Method for manufacturing high-pressure laser-sustained plasma lamps

Abstract

A method of forming a high pressure plasma lamp includes providing a lamp bulb. The lamp bulb includes an upper channel and a lower channel. The method includes inserting an upper electrode element into the upper channel of the lamp bulb. The method includes providing a glass tubular structure attached to a lower electrode element. The method includes filling the lamp bulb with a liquefied gas via the lower channel of the lamp bulb. The method includes inserting the lower electrode element and the glass tubular structure into the lower channel.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of plasma lamps, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing high pressure laser-sustained plasma lamps. [Background technology]

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 211,003, filed June 16, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] As the demand for integrated circuits with ever-smaller device features continues to grow, there is a continuing need to improve the illumination sources used to inspect these ever-smaller devices. One such illumination source includes a laser-sustained plasma light source. Laser-sustained plasma (LSP) light sources are capable of producing high-power broadband light. Laser-sustained plasma light sources operate by focusing laser radiation into a gas volume to excite a gas, such as argon or xenon, into a plasma state that emits broadband light. Laser-sustained plasma light sources typically operate by focusing laser light into a sealed lamp containing the selected working gas.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional plasma lamp includes electrodes 14, 16 attached to either end of a bulb 10. The conventional plasma lamp includes a fill port 12 attached to the bulb to allow for the insertion of a liquefied gas mixture 18. The fill port is then sealed 20 once the liquefied gas mixture has filled the bulb. This process is widely used in the manufacture of plasma lamps and works particularly well for low- and medium-pressure lamps. However, due to non-uniformities in the lamp construction, the fill port can become a weak point in the lamp, reducing the maximum pressure at which the lamp can operate. This is particularly problematic as a result of process variations in the fill port attachment and fill port sealing processes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 211,003 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 7,957,066 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 7,345,825 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 5,999,310 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 7,525,649 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 9,228,943 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 5,608,526 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent No. 6,297,880 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus that ameliorate the shortcomings of the above-mentioned approaches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A method of forming a plasma lamp according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes providing a lamp bulb, the lamp bulb including an upper channel and a lower channel. In another exemplary embodiment, the method includes inserting an upper electrode element into the upper channel of the lamp bulb. In another exemplary embodiment, the method includes providing a glass tubular structure attached to a lower electrode element. In another exemplary embodiment, the method includes filling the lamp bulb with a liquefied gas through the lower channel of the lamp bulb. In another exemplary embodiment, the method includes inserting the lower electrode element and the glass tubular structure into the lower channel.

[0008] A lamp bulb is disclosed in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In one exemplary embodiment, the lamp bulb includes a lamp body. In another exemplary embodiment, the lamp bulb includes an upper channel. In another exemplary embodiment, the lamp bulb includes a lower channel. In another exemplary embodiment, the lamp bulb includes an upper electrode element sealed within the upper channel. In another exemplary embodiment, the lamp bulb includes a lower electrode element sealed within a glass tubular structure, the glass tubular structure being sealed within the lower channel, with the inner wall of the lower channel sealed to the outer wall of the glass tubular structure. In another exemplary embodiment, the lamp bulb includes a gas and is configured to generate a plasma within the lamp bulb.

[0009] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not necessarily diminish the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the many advantages of the present disclosure by reviewing the accompanying figures. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a lamp-forming process for a conventional low- to medium-pressure plasma lamp. [Figure 2] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a process for forming a high pressure plasma lamp with electrodes in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a process for forming an electrodeless high pressure plasma lamp in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an LSP broadband light source incorporating a high-pressure plasma lamp in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of an optical characterization system implementing a high-pressure plasma lamp, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of an optical characterization system implementing a high-pressure plasma lamp, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a high pressure plasma lamp having electrodes in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an electrodeless high pressure plasma lamp in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with respect to certain embodiments and certain features thereof. It is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and not limiting. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various changes and modifications in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Reference will now be made in detail to the disclosed subject matter, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a method of manufacturing a plasma lamp that forms a high-pressure plasma lamp that meets the demand for a bright LSP light source in current semiconductor wafer inspection equipment. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a high-pressure plasma lamp that does not have a sealed port. Lamps formed without a sealed port are more robust than lamps with a sealed port due to non-uniformities in the lamp structure that the presence of the sealed port introduces. The sealed port is a weak point in the lamp, reducing the maximum operating pressure of the lamp. High-pressure lamps of the present disclosure formed without a sealed port can operate at high pressures.

[0013] 2 illustrates a conceptual diagram of a process 200 for forming a high-pressure plasma lamp 105 with electrodes in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Process 200 may include steps (1) through (5), resulting in a sealed gas-filled lamp bulb 105 with an upper electrode and a lower electrode. It is noted that process 200 is not limited to steps (1) through (5), and it is contemplated that additional steps may be performed within process 200.

[0014] In step (1), an initial lamp bulb 100 is provided. In some embodiments, the lamp bulb 100 includes a lamp body 101, an upper channel 102, and a lower channel 104.

[0015] In step (2), the upper electrode element 108 is inserted into the upper channel 102 of the lamp bulb 100. In embodiments, the upper electrode element 108 (e.g., a metal electrode) may be the anode of the lamp bulb 100. The upper end of the body 101 of the lamp bulb 100 corresponds to the upper end of the plasma generated within the body 101. During operation, a high temperature plume from the plasma rises toward the top 108 of the body 101. In embodiments, when preparing the lamp bulb 100, the top 108 of the lamp bulb 100 may be subjected to a full heat treatment to seal the upper electrode 106 within the upper channel 102.

[0016] In step (3), the glass tubular structure 110 is attached to the lower electrode element 112 to form a tubular electrode assembly 113. In some embodiments, the lower electrode element 112 (e.g., a metal electrode) is the cathode of the lamp bulb 100. In this sense, the upper electrode element 106 comprises the anode of the lamp bulb 100, and the lower electrode element 112 comprises the cathode of the lamp bulb 100, and may be used to generate plasma within the lamp bulb 100. Note that this configuration is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the lower electrode element 112 comprises the anode, and the upper electrode element 106 comprises the cathode. In some embodiments, the lamp bulb 100 is electrodeless, and the plasma is generated using a laser-pumped light source. In this embodiment, the cathode may be pre-attached to the glass tubular structure 110. For example, the cathode may be pre-attached to the glass tubular structure 110, and an electrical wire may be passed through the tubular structure 110 to provide electrical current conduction for the electrical arc discharge that generates the plasma. The diameter of the glass tubular structure 110 may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner tube of the lower channel 104 to allow for insertion of the tubular electrode assembly 113 into the lower channel 104. In some embodiments, the glass tubular structure 110 is made of the same type of glass as the lamp bulb glass to minimize differences in material properties, such as, but not limited to, viscosity or thermal expansion coefficient. For example, the glass tubular structure 110 and the lamp bulb 100 may be formed from fused silica glass.

[0017] In step (4), the lamp bulb 100 is filled with liquefied gas 114 through the lower channel 104 of the lamp bulb 100. For example, the liquefied gas 114 may include one or more of Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, N2, H2O, O2, H2, D2, F2, and SF6. As another example, the liquefied gas 114 may include a mixture of two or more of Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, N2, H2O, O2, H2, D2, F2, or SF6.

[0018] In step (5), the tubular electrode assembly 113 is inserted into the lower channel 104 of the lamp bulb 100. In embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the tubular electrode assembly 113 may be placed in place after the liquefied gas 114 has been transferred into the lamp bulb 100 via the open lower channel 104. In alternative embodiments, the tubular electrode assembly 113 may be placed in place before sealing, leaving a small gap for the gas to transfer into the lamp bulb 100.

[0019] In some embodiments, after the gas 114 is transferred into the lamp bulb 100 and the tubular electrode assembly 113 is placed in the lower channel 104, a heat treatment (e.g., a high-temperature flame) is applied to seal the gap between the glass tubular structure 110 of the lamp bulb 100 and the lower channel 104. Finally, a sealed portless lamp 105 is obtained with upper and lower electrodes and containing the gas for plasma generation in the LSP broadband light source.

[0020] In alternative embodiments, the lower channel 104 may be sealed without the glass tubular structure 110. In this embodiment, the lower channel 104 may be sealed by sealing the lower channel 104 so that only the metal electrodes and metal electrical wires are inside (without having a separate glass tubing assembly inserted into the lower channel 104).

[0021] 3 illustrates a conceptual diagram of a process 300 for forming an electrodeless plasma lamp 105 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Process 300 may include steps (1) through (5), resulting in a sealed gas-filled electrodeless lamp bulb 100. It is noted that process 300 is not limited to steps (1) through (5), and it is contemplated that additional steps may be performed within process 300.

[0022] In step (1), an initial lamp bulb 100 is provided.

[0023] In step (2), the top 107 of the upper channel 102 is sealed. For example, the top 107 of the upper channel 102 may be sealed using conventional glass bulb manufacturing techniques (e.g., high temperature flame).

[0024] In step (3), a glass tubular structure 115 is provided. For example, but not limited to, the glass tubular structure 115 may comprise a solid glass rod. The glass tubular structure 115 may have a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner tube of the lower channel 104 so that the glass tubular structure 115 can be inserted into the lower channel 104. In some embodiments, the glass cylindrical structure 115 is made of the same type of glass as the bulb glass to minimize differences in material properties, such as, but not limited to, viscosity or thermal expansion coefficient. For example, the glass cylindrical structure 115 and the bulb 100 may be formed from fused silica glass.

[0025] In step (4), the lamp bulb 100 is filled with liquefied gas 114 through the lower channel 104 of the lamp bulb 100. For example, the liquefied gas 114 may include one or more of Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, N2, H2O, O2, H2, D2, F2, and SF6. As another example, the liquefied gas 114 may include a mixture of two or more of Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, N2, H2O, O2, H2, D2, F2, or SF6.

[0026] In step (5), the glass cylindrical structure 115 is inserted into the lower channel 104 of the lamp bulb 100. In embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the glass cylindrical structure 115 may be placed in place after the liquefied gas 114 is transferred into the lamp bulb 100 via the open lower channel 104. In alternative embodiments, the glass cylindrical structure 115 may be placed in place before sealing, leaving a small gap for the gas to transfer into the lamp bulb 100.

[0027] In some embodiments, after the gas 114 is transferred into the lamp bulb 100 and the tubular structure 115 is placed in the lower channel 104, a heat treatment (e.g., a high temperature flame) is applied to seal the gap between the glass tubular structure 115 and the lower channel 104 of the lamp bulb 100. The end result is a sealed portless electrodeless lamp 105 containing the gas for generating a plasma in an LSP broadband light source.

[0028] 4 shows a schematic diagram of an LSP broadband light source 400 incorporating a plasma lamp 105 manufactured via method 200 or method 300, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The LSP light source 400 includes a plasma lamp 105, such as the plasma lamp 105 produced via method 200 (with electrodes) or method 300 (without electrodes). The plasma lamp 105 includes a plasma bulb containing a gas and configured to generate a plasma 406 within the plasma lamp 105. The plasma lamp 105 is formed from a material that is at least partially transparent to illumination light 409 from a pump light source 410 and broadband radiation 412 emitted by the plasma 406.

[0029] The pump light source 410 is configured to generate radiation 409 that acts as an optical pump to sustain a plasma 406 within the plasma lamp 105. For example, the pump light source 410 can emit a beam of laser radiation suitable for exciting the plasma 406. In some embodiments, the concentrator element 414 is configured to direct a portion of the optical pump 409 toward a gas contained within the plasma lamp 105 to ignite and / or sustain the plasma 406. The pump light source 110 may include any pump light source known in the art that is suitable for igniting and / or sustaining a plasma. For example, the pump light source 410 may include one or more lasers (e.g., pump lasers). The pump beam may include radiation of any wavelength or range of wavelengths known in the art, including, but not limited to, visible radiation, IR radiation, NIR radiation, and / or UV radiation. The concentrator element 414 is configured to focus a portion of the broadband radiation 412 emitted from the plasma 406. The broadband radiation 412 emitted from the plasma 406 may be collected via one or more additional optics (e.g., cold mirror 416) for use in one or more downstream applications (e.g., inspection, metrology, or lithography). LSP light source 400 may include any number of additional optical elements, such as, but not limited to, a filter 418 or a homogenizer 420, to condition the broadband radiation 412 before one or more downstream applications. Concentrator element 414 may collect one or more of the visible, NUV, UV, DUV, and / or VUV radiation emitted by plasma 406 and direct the broadband light 412 to one or more downstream optical elements. For example, concentrator element 414 may transmit infrared light, visible light, NUV light, UV light, DUV light, and / or VUV light to downstream optical elements of any optical characterization system known in the art, such as, but not limited to, an inspection tool, a metrology tool, or a lithography tool. In this regard, broadband light 412 may be coupled into illumination optics of an inspection tool, metrology tool, or lithography tool.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an optical characterization system 500 implementing an LSP broadband light source 400 with a plasma lamp 105 of the present disclosure, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] It is noted herein that system 500 may include any imaging, inspection, metrology, lithography, or other characterization / manufacturing system known in the art. In this regard, system 500 may be configured to perform inspection, optical metrology, lithography, and / or imaging on sample 507. Sample 507 may include any sample known in the art, including, but not limited to, wafers, reticles / photomasks, etc. It is noted that system 500 may incorporate one or more of the various embodiments of LSP broadband light source 400 described throughout this disclosure.

[0032] In some embodiments, the specimen 507 is positioned on a pedestal assembly 512 to facilitate movement of the specimen 507. The pedestal assembly 512 may include any pedestal assembly 512 known in the art, including, but not limited to, an XY pedestal, an R-Theta pedestal, etc. In some embodiments, the pedestal assembly 512 may adjust the height of the specimen 507 to maintain focus on the specimen 507 during inspection or imaging.

[0033] In some embodiments, a set of illumination optics 503 is configured to direct illumination light from the broadband light source 400 onto the sample 507. The set of illumination optics 503 may include any number and type of optical elements known in the art. In some embodiments, the set of illumination optics 503 includes one or more optical elements such as, but not limited to, one or more lenses 502, a beam splitter 504, and an objective lens 506. In this regard, the set of illumination optics 503 may be configured to focus illumination light from the LSP broadband light source 400 onto the surface of the sample 507. The one or more optical elements may include any optical element or combination of optical elements known in the art, including, but not limited to, one or more mirrors, one or more lenses, one or more polarizers, one or more diffraction gratings, one or more filters, one or more beam splitters, etc.

[0034] In some embodiments, a set of collection optics 505 is configured to collect light reflected, scattered, diffracted, and / or emitted from the sample 507. In some embodiments, the set of collection optics 505, such as, but not limited to, a focusing lens 510, can direct and / or focus light from the sample 507 onto a sensor 516 of a detector assembly 514. It should be noted that the sensor 516 and the detector assembly 514 may include any sensor and detector assembly known in the art. For example, the sensor 516 may include, but is not limited to, a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector, a time-delay integration (TDI) detector, a photomultiplier tube (PMT), an avalanche photodiode (APD), etc. Furthermore, the sensor 516 may include, but is not limited to, a line sensor or an electron-bombarded line sensor.

[0035] In some embodiments, the detector assembly 514 is communicatively coupled to a controller 518 that includes one or more processors 520 and a memory medium 522. For example, the one or more processors 520 may be communicatively coupled to the memory 522, where the one or more processors 520 are configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in the memory 522. In some embodiments, the one or more processors 520 are configured to analyze an output of the detector assembly 514. In some embodiments, the set of program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors 520 to analyze one or more characteristics of the sample 507. In some embodiments, the set of program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors 520 to alter one or more characteristics of the system 500 to maintain focus on the sample 507 and / or the sensor 516. For example, the one or more processors 520 may be configured to adjust the objective lens 506 or one or more optical elements 502 to focus illumination light from the LSP broadband light source 400 onto the surface of the sample 507. As another example, the one or more processors 520 may be configured to adjust the objective lens 506 and / or one or more optical elements 502 to collect illumination light from the surface of the sample 507 and focus the collected illumination light onto the sensor 516.

[0036] It should be noted that system 500 may be configured in any optical configuration known in the art, including but not limited to, dark-field configuration, bright-field configuration, and the like.

[0037] Figure 6 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an optical characterization system 600 arranged in a reflectometry and / or ellipsometry configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that various embodiments and components described with respect to Figures 2-5 can be extended to the system of Figure 6, and vice versa. System 600 may include any type of measurement system known in the art.

[0038] In some embodiments, the system 600 includes an LSP broadband light source 400 , a set of illumination optics 616 , a set of collection optics 618 , a detector assembly 628 , and a controller 518 .

[0039] In this embodiment, broadband illumination from LSP broadband light source 400 is directed to sample 507 via a set of illumination optics 616. In some embodiments, system 600 collects illumination light emanating from the sample via a set of collection optics 618. The set of illumination optics 616 may include one or more beam conditioning elements 620 suitable for modifying and / or conditioning the broadband beam. For example, the one or more beam conditioning elements 620 may include, but are not limited to, one or more polarizers, one or more filters, one or more beam splitters, one or more diffusers, one or more homogenizers, one or more apodizers, one or more beam shapers, or one or more lenses.

[0040] In some embodiments, the set of illumination optics 616 may utilize a first focusing element 622 to focus and / or direct the beam onto the sample 507 disposed on the sample stage 612. In some embodiments, the set of collection optics 618 may include a second focusing element 626 to collect the illumination light from the sample 507.

[0041] In some embodiments, the detector assembly 628 is configured to capture illumination emitted from the sample 507 and routed through the set of collection optics 618. For example, the detector assembly 628 can receive illumination reflected or scattered from the sample 507 (e.g., via specular reflection, diffuse reflection, etc.). As another example, the detector assembly 628 can receive illumination generated by the sample 507 (e.g., emission due to absorption of the beam, etc.). It should be noted that the detector assembly 628 can include any sensor and detector assembly known in the art. For example, the sensor can include, but is not limited to, a CCD detector, a CMOS detector, a TDI detector, a PMT, an APD, etc.

[0042] The set of collection optics 618 may further include any number of collected beam adjusting elements 630 that direct and / or modify the illumination light collected by the second focusing element 626, including, but not limited to, one or more lenses, one or more filters, one or more polarizers, or one or more phase plates.

[0043] System 600 may be configured as any type of metrology tool known in the art, such as, but not limited to, a spectroscopic ellipsometer with one or more illumination angles, a spectroscopic ellipsometer that measures Mueller matrix elements (e.g., using a rotational compensator), a single-wavelength ellipsometer, an angle-resolved ellipsometer (e.g., a beam profile ellipsometer), a spectroscopic reflectometer, a single-wavelength reflectometer, an angle-resolved reflectometer (e.g., a beam profile reflectometer), an imaging system, a pupil imaging system, a spectroscopic imaging system, or a scatterometer.

[0044] Descriptions of inspection / metrology tools suitable for implementation in various embodiments of the present disclosure are found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,957,066, issued June 7, 2011, entitled "Split Field Inspection System Using Small Catadioptric Objectives," U.S. Pat. No. 7,345,825, issued March 18, 2018, entitled "Beam Delivery System for Laser Dark-Field Illumination in a Catadioptric Optical System," U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,310, issued December 7, 1999, entitled "Ultra-broadband UV Microscope Imaging System with Wide Range Zoom Capability," U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,649, issued April 28, 2009, entitled "Surface Inspection System Using Laser Line Illumination with Two Dimensional Imaging," and U.S. Pat. No. 9,228,943, issued January 5, 2016, entitled "Dynamically Adjustable Semiconductor Metrology," all of which are incorporated herein by reference. No. 5,608,526, issued March 4, 1997, entitled "Focused Beam Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Method and System," and U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,880, issued October 2, 2001, entitled "Apparatus for Analyzing Multi-Layer Thin Film Stacks on Semiconductors," each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0045] 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 700 for manufacturing a plasma lamp having electrodes in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In step 702, a lamp bulb is provided. The lamp bulb may include an upper channel and a lower channel. In step 704, an upper electrode element is inserted into the upper channel of the lamp bulb. In step 706, a glass tubular structure is provided attached to a lower electrode element. In step 708, the lamp bulb is filled with liquefied gas through the lower channel of the lamp bulb. In step 710, the lower electrode element and the glass tubular structure are inserted into the lower channel.

[0046] 8 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method 800 for manufacturing an electrodeless plasma lamp according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In step 802, a lamp bulb is provided. The lamp bulb may include an upper channel and a lower channel. In step 804, the end of the upper channel of the lamp bulb is sealed. In step 806, a glass cylindrical structure is provided. In step 808, the lamp bulb is filled with liquefied gas through the lower channel of the lamp bulb. In step 810, the glass cylindrical structure is inserted into the lower channel.

[0047] It is further contemplated that each of the above-described method embodiments may include any other step(s) of any other method(s) described herein, and each of the above-described method embodiments may be performed by any of the systems described herein.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the component operations, devices, objects, and related discussions described herein are used as examples for conceptual clarity, and that various configurational variations are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific examples and related discussions disclosed are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, the use of any specific example is intended to be representative of its class, and the absence of a particular element, operation, device, or object should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0049] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular term herein, those skilled in the art can convert from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural as appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations are not expressly mentioned herein for the sake of clarity.

[0050] The subject matter described herein may depict different elements contained within or connected to other elements. It should be understood that any such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that many other architectures that achieve the same functionality may in fact be implemented. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of elements that achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality is achieved. Thus, any two elements combined herein to achieve a particular functionality may be considered to be "associated" with each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, regardless of the architecture or intervening elements. Similarly, any two elements so associated may also be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" with each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two elements capable of such association may also be considered to be "couplable" with each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of combinatorial potential include, but are not limited to, physically interlockable and / or physically interacting elements, wirelessly interacting and / or wirelessly interfacing elements, and / or logically interacting and / or logically interacting elements.

[0051] It should further be understood that the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that terms used generally herein, and particularly in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "including" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to," etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that where a specific number of introduced claim recitations is intended, such intent will be explicitly set forth in the claim, and that the absence of such recitation indicates that no such intent exists. For example, as an aid to understanding, the appended claims below may use the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as suggesting that the introduction of a claim recitation with the indefinite article "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such an introduced claim recitation to an invention containing only one such recitation, even if that same claim also contains the introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"), nor should the use of a definite article to introduce a claim recitation. Furthermore, even when a specific number of introduced claim recitations is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., a literal recitation of "two recitations" without other modifiers typically means at least two recitations, or more than two recitations). Furthermore, when phrases similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." are used, such syntax is generally intended to be understood as conventional by those of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.).Where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, such syntax is generally intended to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that virtually any conjunction word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the inclusion of one of the terms, one of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to encompass the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0052] It will be apparent that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of elements may be made without departing from the disclosed subject matter or sacrificing all of its important advantages. The forms described above are merely illustrative, and it is the intent of the following claims to encompass and include all such modifications. It will further be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method of forming a high pressure plasma lamp, comprising: providing a lamp bulb including an upper channel and a lower channel; inserting an upper electrode element into the upper channel of the lamp bulb; providing a glass tubular structure attached to a bottom electrode element; filling the lamp bulb with liquefied gas through a lower channel of the lamp bulb; The method includes inserting the lower electrode element and the glass tubular structure into a lower channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the lower channel to form a seal between an inner wall of the lower channel and an outer wall of the glass tubular structure.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the glass tubular structure is formed from the same material as the lamp bulb.

4. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said glass tubular structure and said lamp bulb are formed from a fused silica glass material.

5. The liquefied gas is Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, N ２ , H ２ O, O ２ , H ２ , D ２ , F ２ , SF ６ At least one of Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, and N ２ , H ２ O, O ２ , H ２ , D ２ , F ２ , or SF ６ 10. The method of claim 1, comprising a mixture of two or more of:

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode element comprises an anode and the lower electrode element comprises a cathode.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the upper electrode element and the lower electrode element are configured to initiate plasma generation within the lamp bulb.

8. 1. A method of forming a high pressure plasma lamp, comprising: providing a lamp bulb including an upper channel and a lower channel; sealing an end of the upper channel of the lamp bulb; providing a glass tubular structure; filling the lamp bulb with liquefied gas through the lower channel of the lamp bulb; The method includes inserting the glass tubular structure into the lower channel.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising heating the lower channel to form a seal between an inner wall of the lower channel and an outer wall of the glass tubular structure.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the glass tubular structure is formed from the same material as the lamp bulb.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the glass tubular structure and the lamp bulb are formed from a fused silica glass material.

12. The liquefied gas is Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, N ２ , H ２ O, O ２ , H ２ , D ２ , F ２ , SF ６ At least one of Xe, Ar, Ne, Kr, He, and N ２ , H ２ O, O ２ , H ２ , D ２ , F ２ , or SF ６ 9. The method of claim 8, comprising a mixture of two or more of:

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