What Is an Ultraviolet (UV) Meter?
Ultraviolet (UV) meters are instruments that measure the intensity of ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has a very short wavelength and is invisible to the human eye. Ultraviolet light ranges from 10 nm to 400 nm.
Ultraviolet light is used for sterilization because its short wavelength gives it high energy, making it highly effective for sterilization, and it also interacts with oxygen to produce ozone. On the other hand, DNA has an absorption band at certain wavelengths of ultraviolet light, and when DNA absorbs ultraviolet light, the DNA is damaged, which is harmful to the human body.
It is a very important light source for industrial purposes because of its various other effects. For this reason, it is important to measure UV light, and an ultraviolet (UV) meter is needed to measure its intensity.
Uses of Ultraviolet (UV) Meters
Uses of UV light are wide-ranging. The action of curing resins is done by irradiating them with ultraviolet light to harden them when filling them with resin in the dental office. UV light is also used to cure semiconductor resists. In this process, if the intensity of the UV light decreases due to deterioration of the lamps used for UV irradiation, the resin will not harden properly, so it is necessary to check the intensity periodically with an ultraviolet (UV) meter.
Ultraviolet (UV) meters are also used in laboratories to conduct experiments using ultraviolet light, to evaluate the characteristics of solar cells, to treat vitiligo, and to control light intensity when ultraviolet light is used to sterilize food and other products.
Principle of Ultraviolet (UV) Meters
High-pressure mercury lamps are often used as a source of ultraviolet light. The mercury vapor is excited by glow discharge inside the mercury-filled lamp and emits light, which contains a high percentage of ultraviolet light.
There is another type of lamp called an excimer that emits ultraviolet light by creating an excited dimer. This one is often used as an excimer laser and is characterized by the fact that it produces a single light with a short wavelength, such as ultraviolet light.
Both high-pressure mercury lamps and excimer lamps have one thing in common: they deteriorate with use. As they deteriorate, the intensity of ultraviolet rays decreases, so it is important to periodically check the intensity with an ultraviolet (UV) meter, especially in industries that require strict UV intensity, such as the semiconductor industry.
Ultraviolet (UV) meters use silicon photodiodes, which are excited by ultraviolet light, and the electricity flowing through the silicon photodiode detects and quantifies the UV light.