Generation of excimer emission in dielectric barrier discharges

Dielectric barrier discharges (silent discharges) are used to excite a large number of excimers radiating in the VUV, UV or visible spectral range. The excited species include rare-gas dimers, halogen dimers as well as rare-gas halogen excimers and mercury halogen excimers. In many cases narrow-band UV radiation of typically 1–17 nm halfwidth and remarkable efficiency (1–10%) could be generated. Thus, dielectric barrier discharges provide a simple, versatile arrangement to study the basic reaction kinetics of excimer formation and also bear a substantial potential for large-scale industrial UV processes.