METHOD FOR TREATING SURFACES, LAMP FOR SAID METHOD, AND IRRADIATION SYSTEM HAVING SAID LAMP

• US 20110056513A1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Hombach, Axel, Rudakowski, Siegmar
• Application Number:
  US12/736,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20110056513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0057 by ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 5/56 Shape of the separate part
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/046 the field being produced by using capacitive means around the vessel

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for treating, particularly cleaning, modifying, and/or activating surfaces, using UV/VUV irradiation of a UV/VUV lamp and additional gas discharge. A dielectric barrier discharge lamp (1) is preferably used as the UV/VUV lamp, comprising a planar window segment (7) for emitting the UV/VUV radiation. The lamp (1) extends into a process chamber (17). The additional gas discharge is generated in the region of the outer side of the window segment (7) of the lamp (1). The substrate to be treated is disposed within the process chamber (17), near the window segment (7).

Claims

1. A method for surface treatment, in particular cleaning, modification and/or activation, of an object in the interior of a process chamber (17) with the aid of a UV/VUV radiator (1),

the UV/VUV radiator (1) having a radiator vessel (2) that projects into the interior of the process chamber (17),

the method comprising the following method steps:

introducing into the process chamber (17) the object whose surface is to be treated, in particular cleaned, modified and/or activated,

generating UV/VUV radiation by operating the UV/VUV radiator (1), the UV/VUV radiation passing into the interior of the process chamber (17) through the wall of the radiator vessel (2), which wall is transparent to the UV/VUV radiation,

characterized by the following additional method step;

generating a gas discharge in the region of at least a part (7) of the outer wall of the radiator vessel (2).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the process chamber (17) is filled with a gas or gas mixture at a total pressure in the range from 0.01 mbar to 20 mbar.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, in which the gas or gas mixture is or includes the following components:

oxygen, hydrogen, argon, SF₆, NH₃, halogen or compounds of the latter.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the radiator vessel (2) is tubular, and the gas discharge is generated in the outer region of the sealed end (7), projecting into the process chamber (17), of the radiator vessel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the UV/VUV radiator (1) is designed and operated such that the gas discharge outside the radiator vessel is a glow discharge.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the UV/VUV radiator (1) is a dielectric barrier discharge lamp.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, in which the discharge lamp (1) is operated by pulsed high voltage.

8. A dielectric barrier discharge lamp (1), suitable as a UV/VUV radiator for the method as claimed in claim 1, having

a tubular discharge vessel (2) that is sealed at both its ends in gastight fashion and thus forms a discharge space that is filled with a discharge medium,

an elongated inner electrode (13) that is arranged axially inside the discharge vessel (2) and is guided to the outside in gastight fashion through a sealing region (14) at a first end of the discharge vessel,

an outer electrode (11a-11f) that is arranged outside the discharge vessel (2),

characterized in that

a second end of the discharge vessel is designed as a front window section (7) that serves to transmit the UV/VUV radiation generated during operation.

9. The lamp as claimed in claim 8, in which the front window section (7) is substantially planar or domed.

10. The lamp as claimed in claim 8, in which the ratio of length to diameter of the tubular discharge vessel (2) is at most 2:

1.

11. The lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which the outer electrode is designed as at least one elongated electrode (11a-11f) arranged on the outside of the discharge vessel (2) and which extends, starting from the sealing region of the inner electrode, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular discharge vessel (2) and ends in front of the front window section (7).

12. The lamp as claimed in claim 11, in which the at least one elongated outer electrode (11a-11f) ends at a distance (A_a) of approximately 3 to 10 mm in front of the front window section (7).

13. The lamp as claimed in claim 8, in which the distance (A_i) between the front window section (7) and the front end of the inner electrode (13) is equal to or less than the corresponding distance (A_a) of the at least one elongated outer electrode (10a-10f).

14. The lamp as claimed in claim 8, in which the outer electrode is designed as a metal chamber (17) into which the discharge vessel (2) projects through an opening, the opening being closed in gastight fashion via the base (3) of the lamp (1).

15. The lamp as claimed in claim 8, having a fused-off exhaust tube (10) that is arranged either in the region of the tubular section (9) or of that end of the tubular discharge vessel (2) that is averted from the front window section (7).

16. An irradiation system having a process chamber (17) in which a lamp (1) is installed in order to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1, the lamp comprising

a tubular discharge vessel (2) that is sealed at both its ends in gastight fashion and thus forms a discharge space that is filled with a discharge medium,

an elongated inner electrode (13) that is arranged axially inside the discharge vessel (2) and is guided to the outside in gastight fashion through a sealing region (14) at a first end of the discharge vessel, and

an outer electrode (11a-11f) that is arranged outside the discharge vessel (2),

wherein a second end of the discharge vessel is designed as a front window section (7) that serves to transmit the UV/VUV radiation generated during operation.

17. The irradiation system as claimed in claim 16, in which the process chamber (17) has an opening through which the discharge vessel (2) of the lamp (1) projects into the process chamber (17), the opening being closed in gastight fashion by the base (3) of the lamp (1), and the outer supply lead (15) of the lamp (1) inside the base (3) being designed in gastight fashion with respect to the atmosphere inside the process chamber (17).

18. The irradiation system as claimed in claim 17, in which the process chamber consists of an electrically conductive material and is designed as outer electrode for the lamp.

19. The irradiation system as claimed in claim 17, in which a conductor projects into the process chamber, the conductor being designed as outer electrode for the lamp.

20. The irradiation system as claimed in claim 16, in which the lamp is connected to an electrical supply device suitable for operating the lamp.