UV irradiation apparatus
AssigneeUshio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHideaki Yagyu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To improve startability in a UV irradiation apparatus equipped with excimer lamps. The UV irradiation apparatus includes a plurality of excimer lamps each having a light-emitting tube filled with a discharge gas containing a noble gas. The plurality of excimer lamps includes a first excimer lamp filled with the discharge gas at a first enclosed gas pressure and a second excimer lamp filled with the discharge gas at a second enclosed gas pressure lower than the first enclosed gas pressure. The first excimer lamp is placed in a position such that at least part of light emitted from the second excimer lamp is allowed to enter the first excimer lamp.
Claims20
A UV irradiation apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of excimer lamps each having a light-emitting tube filled with a discharge gas containing a noble gas,
- wherein the plurality of excimer lamps includes
- a first excimer lamp filled with the discharge gas at a first enclosed gas pressure, and
- a second excimer lamp filled with the discharge gas at a second enclosed gas pressure lower than the first enclosed gas pressure;
- the first excimer lamp is placed in a position such that at least part of light emitted from the second excimer lamp is allowed to enter the first excimer lamp;
- the first excimer lamp and the second excimer lamp are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the light-emitting tube axis of the respective excimer lamps;
- the UV irradiation apparatus further comprises a pair of electrode blocks placed so as to be in contact with a portion of each of the light-emitting tubes of the first excimer lamp and the second excimer lamp and to be separated from each other in a direction parallel to the tube axes;
- and
- when voltage is applied between the pair of electrode blocks, the first and second excimer lamps are turned on almost simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.