Method and apparatus for inducing photochemical reaction

Claim 1

A method of inducing a photochemical reaction, wherein a substrate (5) is placed in a closed cell (10) with a window (10A) for transmitting an ultraviolet beam therethrough, said substrate (5) being located to oppose said window (10A), a gas is filled to cause the photochemical reaction upon irradiation of the ultraviolet beam into said cell (10), and ultraviolet pulses with adjustable pulse repetition frequency are emitted at a predetermined intensity, so that the ultraviolet beam having the set beam size and shape at the repetition frequency is irradiated through said window (10A) of said cell (10), characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: adjusting an ultraviolet beam size and shape in accordance with a size and shape of an irradiation portion of said substrate (5) ; and adjusting and setting the repetition frequency of the ultraviolet beam so as to effectively cause the photochemical reaction on said substrate (5) in accordance with the adjusted ultraviolet beam size and shape.

Claim 2

A method of inducing a photochemical reaction, wherein a substrate (5) is placed in a closed cell (10) with a window (10A) for transmitting an ultraviolet beam therethrough, said substrate (5) being located to oppose said window (10A), a gas is filled to cause the photochemical reaction upon irradiation of the ultraviolet beam into said cell (10), and ultraviolet pulses with adjustable pulse repetition frequency are emitted at a predetermined intensity, so that the ultraviolet beam having the set beam size and shape at the repetition frequency is irradiated through said window (10A) of said cell (10), characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: adjusting an ultraviolet beam size and shape in accordance with a size and shape of an irradiation portion of said substrate (5) ; and adjusting and setting the repetition frequency of the ultraviolet beam so as to effectively cause the photochemical reaction on said substrate (5) in accordance with the adjusted ultraviolet beam size and shape.

Claim 5

An apparatus for inducing a photochemical reaction, comprises: an ultraviolet light source (1, 2, 3); a cell (10) having a window (10A) for transmitting an ultraviolet beam therethrough and a holding mechanism (12) for holding a substrate; a gas supply system (13, 14, 15) for supplying a gas subjected to the photochemical reaction upon radiation of the ultraviolet beam; and an optical system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for guiding the ultraviolet beam from said light source (1, 2, 3) onto a surface of said substrate (5) through said window (10A) of said cell (10), characterized in that said ultraviolet light source (1, 2, 3) comprises a continuously excited Q-switch Nd:solid-state laser (1) whose repetition frequency is adjustable by a laser control signal and an ultraviolet harmonic generator (2, 3) for receiving an output from said continuously excited Q-switch Nd:solid-state laser (1) and generating an ultraviolet harmonic, said optical system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) comprises means (7) for adjusting an ultraviolet beam size and shape in accordance with an irradiation area and a shape thereof of said substrate (5), and said apparatus further comprises a control unit (11) for supplying an optical system control signal to said optical system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and said laser control signal to said continuously excited Q-switch Nd:solid-state laser (1) and controlling the beam size, beam shape and the pulse repetition frequency such that the photochemical reaction on said substrate (5) effectively takes place.

Claim 6

An apparatus for inducing a photochemical reaction, comprises: an ultraviolet light source (1, 2, 3); a cell (10) having a window (10A) for transmitting an ultraviolet beam therethrough and a holding mechanism (12) for holding a substrate; a gas supply system (13, 14, 15) for supplying a gas subjected to the photochemical reaction upon radiation of the ultraviolet beam; and an optical system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) for guiding the ultraviolet beam from said light source (1, 2, 3) onto a surface of said substrate (5) through said window (10A) of said cell (10), characterized in that said ultraviolet light source (1, 2, 3) comprises a continuously excited Q-switch Nd:solid-state laser (1) whose repetition frequency is adjustable by a laser control signal and an ultraviolet harmonic generator (2, 3) for receiving an output from said continuously excited Q-switch Nd:solid-state laser (1) and generating an ultraviolet harmonic, said optical system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) comprises means (7) for adjusting an ultraviolet beam size and shape in accordance with an irradiation area and a shape thereof of said substrate (5), and said apparatus further comprises a control unit (11) for supplying an optical system control signal to said optical system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and said laser control signal to said continuously excited Q-switch Nd:solid-state laser (1) and controlling the beam size, beam shape and the pulse repetition frequency such that the photochemical reaction on said substrate (5) effectively takes place.