Improved ultraviolet field-emission lamps can be safely deployed close to people because they eliminate the use of toxic materials, mitigate heating issues, and emit light in a wavelength range that is safe for human exposure.

An excimer lamp includes light-emitting gases containing krypton gas and chlorine gas in a sealing body composed of fused quartz glass having an absorption band at least in a wavelength band of 240 nm to 260 nm. An ultraviolet light irradiation device includes: an excimer lamp having light-emitting gases containing krypton gas and chlorine gas in a sealing body; a housing having an extraction part for extracting ultraviolet light emitted from an excimer lamp; and fused quartz glass disposed in the extraction part and having an absorption band at least in a wavelength band of 240 nm to 260 nm.

In the excimer lamp according to the present invention, a flat discharge vessel having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and comprising a pair of planar parts and a pair of side-surface parts has a pair of external electrodes disposed on the respective outer surfaces of the planar parts. The end parts of the external electrodes are provided with an auxiliary electrode extending to a region that is made smaller than the distance between the planar parts. A lead that supplies electricity to the external electrode is connected to the auxiliary electrode in the region that is made smaller than the distance between the planar parts.

In the excimer lamp according to the present invention, a flat discharge vessel having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and comprising a pair of planar parts and a pair of side-surface parts has a pair of external electrodes disposed on the respective outer surfaces of the planar parts. The end parts of the external electrodes are provided with an auxiliary electrode extending to a region that is made smaller than the distance between the planar parts. A lead that supplies electricity to the external electrode is connected to the auxiliary electrode in the region that is made smaller than the distance between the planar parts.

Improved ultraviolet field-emission lamps can be safely deployed close to people because they eliminate the use of toxic materials, mitigate heating issues, and emit light in a wavelength range that is safe for human exposure.

A broadband ultraviolet illumination source for a characterization system is disclosed. The broadband ultraviolet illumination source includes an enclosure having one or more walls, the enclosure configured to contain a gas, and a plasma discharge device based on a graphene-dielectric-semiconductor (GOS) planar-type structure. The GOS structure includes a silicon substrate having a top surface, a dielectric layer disposed on the top surface of the silicon substrate, and at least one layer of graphene disposed on a top surface of the dielectric layer. A metal contact may be formed on the top surface of the graphene layer. The GOS structure has several advantages for use in an illumination source, such as low operating voltage (below 50 V), planar surface electron emission, and compatibility with standard semiconductor processes. The broadband ultraviolet illumination source further includes electrodes placed inside the enclosure or magnets placed outside the enclosure to increase the current density.

A light emitting unit includes a light emitting sealed body and a voltage application circuit. The light emitting sealed body includes a container to which laser light for maintaining plasma is incident and from which light from the plasma is emitted, a first electrode which includes a first discharge portion, and a second electrode which includes a second discharge portion. An end portion of the first discharge portion has a shape in which a thickness is thinned as it goes toward the second discharge portion and an end surface of the second discharge portion extends along a plane perpendicular to an extending direction of the first discharge portion. The voltage application circuit controls a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode by adjusting a voltage applied to at least the first electrode.

A VUV excimer lamp has a dielectric tube for holding an excimer-forming gas, a first electrode disposed within the dielectric tube, and a second electrode arranged outside of the dielectric tube. The first electrode has an outer diameter less than 0.5 mm, is elongated, and includes at least one thin wire with an outer diameter between 0.02 mm and 0.4 mm. The thin wire is an elongated thin wire, and is substantially straight and defines a straight axis of elongation. A photochemical system has the VUV excimer lamp. An excimer lamp system has the VUV excimer lamp, and also has a power supply to supply AC electric power to the first electrode and the second electrode.

A dielectric barrier VUV excimer lamp has an elongated dielectric tube for holding an excimer-forming gas, a first electrode disposed within the dielectric tube, and a second electrode arranged outside of the dielectric tube. The first electrode is a wire electrode disposed along a centre axis of the dielectric tube, axially symmetric with respect to the centre axis, and physically connected to each end of the dielectric tube. The dielectric barrier VUV excimer lamp is an AC dielectric barrier discharge VUV excimer lamp or the dielectric barrier VUV excimer lamp is a pulsed DC dielectric barrier discharge VUV excimer lamp. A photochemical system has the dielectric barrier VUV excimer lamp. An excimer lamp system has the dielectric barrier VUV excimer lamp, and also has a power supply to supply electric power to the first electrode and the second electrode.

Improved ultraviolet field-emission lamps can be safely deployed close to people because they eliminate the use of toxic materials, mitigate heating issues, and emit light in a wavelength range that is safe for human exposure.