Electron-beam-ignited, high-frequency-driven vacuum ultraviolet excimer light source

TL;DR

This paper reports on a novel vacuum ultraviolet excimer light source driven by high-frequency RF discharge, showing significant spectral changes and increased VUV emission as the discharge transitions to a self-burning state.

Contribution

It introduces a new high-frequency RF driven VUV excimer light source with observed spectral transformation and enhanced VUV emission in a self-burning discharge regime.

Findings

Significant increase in VUV excimer emission during self-burning discharge

Brilliant 105 nm VUV emission near the LiF window cutoff

Broad-band continuum and effects on atomic and continuum radiation

Abstract

Transformation of a table-top electron beam sustained 2.45 GHz RF discharge in rare gases into a self burning discharge has been observed for increasing RF-amplitude. Thereby, the emission spectrum undergoes significant changes in a wide spectral range from the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) to the near infrared. A strong increase of VUV excimer emission is observed for the self burning discharge. The so called first excimer continuum, in particular, shows a drastic increase in intensity. For argon this effect results in a brilliant light source emitting near the 105 nm short wavelength cutoff of LiF windows. The appearance of a broad-band continuum in the UV and visible range as well as effects of RF excitation on the atomic line radiation and the so called third excimer continuum are briefly described.