Importance

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Abstract

The invention relates to an excimer lamp with a discharge chamber which holds a halogen-containing filling gas forming excimers under discharge conditions. Known excimer lamps have only a short burning life. In order to provide an excimer lamp with a long burning life, it is proposed according to the invention that the halogen content of the discharge chamber be a minimum of 1.times.10.sup.-10 mol/cm.sup.3 volume of the discharge chamber per cm.sup.2 of the discharge chamber interior surface area. To manufacture such a long-life excimer lamp, the interior surfaces of the discharge chamber may be treated with a halogen-containing passivating gas prior to filling in the filling gas or the required amount of halogen can be included in the filing gas. The burning life of excimer lamps can also be extended by releasing halogen into a chamber in which it has become depleted, by exposing the discharge chamber to infrared radiation to release halogen taken up by the walls or by releasing halogen from a halogen reservoir disposed in the discharge chamber. In a device according to the invention suitable for extending the burning life of excimer lamps, at least one infrared lamp is provided which is disposed adjacent to the excimer lamp in such a manner that the infrared radiation emanating from the infrared lamp heats the discharge chamber.

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First Claim