Pulsed UV and VUV excilamps

Abstract

Emission characteristics of a nanosecond discharge in nitrogen, inert gases and its halogenides without preionization of the gap from an auxiliary source have been investigated. A volume discharge, initiated by an avalanche electron beam (VDIAEB) was realized at pressures up to 12 atm. It has been shown that at VDIAEB excitation no less than 90% energy in the 120-850 nm range is emitted by Xe, Kr, Ar dimers. Xenon spectra in the range 120-850 nm and timeamplitude characteristics have been recorded and analyzed for various excitation regimes. In xenon at pressure of 1.2 atm, the energy of spontaneous radiation in the full solid angle was ∼ 45 mJ/cm 3 , and the FWHM of a radiation pulse was ∼ 110 ns. The spontaneous radiation power rise in xenon was observed at pressures up to 12 atm. Pulsed power densities of radiation of inert gases halogenides excited by VDIAEB was ~ 4.5 kW/cm 2 at efficiency up to 5.5 %.Keywords: excimer and exciplex lamp (excilamp), volume discharge initiated by an avalanche electron beam