in this manner may be used. Further, for example, a part of the external electrode made of a uniformly formed metal thin film may have a window part formed in a partially reticulated pattern for measuring the intensity of emitted ultraviolet light, A part of the external electrode made of a metal thin film formed in a net pattern may be uniformly formed (the external electrode 4 formed on the connector portion 2b is also uniform in the case of the above embodiment). It consists of a metal thin film formed on the surface.)

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the mesh pattern of the external electrode 4 is a square or a rectangle by orthogonalizing a plurality of elongated metal thin films is shown, but the mesh pattern shape and size are arbitrary. . For example, the thin metal thin film may not be orthogonal, and the mesh may be a rhombus or a parallelogram. For example, the mesh may be a hexagonal honeycomb mesh. Further, for example, a comb-like shape in which a plurality of elongated metal thin films are arranged in parallel may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the case where the external electrodes 3 and 4 were the two-layer metal thin film which consists of an aluminum vapor deposition film and the nickel vapor deposition film protected on this surface was shown, However, Only one metal thin film and three or more layers are shown. The metal material of each layer is not limited to aluminum or nickel, and can be arbitrarily selected. Furthermore, these external electrodes 3 and 4 may be a metal thin film formed by a method such as sputtering other than vapor deposition, or may be formed as a conductive film such as a thick film other than the metal thin film. Furthermore, these external electrodes 3 and 4 are not limited to those arranged on the outer surface of the discharge tube 2 by film formation, but those arranged by attaching a metal foil to the outer surface of the discharge tube 2 or a metal plate or the like A conductive material may be disposed on the outer surface of the discharge tube 2.

  FIG. 8 shows a case where the external electrodes 3 and 4 are made of a metal plate disposed on the outer surface of the discharge tube 2. In this case, the connector terminals 8 and 8 can be constituted by portions arranged on the outer surface of the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2 in the external electrodes 3 and 4 made of these metal plates. Thus, when using the external electrodes 3 and 4 which consist of a metal plate, in order to make the external electrode 4 mesh, for example, a punching metal or an expanded metal may be used. However, even when such punching metal or expanded metal is used, the portion disposed on the outer surface of the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2 is left as a normal metal plate, and this portion is connected to the connector terminal 8. It is preferable to do. Furthermore, only the connector terminal 8 can be a metal plate, and the external electrode 4 made of a metal net can be connected to the metal plate by soldering or the like.

  Further, the external electrodes 3 and 4 are not disposed on the connector portion 2b of the discharge tube 2 but are formed from a metal plate or the like disposed on the connector portion 2b, regardless of the type of metal thin film or metal plate. The connector terminals 8 and 8 may be connected to each other via a metal lead material or the like.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the case where the multipoint contact materials 13 and 13 were used as a terminal contact of the lamp socket 7 was shown, as shown in FIG. 9, metal leaf | plate springs 17 and 17 are used as a terminal contact. It can also be used. Also in this case, since the leaf springs 17 and 17 are pressed against the connector terminals 8 and 8 by elasticity, a reliable connection can be performed. Further, the terminal contact of the lamp socket 7 can be a metal plate or the like biased by a coil spring or the like. However, when the connector part 2b of the excimer lamp 1 is inserted into the socket part 7a of the lamp socket 7, these terminal contacts are pushed by the connector terminals 8 and 8 along with this insertion to automatically widen the opening. The configuration is as follows.

  When the connector terminals 8 and 8 are configured to press the multipoint contact members 11 and 11 as in the above embodiment, the terminal contacts of the lamp socket 7 may be a fixed metal plate or metal block. In this case, when the connector terminals 8 and 8 are inserted between the pair of terminal contacts, the multipoint contact members 11 and 11 are further pressed and retracted slightly.

  This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-242644 filed on Sep. 22, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  Since it is not necessary to use a lead wire when connecting the power supply to the external electrode of the excimer lamp, the resin coating of this lead wire is not deteriorated, and it is extremely useful when used as a light source lamp of an ultraviolet irradiation device It is.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Excimer lamp 2 Discharge tube 2a Discharge space 2b Connector part 3 External electrode 4 External electrode 5 Lead wire 5a Cover material 6 Ceramic block 7 Lamp socket 7a Socket part 8 Connector terminal 8a Protrusion part 9 Indium solder layer 10 Nickel sheet 11 Multipoint contact Material 12 Bolt 13 Multi-point contact material 14 Terminal connection plate 15 Terminal connection block 16 Ceramic material 17 Leaf spring

Claims (17)

  A pair of external electrodes are arranged at different locations on the outer surface of the discharge tube in which the discharge gas is sealed in the internal discharge space, and a pair of connector terminals respectively connected to these external electrodes are connected to the ends of the discharge tube. An excimer lamp, wherein the excimer lamp is arranged at a different part on the outer surface side of the provided connector part.   2. The excimer lamp according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion is a left end portion or a right end portion of the discharge tube and is a portion in which no discharge space exists.   The discharge tube is a rectangular sealed container that is long on the left and right and formed with flat surfaces on the top and bottom, and has a pair of external electrodes arranged on the top and bottom flat surfaces of the discharge tube, respectively. The excimer lamp according to claim 1 or 2.   3. The excimer lamp according to claim 1, wherein each external electrode is made of a metal thin film formed on an outer surface of a discharge tube.   3. The excimer lamp according to claim 1, wherein each of the external electrodes is made of a metal plate disposed on an outer surface of the discharge tube.   6. The excimer lamp according to claim 5, wherein each of the connector terminals comprises a portion disposed on an outer surface of a connector portion of a discharge tube in the external electrode.   The said each connector terminal is a block-shaped terminal pressed through the multipoint contact material to the part formed in the outer surface of the connector part of the discharge tube in an external electrode. The excimer lamp in any one of 2.   3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each connector terminal is made of a metal plate connected and fixed to a portion of the external electrode formed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube via a solder layer. Excimer lamp according to crab.   Each of the connector terminals is a block-like terminal pressed via a multi-point contact material to a metal sheet connected and fixed to a portion formed on the outer surface of the connector portion of the discharge tube in the external electrode via a solder layer. The excimer lamp according to claim 1, wherein the excimer lamp is provided.   The excimer lamp according to claim 7, wherein each of the block-like connector terminals is pressed by a pair of ceramic blocks in which a connector portion of the discharge tube is sandwiched and fixed from both sides.   The excimer lamp according to claim 1, wherein the excimer lamp emits vacuum ultraviolet rays.   The said each connector terminal is a block-shaped terminal provided in the part formed in the outer surface of the connector part of the discharge tube in an external electrode, either of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Excimer lamp.   An ultraviolet irradiation apparatus comprising the excimer lamp according to claim 1.   The excimer lamp according to claim 1 and a socket portion for inserting and supporting the connector portion of the excimer lamp are provided, and the inner portion of the socket portion is in a position in contact with the pair of connector terminals in the inserted connector portion. An excimer lamp unit comprising a lamp socket in which a pair of terminal contacts connected to the power source of the excimer lamp are respectively disposed.   The excimer lamp unit according to claim 14, wherein each of the terminal contacts is made of a multipoint contact material.   The excimer lamp unit according to claim 14, wherein each of the terminal contacts is made of a metal leaf spring.   An ultraviolet irradiation apparatus comprising the excimer lamp unit according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

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