Electrical Characteristics of Silent Discharges for Rare-Gas Excimer Light

Abstract

Electrical characteristics of a silent discharge for a rare-gas excimer excitation for 5 to 10kV of applied voltage with 3 to 15kHz of source frequency are discussed. It is found that there is a similarity relation between a consumed power at the gap and product of frequency and specific applied voltage. A number of spike discharge increases by increasing an applied voltage, while the light intensity of a spike discharge maintain constant. It is inferred from the measured power that pumping power is approximately about 400kW/cm³ and a reduced electric field strength is about 25Td. From a high reduced electric field, an effective excitation of raregas excimer may be obtained.