Control of the UV flux of a XeCl dielectric barrier discharge excilamp through its current variation

The efficiency of the electrical power transfer to the gas mixture of a XeCl dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) exciplex lamp is analysed. An equivalent circuit model of the DBD is considered. It is shown that the excilamp power can be controlled by applying current to the lamp. This highly desired property is ensured by means of a specific power supply topology, whose concepts and design are discussed. The experimental prototype of a current-mode converter operating in the pulsed regime at pulse repetition rate of 50 kHz is presented and its capability to control the amount of energy transferred during each current pulse is demonstrated. The capability of this power supply to maintain specific operating conditions for the DBD lamp, with a very stable behaviour (even at a very low current, in the regime of a single discharge channel), is illustrated. The experimental results of a combined use of this converter and a XeCl excilamp are presented. The influence of the supply parameters on the 308-nm XeCl excilamp is analysed. The shape of the UV pulse of the lamp is experimentally shown to be similar to that of the current, which actually flows into the gas mixture. The UV radiation power is demonstrated to be tightly correlated to the current injected into the gas and controlled by the available degrees of freedom offered by the power supply. The measured UV output characteristics and performance of the system are discussed. Time resolved UV imaging of a XeCl DBD excilamp is used to analyse the mechanisms involved in the production of exciplexes at various power supply regimes. It is shown that a pulsed voltage source leads to formation of short high intensity UV peaks, while current pulses lead to formation of sustained discharge filaments. Based on the results of modelling of the above-mentioned operation conditions, the two power supply regimes are compared and analysed from the point of view of the UV power and radiative control.