Electronics - Arnox

Electronics

Electronics

Noble gases are widely used to manufacture lighting fixtures. The incandescent lamps are filled with a protective mixture of nitrogen and argon or krypton to increase thermal insulation and slow down the evaporation of tungsten filament. The heavier the filling gas in the lamp is, the better the thermal insulation will be. This way, we can increase the lamp temperature to obtain a brighter light. Krypton is used to manufacture powerful outdoor lights and car headlights with a colour spectrum close to sunlight.

Neon is used as a filler for signal lamps, indicators, beacons, photocells, and other luminous elements of equipment. The advantages of neon light are visibility from a significant distance, no scattering, and resistance to atmospheric conditions, e.g. fog. That is why these lamps are used at aerodromes and on high-rise buildings. They also serve as electrical indicators because they do not require additional charging and can be easily seen at any distance.

Most noble gases glare in bright colours when exposed to electric current and, therefore, they are used in advertising and illumination. The following colours can be obtained using these gases:

NEON

reddish-orange

NEON

with mercury in a yellow-green tube – green;

ARGON

purple-pink

ARGON

with mercury or iodine—blue

KRYPTON

greenish-orange

IONIZED KRYPTON

white

XENON

violet-blue

A significant part of world gas consumption is the manufacturing of gas mixes for excimer lasers. High-precision laser beams are used in photolithography and for annealing polysilicon thin films in a controlled atmosphere during the manufacturing of semiconductors and flat panel displays. Neon is the basis for such mixtures (up to a volume of 95 per cent).

Due to its inert properties, argon is used as a protective medium in single-crystal growing for semiconductors. Noble gases can also perform protective functions during magnetron sputtering in the semiconductor industry.

Xenon and argon are used in plasma etching for integrated circuit manufacturing. Liquid argon can also be used to clean fragile microchips. In the manufacturing of ultra-thin solar cells, argon is used to apply semiconductors on a glass substrate.

Neon, krypton, and xenon are the manufacturing components for LCD monitors and TV sets. Moreover, xenon is used in 3D photolithography and as a filling material for the special components of radars.