Radiative and collisional processes in a high pressure micro-hollow cathode discharge

Conventional low-pressure hollow cathode glow discharge lamps are well known as intense sources with high emission efficiencies. Reducing the electrode geometries to sub millimeter scales allows us to operate at higher pressures of approximately 500 to 1000 mbar. This high-pressure region is conducive to the formation of rare gas excimers, with applications as a vacuum ultraviolet light source. Here we present the results of vacuum-ultraviolet emission spectroscopy of Neon and Helium excimers. Specifically discussed are the mechanisms of rare gas excimer production, quenching of the neon excimer by H₂ resulting in a novel monochromatic hydrogen Lyman-alpha line source, time resolved analysis of the quenching rate constant, and gas kinetic temperatures inferred from vibrational band emission spectra from N₂ have been measured. The measured excimer emissions, rate constants, and gas kinetic temperatures have all been shown to be affected by non-radiative collisional processes.