Method for treatment of surfaces with ultraviolet light

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by irradiating the surface with optical energy at an intensity sufficient to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing water on the surface to be modified and then irradiating the surface with the water with the optical energy, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 160 nanometers and 500 nanometers without higher wavelengths, and wherein the water cleans the surface and enhances the modifying of the surface during the irradiating of the surface.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating pulsed optical energy and irradiating the surface of the substrate with the pulsed optical energy with an optical power density of sufficient intensity to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing water on the surface to be modified and then irradiating the surface with the water with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers, and wherein the water cleans the surface and enhances the modifying of the surface during the irradiating of the surface.

In a method for modifying a metallic surface by irradiating the surface with pulsed optical energy at an intensity sufficient to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing water on the surface to be modified and then irradiating the surface with the water with the optical energy to modify any organic materials on the surface, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers without higher wavelengths, and wherein the water cleans the surface and enhances the modifying of the surface during the irradiating of the surface.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating optical energy having ultraviolet wavelengths and irradiating the surface of the substrate, the improvement which comprises:

• irradiating the surface with the optical energy by scanning the surface in a predetermined pattern with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the wavelengths are between about 160 nanometers and 500 nanometers without higher wavelengths with cooling of at least the surface of the substrate.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating optical energy produced by light pulses from a xenon flashlamp energized by pulses of current and having ultraviolet wavelengths and irradiating the surface of the substrate, the improvement which comprises:

• irradiating the surface with the optical energy by scanning the surface in a predetermined pattern with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the wavelengths are between about 160 nanometers and 500 nanometers without higher wavelengths with cooling of at least the surface of the substrate.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating pulsed optical energy and irradiating the surface of the substrate with the pulsed optical energy with an optical power density of sufficient intensity to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing water on the surface to be modified prior to irradiating the surface to modify the surface and then irradiating the surface with the optical energy by scanning the surface in a predetermined pattern with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating pulsed optical energy generated by a sealed xenon flashlamp energized by pulses of electrical current and irradiating the surface of the substrate with the pulsed optical energy with an optical power density of sufficient intensity to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing water on the surface to be modified prior to irradiating the surface to modify the surface and then irradiating the surface with the optical energy by scanning the surface in a predetermined pattern with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating pulsed optical energy and irradiating the surface of the substrate with the pulsed optical energy with an optical power density of sufficient intensity to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing humidity in the air adjacent to the surface to be modified prior to irradiating the surface to modify the surface and then irradiating the surface with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers.

In a method for modifying a surface of a substrate by generating pulsed optical energy and irradiating the surface of the substrate with the pulsed optical energy with an optical power density of sufficient intensity to modify the surface, the improvement which comprises:

• providing water containing ozone on the surface to be modified prior to irradiating the surface to modify the surface and then irradiating the surface with the optical energy to modify the surface, wherein the optical energy has wavelengths which are between about 185 nanometers and 254 nanometers.