Color wheel structure and optical equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a color wheel structure and optical equipment, and the color wheel structure comprises a driving group which comprises at least two independent driving mechanisms, and the driving mechanisms are arranged in a linear array along a first direction; the optical filter group comprises at least two optical filters, and the optical filters and the driving mechanism are sequentially and correspondingly arranged; the optical filter group is positioned above the driving group and is driven by the driving group to reciprocate along a second direction; the cover body is located above the optical filter set, a light inlet and a light outlet are formed in the two opposite end faces, in the first direction, of the cover body respectively, and when the optical filters move to an inner cavity of the cover body, light rays penetrate through the optical filters from the light inlet, are modulated by the optical filters and then escape from the light outlet. According to the technical scheme, the telescopic color wheel module is designed by changing the mechanical operation mode of the rotary color wheel, and the problems that an existing color wheel is poor in heat dissipation, poor in modulation precision and the like are fundamentally solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a color wheel structure and optical equipment. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor optical measurement equipment, it is a common practice in the industry to use a color wheel to interferometrically modulate the light beam to achieve measurement or detection of the sample to be measured. The color wheels in different equipment structures may be different. The most common color wheel at present is the rotating color wheel, such as Figure 1 As shown, the color wheel is driven by a motor to rotate, so that the light beam passes through different light-transmitting holes of the color wheel to achieve adjustment of the light beam.

[0003] The above-mentioned rotating color wheel has many disadvantages during use. For example, the color filter is driven to rotate by a motor. During the rotation, scattering is likely to occur, which affects the performance of the device. In addition, since the input light source of the color wheel is multiple light sources in some cases, multiple light sources are also prone to fiber interference through the traditional motor rotating color wheel, thereby affecting the performance of the device. The reasonable design of the color wheel structure is crucial, which directly affects the modulation effect of the light beam and the final measurement accuracy. At the same time, the stability of the equipment, the quality of the light source and the calibration of the optical system are also key factors affecting the measurement results.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved technical solution for the above technical problems to ensure that the color wheel structure and / or the matching optical equipment maintain good stability and modulation accuracy. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the defects and shortcomings of the rotating color wheel in the prior art described above, the purpose of the present application is to provide a color wheel structure and an optical device, which can improve the accuracy of an optical inspection machine and reduce the error rate of the machine by improving the design of the color wheel mechanical structure.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a color wheel structure, comprising:

[0007] A drive group, comprising at least two independent drive mechanisms, wherein the drive mechanisms are arranged in a linear array along a first direction;

[0008] A filter group, comprising at least two filters, wherein the filters and the driving mechanism are arranged in sequence corresponding to each other; the filter group is located above the driving group and is driven by the driving group to reciprocate along the second direction;

[0009] A cover body is located above the filter group, and a light inlet and a light outlet are respectively arranged on two end surfaces of the cover body that are opposite to each other along a first direction. When the filter moves to the inner cavity of the cover body, light passes through the filter from the light inlet and escapes from the light outlet after being modulated by the filter.

[0010] The first direction is the array direction of the driving mechanism, and the second direction is the reciprocating movement direction of the filter.

[0011] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism is driven by a cylinder.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cover body has a light-shielding property or a light-shielding structure is configured on the outside of the cover body.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cover has a heat dissipation structure inside.

[0014] In some embodiments, a clamping mechanism is further included, wherein the clamping mechanism is installed at a driving end of the driving mechanism and is used to clamp the filter.

[0015] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism includes a support plate located in the same plane as the filter, the top of the support plate is a "V"-shaped opening, and supporting plates are respectively arranged on the two inclined top surfaces of the opening. The supporting plates have a card slot for clamping and fixing the filter.

[0016] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism further includes an alignment adjustment mechanism, the alignment adjustment mechanism is located between the driving mechanism and the support plate, and the alignment adjustment mechanism is used to drive the filter to reciprocate along the third direction;

[0017] The third direction is perpendicular to a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, a guiding mechanism is further included. The guiding mechanism is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the driving mechanism along the third direction and is connected to the alignment adjustment mechanism to provide a guiding function for the reciprocating movement of the filter.

[0019] In some embodiments, an outer frame is further included, and the driving mechanism and the filter are both placed in a cavity formed by the outer frame, which provides a bottom mounting base for the cover body.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present application provides an optical device, which includes the color wheel structure described in any one of the above technical solutions.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] In the technical solution of the present application, a retractable color wheel module is provided by changing the mechanical operation mode of the rotating color wheel, which fundamentally solves the problems of poor heat dissipation and poor modulation accuracy of the existing color wheel. The color wheel structure of the present application includes a number of drive mechanisms arranged in a linear array, and each drive mechanism is provided with a different filter. When one or some filters need to be used, the corresponding drive mechanism is controlled to lift the filter upward to the light source path to achieve modulation of the light. This avoids interference between multiple optical fibers or lines during the rotation of the rotating color wheel, which affects the use of the color wheel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a plan view schematic diagram of a color wheel structure in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the color wheel structure provided for this application;

[0025] Figure 3 A left-side cross-sectional schematic diagram of the color wheel structure provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping mechanism provided in this application;

[0027] Figures 5-6 Schematic diagram of the lens operation process of the color wheel structure provided in this application.

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] 1. Color wheel; 2. Filter;

[0030] 100. Driving mechanism;

[0031] 200, clamping mechanism; 210, support plate; 220, support plate; 230, card slot;

[0032] 300, filter;

[0033] 400, cover body; 410, light inlet; 420, light outlet; 430, telescopic slot;

[0034] 500, guiding mechanism;

[0035] 600, alignment adjustment mechanism;

[0036] 700, external frame;

[0037] A. Installation chamber; B. Lens chamber; C. Light modulation chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The most common color wheel at present is the rotating color wheel, such as Figure 1As shown, the color wheel 1 is provided with a plurality of installation positions of filters 2 on the periphery, the filters 2 are arranged at certain angles and intervals on the edge of the color wheel 1, and the central installation hole of the color wheel is connected by a motor and other devices, and the color wheel 1 is driven to rotate, so that the light beam passes through different filters 2 to achieve the purpose of light beam modulation. Different specifications of filters 2 can be placed on the circular installation part of the periphery, and the color wheel 1 is driven to rotate by the motor, so as to meet different working requirements of the equipment.

[0039] The above-mentioned rotating color wheel has many disadvantages during use. For example, the color wheel 1 is driven to rotate by a motor, and during the rotation, scattering is likely to occur, affecting the performance of the device. In addition, because the input light source of the color wheel 1 is multiple light sources in some cases, multiple light sources are also prone to fiber interference through the traditional motor rotating color wheel, thereby affecting the performance of the device. In general, the existing technical solutions have the following three obvious disadvantages:

[0040] 1) During the operation of the equipment, the motor is prone to heating or electromagnetic interference, which affects the rotation of the color wheel and causes the light source to fail to meet the measurement or detection requirements;

[0041] 2) In some narrow spaces, the existing rotating color wheel is prone to cause interference between multiple optical fibers or lines, affecting the use of the color wheel;

[0042] 3) Switching between different light sources requires waiting for the motor to switch to the specified position before it can work, and the integrated color wheel is not easy to repair separately.

[0043] In view of the above defects, the present application provides a color wheel structure and an optical device. The following specifically describes the implementation of the present application through Example 1 and Example 2. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the content disclosed in this specification. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementations, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application.

[0044] Embodiment 1:

[0045] See also Figures 2 to 6 , this embodiment provides a color wheel structure, including:

[0046] A driving group, comprising at least two independent driving mechanisms 100, wherein the driving mechanisms 100 are arranged in a linear array along a first direction;

[0047] The filter group includes at least two filters 300, and the filters 300 are arranged corresponding to the driving mechanism 100 in sequence; the filter group is located above the driving group and is driven by the driving group to reciprocate along the second direction;

[0048] The cover 400 is located above the filter set. The cover 400 is provided with a light inlet 410 and a light outlet 420 on two end surfaces opposite to each other along the first direction. When the filter 300 runs into the inner cavity of the cover 400, light passes through the filter 300 from the light inlet 410 and is modulated by the filter 300 before escaping from the light outlet 420.

[0049] The first direction is the array direction of the driving mechanism 100 , and the second direction is the reciprocating movement direction of the filter 300 .

[0050] For the convenience of description, in this embodiment, the first direction is referred to as the horizontal direction, the second direction is referred to as the vertical direction or the height direction, and the third direction is referred to as the longitudinal direction.

[0051] By adopting the above technical solution: the color wheel structure is converted from a rotating type to a telescopic type, and the problems of poor heat dissipation and poor modulation accuracy of the existing color wheel are fundamentally solved. Figure 2 The color wheel structure can be divided into three functional layers from bottom to top in the vertical space: an installation chamber A, a lens chamber B, and a light modulation chamber C. The installation chamber A is used for installing the driving mechanism 100 and related accessories. The lens chamber B is a storage chamber for the filter 300 when it is not in a working state. The light modulation chamber C is the space covered by the cover body 400. The filter 300 in a working state rises to this chamber and performs light modulation, which is then finally converged to the sample surface after being processed by multiple subsequent optical elements, thereby avoiding interference between multiple optical fibers or lines during the rotation of the rotating color wheel when replacing the filter, thereby affecting the use of the color wheel.

[0052] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism 100 is driven by a cylinder. Each cylinder is connected to a different filter 300. Only a signal is needed to give the corresponding cylinder sensor, and the corresponding filter 300 will be pushed out for use. It is quick and convenient, and the filters 300 can be combined and matched as needed. The cylinder drive solves the problem that the existing motor drive generates heat and electromagnetic interference due to long-term movement, affects the rotation of the color wheel, affects the light modulation accuracy, and even causes abnormal use of the device.

[0053] Furthermore, the cylinder group can be single-acting or double-acting. The cylinder group provided in this embodiment is a double-acting type driven by compressed gas to move up and down. The double-acting cylinder has two upper and lower working surfaces, which can generate bidirectional thrust or pulling force, and realize the inlet and outlet control of gas through its internal valve, so as to more accurately lift and position the filter 300 clamped thereon.

[0054] In some embodiments, there are several filter positioning frames (not shown in the figure) and filters 300 in the lens chamber B. When the filter 300 is in the initial position, the filter positioning frame can ensure its accurate positioning. In actual use, different numbers and specifications of filters 300 can be set as needed to form the lens chamber, so that when the filter 300 is raised, the light beam passes through the filter 300 to obtain optical parameters that meet the system requirements. In general, the lens chamber is needed to realize the modulation of the wavelength, light intensity, amplitude, phase, etc. of the light source.

[0055] In some embodiments, the cover body 400 has a light-shielding property or the exterior of the cover body 400 is configured with a light-shielding structure.

[0056] Specifically, the cover body 400 may be an aluminum sunshade to improve the light beam modulation effect and device performance.

[0057] In some embodiments, the cover 400 has a heat dissipation structure inside. As an example, the heat dissipation structure can be a heat sink, a heat sink fin or a heat pipe arranged in the inner wall or cavity of the cover 400. In addition, the light shield can also be designed in an integrated manner with the heat sink, the heat sink fin or the heat pipe. The heat dissipation structure provided in this embodiment is a heat sink fin (not shown in the figure) attached to the inner wall of the cover 400. The heat sink fin increases the surface area so that more heat can be exchanged with the air through the fin, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect. In addition, the design of the heat sink fin can usually effectively guide the air flow in the cover 400, so that the air flow can pass through the fin more smoothly to prevent heat accumulation, further improving the heat dissipation efficiency. The heat sink fin can be obtained by purchasing corresponding accessories. It should be understood that the lifting path of the filter 300 in the cover 400 is defined as the telescopic slot 430 (the space separated by dotted lines in the cover 400), and the installation of the heat dissipation structure should avoid the telescopic slot 430 so as not to interfere with the lifting and lowering movement of the filter.

[0058] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 The partitions on both sides of the telescopic slot 430 may be only space dividing lines, that is, no physical partition is provided, or the partition may adopt an adjustable aperture diaphragm to further improve the light alignment accuracy and alignment position.

[0059] Furthermore, the light source enters the light modulation chamber C through the light inlet 410, and after being modulated by a specific filter 300 or a combination of filters, is transmitted from the light outlet 420 to other parts of the device. In order to prevent the light from being diffused in the space of the cover body 400, a light path directional cover (not shown in the figure) can be added to the position of the light path and the filter 300 to optimize the light path transmission and focusing, so that the light can be transmitted more concentratedly and stably, reduce scattering and loss, thereby improving the performance of the entire optical system, and the light path directional cover can ensure the direction of the light source while ensuring the cleanliness of the lens. The light path directional cover can be obtained by purchasing corresponding accessories.

[0060] In some embodiments, see Figures 2 to 4 The color wheel structure provided in this embodiment further includes a clamping mechanism 200 , which is installed at the driving end of the driving mechanism 100 , that is, the top of the driving mechanism 100 , and is used to clamp the filter 300 .

[0061] Further, see Figure 4 The clamping mechanism 200 includes a support plate 210 located in the same vertical plane as the filter 300. The top of the support plate 210 is a "V"-shaped opening, and the two inclined top surfaces of the opening are respectively provided with a supporting plate 220. The supporting plate 220 has a card slot 230 for clamping and fixing the filter 300. The bottom of the filter 300 is installed in the card slot 230 in a plug-in manner. It can be understood that the clamping method of the clamping mechanism 200 is not limited to the above-mentioned card slot plug-in method. Any other connection method that can achieve an equivalent filter fixing effect can be used as a clamping mechanism, and no excessive restriction is made here.

[0062] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 The clamping mechanism 200 also includes an alignment adjustment mechanism 600, which is located between the driving mechanism 100 and the support plate 210. The alignment adjustment mechanism 600 is used to drive the filter 300 to reciprocate along the third direction, that is, the filter 300 can be longitudinally moved under the drive of the alignment adjustment mechanism 600 to fine-tune the filter position and improve the accuracy of the equipment.

[0063] Specifically, see Figure 4 The alignment adjustment mechanism 600 adopts a linear guide structure. For ease of installation, the support plate 210 can be further made into an L-shaped plate. The horizontal bottom surface of the support plate 210 is slidably connected to the linear guide. The longitudinal position of the filter 300 is fine-tuned by driving the longitudinal movement of the support plate 210 to improve the position accuracy of the light passing through.

[0064] In some embodiments, see Figure 3The color wheel structure also includes a guide mechanism 500, which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the driving mechanism 100 along the third direction, that is, along the longitudinal direction, and is connected to the bottom of the alignment adjustment mechanism 600, providing a guide for the up and down reciprocating movement of the filter 300, thereby improving the movement stability of the filter 300.

[0065] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 as well as Figures 5-6 The color wheel structure also includes an outer frame 700. To facilitate the clear display of the internal structure, only the supporting structure of the outer frame 700 is shown in the attached figure. It can be understood that the top of the outer frame 700 should also have a notch, and the position of the notch corresponds to the filter 300 in sequence. The notch structure is based on the principle of not interfering with the lifting and lowering operation of the filter 300. The driving mechanism 100 and the filter 300 are both placed in the cavity formed by the outer frame 700, and provide a bottom installation foundation for the cover body 400. The outer frame 700 plays a role in physical isolation and good protection for the overall color wheel structure.

[0066] The steps for installing the color wheel structure provided in this embodiment are as follows:

[0067] 1) Install the filter 300 on the clamping mechanism 200; install the clamping mechanism 200 on the driving mechanism 100 in the correct direction and lock it. When installing the filter 300, ensure that the installation position and direction of each group of filters are consistent;

[0068] 2) Arrange and assemble the drive groups in the order required by the filter 300 and install them inside the outer frame 700, and tighten them with screws;

[0069] 3) Place the filter positioning frame in the slot corresponding to the filter 300 in the lens chamber, and lock the filter positioning frame in the outer frame 700 after ensuring that the filter 300 is engaged and moves smoothly in the lens chamber;

[0070] 4) Connect the above combined structure to the light source and fix it;

[0071] 5) Connect the above drive devices to necessary external devices such as air pipes;

[0072] 6) Connect the drive mechanism 100 to the sensor of the corresponding port.

[0073] 7) Perform installation test: Each sensor corresponds to a switch signal. When a certain filter 300 or several filters 300 are needed for combination use, as long as the corresponding sensor is started, the drive mechanism 100 will push out the corresponding filter 300 to achieve the purpose of using the equipment. When the sensor receives a shutdown signal, the corresponding drive mechanism 100 will retract the corresponding one or several filters 300.

[0074] Embodiment 2:

[0075] This embodiment provides an optical device, including the color wheel structure of the first embodiment, and at least a light source assembly located at the light inlet 410, the light source assembly may be a laser light source assembly, and the laser light source assembly is used to generate laser light. The light source assembly may also be other forms of light source assembly, such as an infrared light source assembly, an LED light source assembly, etc.

[0076] Since the optical device includes the color wheel structure provided in the first embodiment, it also has the beneficial effects of the color wheel structure, which will not be described in detail here.

[0077] In summary, the color wheel structure and optical device provided by the present application fundamentally solve the problems of poor heat dissipation and poor modulation accuracy of the existing color wheel by changing the mechanical operation mode of the rotating color wheel. The color wheel structure of the present application includes a number of drive mechanisms arranged in a linear array, and different filters are correspondingly arranged on each drive mechanism. When one or some filters need to be used, the corresponding drive mechanism is controlled to lift the filter upward to the light source path to achieve modulation of the light. It avoids the interference of multiple optical fibers or lines during the rotation of the rotating color wheel, which affects the use of the color wheel. The technical solution of the present application has a high industrial utilization value because it effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of the prior art.

[0078] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present application shall still be covered by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A color wheel structure, characterized in that: include: A drive group, comprising at least two independent drive mechanisms, wherein the drive mechanisms are arranged in a linear array along a first direction; A filter group, comprising at least two filters, wherein the filters and the driving mechanism are arranged in sequence corresponding to each other; the filter group is located above the driving group and is driven by the driving group to reciprocate along the second direction; A cover body is located above the filter group, and a light inlet and a light outlet are respectively arranged on two end surfaces of the cover body that are opposite to each other along a first direction. When the filter moves to the inner cavity of the cover body, light passes through the filter from the light inlet and escapes from the light outlet after being modulated by the filter. The first direction is the array direction of the driving mechanism, and the second direction is the reciprocating movement direction of the filter.

2. The color wheel structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism is driven by a cylinder.

3. The color wheel structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover body has a light-shielding property or a light-shielding structure is arranged outside the cover body.

4. The color wheel structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover body has a heat dissipation structure inside.

5. The color wheel structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a clamping mechanism, which is installed at the driving end of the driving mechanism and is used to clamp the filter.

6. The color wheel structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism includes a support plate located in the same plane as the filter, the top of the support plate is a "V"-shaped opening, and supporting plates are respectively arranged on the two inclined top surfaces of the opening. The supporting plate has a card slot for clamping and fixing the filter.

7. The color wheel structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism further comprises an alignment adjustment mechanism, wherein the alignment adjustment mechanism is located between the driving mechanism and the supporting plate, and the alignment adjustment mechanism is used to drive the optical filter to reciprocate along the third direction; The third direction is perpendicular to a plane formed by the first direction and the second direction.

8. The color wheel structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a guiding mechanism, which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the driving mechanism along the third direction and is connected to the alignment adjustment mechanism to provide a guiding function for the reciprocating movement of the filter.

9. The color wheel structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an outer frame, and the driving mechanism and the filter are both placed in a cavity formed by the outer frame, which provides a bottom installation foundation for the cover body.

10. An optical device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a color wheel structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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