Provided is an ultraviolet irradiation device including an excimer lamp, a main emission wavelength of which belongs to a wavelength band of 190-230 nm (first wavelength band), the ultraviolet irradiation device that shows high startability. This ultraviolet irradiation device includes: a lamp house on at least one surface of which a light extraction surface is formed; an excimer lamp accommodated in the lamp house, the excimer lamp that emits ultraviolet light, a main emission wavelength of which belongs to a first wavelength band of 190-230 nm; and a start assist light source arranged in a position in which ultraviolet light, a main emission wavelength of which belongs to a second wavelength band of 250-300 nm, is capable of being irradiated to the excimer lamp.

A light source apparatus (100) includes: a chamber (101) having a chamber wall (103) defining an opening (107); and a support apparatus (110) including a support device (111) positioned within the opening of the chamber wall. The support device includes: a cup (112) having an inner surface (114) configured to retain a movable apparatus and an outer surface (116) having a first outer diameter; and a plurality of rods (118) arranged at the outer surface of the cup such that the arrangement of the plurality of rods defines a second outer diameter, the second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter. The chamber wall is configured to hold the support device such that the chamber wall contacts the plurality of rods when the support device is positioned within the opening of the chamber wall, and the outer surface of the cup does not contact the chamber wall.

An excimer lamp includes a plurality of arc tubes and an electrode pair. The electrode pair comprises a plurality of elongated electrode plates extending along a tube axis direction of the plurality of arc tubes. Each electrode plate comprises a polarity opposite that of an adjacent electrode plate (i.e., alternating polarities). The plurality of arc tubes and the plurality of electrode plates are disposed in an alternating side-by-side orientation such that an arc tube of the plurality of arc tubes is disposed between adjacent electrode plates of the plurality of electrode plates.

An excimer lamp is such that that an interior of a discharge vessel is filled with a first gas including krypton (Kr) or xenon (Xe); a second gas including chlorine (Cl) or bromine (Br); and a third gas which is at least one species selected from among the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), and helium (He), and which exhibits a partial pressure P.sub.b that is not less than a partial pressure P.sub.lg of the first gas.

In electrodeless HID lamps the radio frequency (RF) source is separated from a lamp housing in which vessel containing plasma arc is mounted. This lamp housing is usually designed to maximize the amount of RF energy incident on the plasma arc. The plasma arc, however, cannot convert the entire amount of incident RF energy into light and a portion instead is released as propagating radiation or remains localized RF electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of lamp. In this invention, we introduce field suppression probes: Small, configurable structures that are made of conductive materials that mount directly to the lamp housing or alternately the lamp fixture that is able to suppress unused RF energy that is emanated from the lamp housing or plasma. These probes, when configured with the lamp, can substantially suppress the unused RF energy and prevent EMI emissions and reduce RF feedback that can adversely affect the lamp.

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.

A high brightness laser-sustained broadband light source includes a gas containment structure and a pump laser configured to generate a pump beam including illumination of a wavelength at least proximate to a weak absorption line of a neutral gas contained in the gas containment structure. The broadband light source includes one or more anamorphic illumination optics configured to focus the pump beam into an approximately elliptical beam waist positioned in or proximate to the center of the gas containment structure. The broadband light source includes one or more first collection optics configured to collect broadband radiation emitted by the plasma in a direction substantially aligned with a longer axis of the elliptical beam waist.

A discharge lamp and a method for forming the lamp, the lamp including a ceramic discharge vessel defining at least part of a cavity containing a metal halide (MH) chemical filling having a power factor of between about 0.75 and 0.85 located within the cavity; and one or more feedthroughs having first and second ends, the first end located in the cavity. The cavity may have an internal length LINT and an internal diameter DINT that are proportional to each other, such that an aspect ratio defined as LINT/DINT is less than or equal to two. The lamp may be started and operated with a probe-start ballast without an internal igniter circuit or without a starting electrode (or internal igniter).

A novel compact air-cavity electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp is disclosed that provides added flexibility in its design to improve performance and reliability. A coupling sleeve surrounds a bulb assembly that can replace the output coupling element require for effective operation of the lamp. The coupling sleeve couples the RF energy from the input coupling element to the bulb and the bulb assembly serves to provide the heat sinking needed for the bulb to operate within the temperature range necessary to achieve optimum performance with good reliability. Changing the design of the bulb assembly does not impact the resonant frequency of the air-cavity resonator. De-coupling the bulb assembly design from the operating frequency of the resonator gives more flexibility to designer to optimize the overall performance of the electrodeless HID lamp.

An excimer lamp includes a dielectric tube, an end cap, a conductive hollow tube, and an electrode grid. The dielectric tube has a closed end and an open end, and defines a cavity. The end cap sealingly covers the open end. The conductive hollow tube passes through the end cap and into the cavity of the dielectric tube, with a volume defined between an exterior surface of the conductive hollow tube and an interior surface of the dielectric tube. The volume is configured to hold a gas. The electrode grid is disposed on an exterior surface of the dielectric tube.