High pressure discharge lamp and method of production therefor

A method for manufacturing a high pressure discharge lamp including a quartz glass bulb;

• a pair of electrodes, each electrode of said pair of electrodes being disposed so as to be opposite the other in said quartz glass bulb and containing potassium oxide in the range between about 20 ppm and 40 ppm;
• and at least mercury, a halogen gas, and an inert gas contained and sealed in said quartz glass bulb, comprising the steps of:
• carrying out an evacuation process in which said quartz glass bulb is evacuated so that the partial pressure of oxygen (O) in said quartz glass bulb becomes about 2.5×10−3 Pa or less;
• carrying out a mercury sealing process in which said mercury is sealed in said quartz glass bulb so that the amount of said mercury with respect to the space volume in said quartz glass bulb becomes about 0.15 mg/mm3 or greater;
• carrying out a halogen gas introduction process in which said halogen gas is introduced into said quartz glass bulb so that the partial pressure of said halogen gas in said quartz glass bulb falls in the range between about 1×10−6 μmol/mm3 and 1×10−8 μmol/mm3;
• and
• carrying out an inert gas introduction process in which said inert gas is introduced into said quartz glass bulb so that the partial pressure of said inert gas in said quartz glass bulb falls in the range between about 6×103 Pa and 6×104 Pa, wherein
• said evacuation process is carried out after one of said pair of electrodes is inserted into a first insertion opening formed in said quartz glass bulb and is airtightly sealed with said first insertion opening so that said quartz glass bulb may be evacuated through a second insertion opening formed in said quartz glass bulb;
• said halogen gas introduction process is carried out, after said evacuation process, by introducing said halogen gas into said quartz glass bulb through said second insertion opening;
• said inert gas introduction process is carried out, after said evacuation process, by introducing said inert gas into said quartz glass bulb through said second insertion opening;
• and
• said second insertion opening is airtightly sealed with the other one of said pair of electrodes after carrying out said mercury sealing process, said halogen gas introduction process, and said inert gas introduction process.