KR20070070055A - Excimer lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

An excimer lamp is provided to lengthen a lifetime by preventing a breakdown due to a movement of an internal electrode toward an internal tube junction part. A discharge receptacle(1) includes an external tube junction part formed by melting an end of an external tube(2) and an internal tube junction part(30) formed by melting an end of an internal tube(3). The discharge receptacle further includes a double tube junction part formed by melting the end of the internal tube and the end of the external tube. An internal electrode(5) is a metallic plate-shaped electrode extended in a longitudinal direction along an inner surface of the internal tube. A supporting member(6) for supporting the internal tube is fixed to the external tube of the internal tube junction part between the external tube and the internal tube. An air gap is formed between the corresponding supporting member and the internal tube. A contact stopping part(7) is formed in the internal tube.

Description

Excimer lamp {EXCIMER LAMP}

1 is an explanatory diagram of an excimer lamp of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A in FIG. 1; FIG.

3 is a process explanatory diagram for manufacturing a discharge vessel of the excimer lamp of the present invention;

4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one end side of an inner tube of the excimer lamp of the present invention;

5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one end side of an inner tube of an excimer lamp of another embodiment of the present invention;

6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional excimer lamp.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: discharge vessel 2: outer tube

20: outer tube joint 3: inner tube

30: inner tube junction 4: outer electrode

5: inner electrode 6: supporting member

7: contact stop 8: joining member

80: end 81: end side

S: discharge vessel K: void

P: Collision part

The present invention relates to an excimer lamp using excimer light emission from excimer molecules generated by discharge of a discharge gas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION An excimer lamp is conventionally used as a light source for surface treatment by irradiating vacuum ultraviolet light in a semiconductor manufacturing process and a liquid crystal plate manufacturing process. This excimer lamp discharges discharge gas, such as a rare gas arrange | positioned between a pair of electrodes, to form an excimer molecule, and uses the light radiated | emitted in the process of dissociating this excimer molecule.

For example, a discharge gas such as xenon is enclosed in a discharge space formed by arranging a large diameter cylindrical quartz glass tube and a small diameter quartz glass tube in a double cylindrical tube, and an outer electrode on the outer surface of the outer tube of the double cylindrical tube. The inner electrode is disposed on the inner surface of the inner tube, and a high frequency voltage is added between the electrodes to generate a discharge.

Such an excimer lamp has a problem that the luminous efficiency is lowered when the gas for discharge in the discharge space becomes high, and the outer tube is cooled by appropriate cooling means, for example, a cooling block. It is higher than the temperature of the tube, and the inner tube expands considerably compared to the outer tube, and stress is applied to the joint portion in which the outer tube and the inner tube are melted and joined. In some cases, the joint portion is broken and the discharge container may be damaged. there was.

In order to avoid such a problem, in recent years, the edge part of one side of a discharge container has the outer tube junction part by which the edge part of an outer side tube was melted, and the inner tube junction part by which the edge part of an inner side tube was melted and formed, The other end of the discharge vessel has a double pipe joint formed by melting and joining the end of the outer tube and the end of the inner tube, and the inner space of the inner tube is isolated from the discharge space and is in communication with the outside. Excimer lamps are used.

This conventional excimer lamp will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

As for the discharge container 1, the glass outer tube 2 and the inner tube 3 are arrange | positioned on the same axis, and the edge part of the one side which is A side end part in FIG. The outer tube joint 20 is formed, and the inner tube joint 30 is formed by melting the end of the inner tube 3 and joined to each other. In FIG. The double pipe junction 23 is formed by melting the end of 2) and the end of the inner pipe 3 and joining them, and the double pipe structure having the discharge space S between the outer pipe 2 and the inner pipe 3. to be.

The outer surface of the outer tube 1 is provided with a mesh-shaped outer electrode 4 for transmitting excimer light emitted from the discharge space S, and is curved along the inner surface on the inner surface of the inner tube 3. The metal plate-shaped inner electrode 5 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided.

The discharge gas for forming excimer molecules is filled in the discharge space S by excimer discharge, and a discharge is generated in the discharge space S by adding a high frequency voltage between the outer electrode 4 and the inner electrode 5. To emit excimer light.

According to such an excimer lamp, during lighting, even if the temperature of the inner side pipe 3 becomes higher than the temperature of the outer side pipe 2, even if the inner side tube 3 expands large compared with the outer side tube 2, the discharge vessel 1 of the discharge vessel 1 At the end (A end) on one side, the inner tube 3 is not joined to the outer tube 2 and is a free end, so even if the inner tube 3 expands, the expansion amount is spaced. It can absorb in (L) and the discharge container 1 will not be damaged.

Moreover, in recent years, the large area of a to-be-processed object is progressing in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor and the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal plate, and the long excimer lamp like the whole length exceeding 800 mm is calculated | required.

When the excimer lamp is lengthened, the inner tube inevitably becomes long, and the inner tube is largely bent due to its own weight, and when the lamp is vibrated or impacted during transportation or handling, the inner tube and the outer tube are There is a fear that stress is applied to the double tube joint melted and joined to break the double tube joint.

In order to prevent such a case, as shown in FIG. 6, the support member 6 for supporting the inner side pipe 3 is provided between the outer side pipe 2 and the inner side pipe 3.

This support member 6 is being fixed to the outer side pipe | tube 2 which opposes the inner side pipe | tube junction part 30 side from which the curvature amount of the inner side pipe 3 becomes large.

This support member 6 is a glass member made of the same material as the outer tube 2, and the support member 6 is melted and fixed to the outer tube 2.

When the support member 6 is fixed to the inner tube 3, the temperature of the inner tube 3 is higher than that of the outer tube 2 at the time of lighting, so that the supporting member 6 is thermally influenced to support the member 6. Since the stress is generated in the melt-fixed portion of the inner tube 3 and the inner tube 3 may be damaged at the portion, the supporting member 6 is fixed to the outer tube 2.

In such an excimer lamp, the inner electrode 5 may move in the A-end direction while repeating lighting and turning off.

Since there is a difference in the shape of the inner tube 3 and the shape of the inner electrode 5, when the excimer lamp is turned on, the inner electrode 5 and the inner tube such as a portion where the tube diameter of the inner tube 3 is slightly smaller. In the state where the contact pressure of (3) is high, the inner electrode 5 extends while rubbing along the inner surface of the inner tube 3 with the temperature rise.

At this time, when the fixing point at the time of lighting is formed in the opening side (B end side) of the inner side pipe 3, and the inner electrode 5 extends, the extension length will become larger on the A end side than on the B end side.

When the excimer lamp is turned on, the inner electrode 5 is heated and extended, and when turned off, the inner electrode 5 is cooled and contracted in the extended state. At this time, when the portion where the contact pressure between the inner electrode 5 and the inner tube 3 is fixed at the time of lighting is fixed at the time of contraction and contracted from both ends, the relative positional relationship between the inner electrode 5 and the discharge vessel 1 is Does not change.

However, although the temperature distribution of the inner electrode 5 becomes uniform during normal lighting, cooling advances from the B end side immediately after the light is turned off, so that the temperature distribution is not uniform. The heat dissipation progresses on the B end side, for example, and is cooled to about 200 ° C., but the A end side, which is difficult to dissipate, is hard to radiate, and is cooled only to about 350 ° C., for example.

Moreover, since the inner electrode 5 during lighting extends not only in the axial direction of the discharge vessel, but also in the radial direction, the inner electrode 5 extends in the radial direction on the A end side, which is difficult to dissipate when turned off. The tube 3 is pressed firmly to contract in a fixed state. Therefore, unlike the elongation, the B end side contracts while the A end side is fixed, and the contraction length is larger than the A end side of the B end side, so that the relative relationship between the inner electrode 5 and the discharge container 1 is increased. The positional relationship changes, and the inner electrode 5 moves in the inner tube 3 toward the A end side.

That is, by repeating lighting and turning off the lamp, the inner electrode 5 expands and contracts each time, but gradually moves toward the A end side as a whole.

And finally, since the inner electrode 5 contacts the inner side pipe | tube junction part 30, and the inner electrode 5 tries to move to A end part direction, the inner side pipe | tube junction part 30 has an arrow in the figure. Stress is applied in c direction.

When the inner tube bends due to its own weight, or vibration or shock is applied to the lamp during transportation or handling, the inner tube 3 collides with the support member 6, and when the number of collisions increases, the inner tube 3 A fine crack may generate | occur | produce in the collision part P which collides with the support member 6 of ().

While the lamp is lit, the inner tube 3 also extends by thermal expansion in the direction of the arrow c, but the inner electrode 5 in contact with the inner tube joint 30 is made of metal, and the inner electrode 5 is located above the arrow c. Try to stretch by thermal expansion in the direction.

As a result, the inner tube 3 in the vicinity of the inner tube junction 30 is attracted in the A end direction because the inner electrode 5 tries to move in the A end direction, and a stress is applied to the collision portion P. If minute cracks have occurred, the cracks are in a cracked state, and finally, cracks grow, the inner tube 30 breaks at the collision portion P, and there is a problem that the discharge vessel is broken.

(Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-335213

This invention is made | formed in order to solve such a problem, Comprising: It is providing the excimer lamp of a long lifetime, without an inner tube being destroyed even if an inner electrode moves to the direction of an inner tube junction part with lighting / lighting off.

The excimer lamp of Claim 1 is equipped with the discharge vessel of the double-tube structure by which the outer outer tube and inner tube made of glass are arrange | positioned on the same axis, and the outer tube and the inner tube become a discharge space, and the outer surface of the outer tube An excimer lamp in which an outer electrode is provided and an inner electrode is provided on an inner surface of the inner tube, and a discharge gas for forming excimer molecules is filled in the discharge space by excimer discharge. The outer end of the outer tube is melted and joined to the outer tube joint portion, and the inner tube joint is formed by melting the end of the inner tube is joined, the other end, the end of the outer tube and the end of the inner tube is melted And a double pipe joint joined to each other is formed, and the inner electrode is formed of a metal plate that is bent along the inner surface of the inner pipe to extend in the longitudinal direction. As an electrode, a supporting member for supporting the inner tube is fixed to the outer tube at the side of the inner tube joining portion between the outer tube and the inner tube, and a gap is formed between the supporting member and the inner tube. The inner tube is provided with a contact stopper portion of the inner electrode at a center side in the longitudinal direction of the discharge vessel from a position facing the support member.

The excimer lamp of Claim 2 is an excimer lamp of Claim 1, In particular, the inner tube junction part of the one side edge part of the said discharge container is melted and joined by the edge part of an inner tube via the bonding member which consists of glass, A contact stopper is formed in the joining member.

(Embodiment of the Invention)

The excimer lamp of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. 1: is sectional drawing of the longitudinal direction which is the tube axis direction of an excimer lamp. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 1.

As for the discharge container 1, the glass outer tube 2 and the inner tube 3 are arrange | positioned on the same axis, and the edge part of the one side which is A side end part in FIG. The outer tube joint 20 is formed, and the inner tube joint 30 is formed by melting an end of the inner tube 3 and joined to each other. In FIG. The double pipe | tube junction part 23 by which the edge part of 2) and the edge part of the inner side pipe 3 melted were formed, and the double pipe | tube structure which becomes the discharge space S between the outer side pipe 2 and the inner side pipe 3 is formed. to be.

On the outer surface of the outer tube 2, an outer electrode 4 made of a mesh metal for transmitting excimer light emitted from the discharge space S is provided.

In addition, a metal plate-shaped inner electrode 5 which is bent along the inner surface of the inner tube 3 and extends in the longitudinal direction is provided.

The internal electrode 5 is a curved SUS plate having a thickness of 0.3 mm along the inner surface of the inner tube 3, and the cross-sectional shape is C-shaped, and the C-shaped SUS plate tries to open. The inner surface of the inner tube 3 is in contact with each other.

The discharge gas which forms an excimer molecule by excimer discharge in the discharge space S is filled.

In the discharge space S, xenon glass is enclosed with 70 kPa, and halogen may also be enclosed as needed.

Between the outer side pipe 2 and the inner side pipe 3, the support member 6 for supporting the inner side pipe 3 is provided.

This support member 6 is being fixed to the outer side pipe | tube 2 by the side of the inner side pipe | tube junction part 30 which the curvature amount of the inner side pipe 3 becomes large.

This support member 6 is a glass member of the same material as the outer side pipe 2, is 2 mm thick, and as shown in FIG. 2, the donut provided with the through-hole 60 which can pass through the inner side pipe 3 is provided. In the disk of the shape, the outer peripheral edge of the supporting member 6 is melted and fixed to the inner surface of the outer tube 2.

By this support member 6, even when a lamp is arrange | positioned in all directions at the time of conveyance and handling of an excimer lamp | ramp, the inner side pipe | tube 3 can be supported.

In addition, returning to FIG. 1 and continuing description, the inner electrode 5 will move to the inner side pipe | tube junction part 30 between the inner side pipe | tube junction part 30 of the inner side pipe | tube 2 and the edge part of the inner side electrode 5. The contact stop part 7 which prevents to do is formed.

This contact stopper 7 melts and fixes the quartz glass piece on the inner surface of the inner tube 3.

Moreover, as another modification of the contact stopping part 7, the inner pipe | tube 3 between the inner pipe | tube junction part 30 and the edge part of the inner electrode 5 is heated with a burner, and the convex part by glass lump is made and this convex part is made. It may be a contact stopper.

Then, a voltage of 10 kV and 100 kHz is applied between the outer electrode 4 and the inner electrode 5 to emit excimer light having a wavelength of l72 nm from the discharge space.

3 is a process explanatory diagram for producing a discharge vessel.

As shown in Fig. 3 (a), the outer tube 2 is made of quartz glass and is a cylindrical tube having an outer diameter of 35 mm, an inner diameter of 29 mm, a thickness of 3 mm, and a length of 1000 mm. 2A of outer pipe | tube structures which melt-bonded the outer pipe | tube edge part of the same are created.

In addition, the support member 6 is melted and fixed to the inner surface of the outer tube 2 at an appropriate position.

As shown in Fig. 3 (b), the inner tube 3 is made of quartz glass, and is a cylindrical tube having an outer diameter of l3 mm, an inner diameter of 11 mm, a thickness of 1 mm, and a length of 950 mm, and the A side end side which is one end side. The end part of the inner side pipe | tube of the inside is melt-bonded, and the inner side pipe edge part of the B side edge part which is the other end side creates the inner side pipe structure 3A of the state opened in the radial direction.

Moreover, the contact stopper 7 which prevents the movement of an inner electrode is provided in the inner inner surface.

3 (c), the inner tube structure 3A is inserted into the outer tube structure 2A so that the inner tube 3 passes through the through hole of the support member 6, and The discharge container is manufactured by melt-bonding the B side end part of the inner side pipe | tube 3 and the B side end part of the outer side pipe | tube 2, and fuse | melting.

4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the A end side of the discharge vessel.

A space K is formed between the supporting member 6 and the inner tube 3, and the supporting member 6 and the inner tube 3 are not fixed.

As described above, the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 2 have different amounts of expansion during lamp lighting, and the support member 6 fixed to the outer tube 2 is further attached to the inner tube 3. When it is fixed, stress is applied to the supporting member 6 due to the difference in the amount of expansion, and there is a possibility that the outer tube 2 or the inner tube 3 is broken at the portion fixed to the supporting member 6.

Since the space | gap K is formed between the support member 6 and the inner side pipe 3, when the inner side pipe 3 bends by its own weight, or a vibration or an impact is applied to the lamp at the time of conveyance or handling, The inner tube 3 collides with the support member 6, and a fine crack may occur in the collision part P which collides with the support member 6 of the inner tube 3.

The contact stopping part 7 is formed in the inner surface of the inner side pipe | tube 2 of the longitudinal center side of the discharge container 1 rather than the position which opposes the support member 6.

In other words, the supporting member 6 is fixed to the inner surface of the outer tube 2 at the position opposite to the region between the contact stop 7 and the inner tube joint 30.

During repeated on and off, the inner electrode 5 moves in the direction of the inner tube junction 30 and stops at the position in contact with the contact stop 7.

In addition, since the inner electrode 5 tries to move toward the inner tube joint 30 when repeated lighting and extinguishing, the contact stops 7 face the inner tube joint 30 in the direction (the arrow c direction in the drawing). Stress is applied.

That is, since the stress is applied to the contact stopper 7 in the direction of the arrow c, the entire inner tube 3 between the contact stopper 7 and the inner pipe joint 30 is in the longitudinal direction of the discharge vessel. The stress pressed in the c direction acts.

As a result, even if a minute crack occurs in the collision part P of the inner side pipe | tube 3, a force is not applied in the direction which the crack splits, and progress of a crack can be suppressed, and the inner side pipe 3 is destroyed. It can be prevented.

5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the A end side of the inner tube according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the ends of the inner tube 3 are not directly melt-bonded, but are melt-bonded by a bonding member 8 made of quartz glass that is manufactured in advance.

Specifically, the joining member 8 forms the edge part 80 in the opening part which opposes the edge part of the inner side pipe | tube 3 by machining.

The end side surface 81 of the end portion 80 is shaped to face the end portion of the inner electrode 5.

This end side surface 81 is a contact stopper which prevents the movement of the inner electrode 5, and this end side surface 81 has the length of the discharge container 1 from the position which opposes the support member 6. It is formed in the direction center side.

In other words, the supporting member 6 is fixed to the inner surface of the outer tube 2 at the position opposite to the area between the end side face 81 and the tip end of the joining portion 8.

As a result, the stress is applied to the end side surface 81 in the arrow c direction by the movement of the inner electrode 5, and the whole between the end side surface 81 of the joining member 8 and the front end of the joining part 8 In the longitudinal direction of the discharge vessel, the stress pressed in the c direction acts so that even if a minute crack occurs in the collision portion P of the joining member 8, no stress is applied in the direction where the crack splits. Can be suppressed, and the joining member 8 which joins the inner side pipe 3 can be prevented from being destroyed.

According to the excimer lamp of the present invention, even if the inner electrode provided on the inner surface of the inner tube moves during repeated lighting and extinction, the excimer having a long service life without breaking the inner tube joint portion which melt-bonds the end of the inner tube is destroyed. It becomes a lamp.

Claims (2)

The outer tube and the inner tube of glass are arranged on the same axis, and the discharge vessel of the double tube structure which has a discharge space between an outer tube and an inner tube is provided, and an outer electrode is provided in the outer surface of the said outer tube, and the said inner side An excimer lamp in which an inner electrode is provided on an inner surface of a tube, and a discharge gas for forming excimer molecules is filled in the discharge space by excimer discharge. The discharge vessel is formed with an outer tube joint portion in which one end of the outer tube is melted and joined, and an inner tube joint portion in which the end of the inner tube is melted and joined. The end of the inner tube is melted and joined to form a double tube joint, The inner electrode is a metal plate-shaped electrode that is curved along the inner surface of the inner tube and extends in the longitudinal direction. Between the outer tube and the inner tube, a supporting member for supporting the inner tube is fixed to the outer tube on the side of the inner tube joining portion, and a gap is formed between the supporting member and the inner tube. The excimer lamp of the said inner side pipe | tube, The contact stop part of the said inner electrode is formed in the center side of the longitudinal direction of the said discharge container from the position which opposes the said support member. The method according to claim 1, The inner tube joint portion at one end of the discharge vessel is joined by melting an end portion of the inner tube via a bonding member made of glass, An excimer lamp, characterized in that a contact stopper is formed on the joining member.

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