Radiation resistance of quartz glass for VUV discharge lamps

Abstract

Electrically-fused quartz glass, flame-fused quartz glass and plasma-fused quartz glass as well as synthetic fused silica samples were irradiated stepwise with a high energy Xe barrier discharge excimer lamp at 172 nm. VUV spectra were measured before and after every irradiation step. The results show that the VUV transmittance and the resistance against high energy radiation strongly depend on the quartz glass type, as well as on the thermal pretreatment of the quartz glass samples. In electrically-fused and plasma-fused quartz glass the VUV transmission decreases by the formation of oxygen deficiency and E′ centres with absorption bands at 163 nm and 215 nm. Best irradiation resistance is found in synthetic fused silica and in thermally treated flame-fused quartz glass.Photoluminescence spectra measured under excitation with a KrF excimer laser before and after irradiation indicate fundamental differences in the SiO2 network structure of the different quartz glass types. Whereas a poor radiation resistance correlates with a blue photoluminescence band at 390 nm, the photoluminescence of flame-fused quartz glass changes from blue to green by a thermal treatment which is correlated with a significant improvement of radiation resistance. A simplified model is presented referring to hydride and oxygen deficiency centres as precursors to colour centre formation in different types of quartz glass.