Apparatus relating to vibration damping in air-damped motion control system

Abstract

Embodiments of an air cushion assembly are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the air cushion assembly (10) includes at least one base having at least one base air cushion surface (14); at least one carriage (20) having at least one carriage body in which at least one pressure air buffer surface is formed; at least one fluid fitting assembly positioned in the carriage body and in fluid communication with at least one source of positive air pressure through at least one conduit, the fluid fitting assembly is configured to provide air pressure and flow from the positive air pressure source to the at least one pressurized air buffer surface to create an air cushion (16). The at least one fluid fitting assembly includes at least one flow control nozzle and at least one diffusion element positioned downstream of the at least one flow control nozzle.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Air cushion assemblies are used in various applications, including positioning systems for semiconductor wafers. In some applications, it is necessary to have very high stability of the semiconductor wafer carried by the air cushion carriage. Specifically, the vibration of the semiconductor wafer must be minimized. Although the air cushion assemblies of the prior art have proven useful in the past, many disadvantages have been found. For example, air flow accessories that provide positive air pressure to the air cushion surface may cause unacceptable levels of vibration of the air cushion carriage. In view of the foregoing, there is a continuing need for improved designs of such air flow nozzles and accessories. Summary of the invention

[0002] The present application discloses various embodiments of an air cushion assembly. In one embodiment, the air cushion assembly includes at least one base, the at least one base having at least one base air cushion surface; at least one slide, the at least one slide having at least one slide body in which at least one pressure air cushion surface is formed; at least one fluid fitting assembly, the at least one fluid fitting assembly is positioned in the slide body and is fluidly connected to at least one positive air pressure source through at least one conduit, wherein the at least one fluid fitting assembly is configured to provide air pressure and air flow from the positive air pressure source to the at least one pressure air cushion surface, thereby generating an air cushion between the at least one pressure air cushion surface and the at least one base air cushion surface. The at least one fluid fitting assembly includes at least one flow control nozzle and at least one diffuser element positioned downstream of the at least one flow control nozzle. The fluid fitting assembly further includes at least one fitting body and at least one flow control nozzle. The at least one diffuser element is configured to reduce turbulence in the air cushion formed between the at least one pressure air cushion surface and the at least one base air cushion surface. The diffuser element effectively reduces vibration of the slide of the air cushion assembly.

[0003] The material of the diffusion element is selected from the group consisting of: particulate filter material, plastic fiber, glass fiber, microglass, porous ceramic, honeycomb ceramic, synthetic porous material, aerogel, foamed ceramic, open-cell plastic foam, sintered polymer, sintered metal and metal filter material.

[0004] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention also relates to an air cushion assembly, which includes: at least one base, the at least one base having at least one base air cushion surface; at least one slide, the at least one slide having at least one slide body in which at least one pressure air cushion surface is formed; at least one fluid accessory assembly, the at least one fluid accessory assembly is positioned in the slide body and is fluidly connected to at least one positive air pressure source through at least one conduit, the at least one fluid accessory assembly is configured to provide air pressure and flow from the positive air pressure source to the at least one pressure air cushion surface to generate an air cushion between the at least one pressure air cushion surface and the at least one base air cushion surface, wherein the at least one fluid accessory assembly includes at least one flow control nozzle and at least one diffusion element positioned downstream of the at least one flow control nozzle.

[0005] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid fitting assembly further comprises at least one fitting body and at least one flow control nozzle.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one diffuser element is configured to reduce turbulence in at least one air cushion formed between the at least one pressure air buffer surface and the at least one base air buffer surface.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one diffusing element is configured to reduce at least one vibration of the at least one carriage.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the material of the diffusion element is selected from the group consisting of: particulate filter material, plastic fiber, glass fiber, microglass, porous ceramic, honeycomb ceramic, synthetic porous material, aerogel, foam ceramic, open-cell plastic foam, sintered polymer, sintered metal and metal filter material.

[0009] According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the present invention also relates to a fluid fitting assembly, which comprises: at least one fitting body, the at least one fitting body having at least one fluid inlet port connected to at least one positive fluid pressure source and configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the at least one fitting body includes at least one first volume located downstream of the at least one fluid inlet port; at least one flow control nozzle, the at least one flow control nozzle positioned downstream of the at least one first volume; at least one diffusion element, the at least one diffusion element having at least one fluid outlet port, the at least one diffusion element positioned downstream of the at least one flow control nozzle, wherein the at least one diffusion element is configured to receive a fluid flow from the at least one positive fluid pressure source and distribute the fluid flow across the lateral dimensions of the at least one fluid outlet port.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the material of the diffusion element is selected from the group consisting of: particulate filter material, plastic fiber, glass fiber, microglass, porous ceramic, honeycomb ceramic, synthetic porous material, aerogel, foam ceramic, open-cell plastic foam, sintered polymer, sintered metal and metal filter material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Various embodiments of the improved air cushion assembly will be explained in more detail by means of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A perspective view of one embodiment of an air cushion assembly is shown;

[0013] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 a bottom perspective view of the illustrated embodiment of the air cushion carriage;

[0014] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A close-up view of an embodiment of an air cushion carriage is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the air cushion assembly shown;

[0016] Figure 5 shows a Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an air pressure fitting for supplying air pressure to an air cushion assembly is shown.

[0017] Figure 6 Shown by Figure 5 An exemplary simulation of air flow in the nozzle area of ​​an air pressure fitting is shown;

[0018] Figure 7 shows a Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of an improved air pressure fitting for supplying air pressure to an air cushion assembly is shown;

[0019] Figure 8 A view showing an exemplary embodiment of a prototype air cushion carriage;

[0020] Fig. 9 Shows Figure 8 A close-up view of an exemplary embodiment of a prototype air cushion carriage is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Example embodiments are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise expressly stated, in the drawings, the size, position, etc. of components, features, elements, etc., and any distances therebetween are not necessarily drawn to scale and may be exaggerated for clarity. Throughout the text, in the drawings, similar reference numerals refer to similar elements. Therefore, even if not mentioned or described in the corresponding drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be described with reference to other drawings. Similarly, even if elements not represented by reference numerals may be described with reference to other drawings.

[0022] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific exemplary embodiments, and are not intended to be restrictive. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Depending on the context, the terms "at least one", "at least one" and "one or more" may be intended to include both singular and plural forms. It should be appreciated that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components when used in this specification, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their groups. Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first", "second" and the like are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a coupler may be referred to as a "first coupler", and similarly, another coupler may be referred to as a "second coupler", or vice versa.

[0023] Unless otherwise indicated, spatially relative terms such as "below", "under", "lower", "above", and "upper", "relatively" may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship between an element or feature and another element or feature as shown in the drawings. It should be recognized that spatially related terms are intended to cover different orientations other than the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the object in the drawings is inverted, the element described as being "below" or "below" other elements or features will be oriented to be "above" other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "below" can cover both the upper and lower directions. An object can be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatially relative descriptors used in this article can be interpreted accordingly. A set of reference axes (e.g., X, Y, Z), directions or coordinates, and rotations around them (e.g., θX, θY, θZ) can be included in the drawings for the purpose of guiding the reader to better understand the drawings and the specification, and does not necessarily indicate that any particular feature or element is aligned or orthogonal to any other feature or element.

[0024] The paragraph numbers used herein are for organizational purposes only and, unless otherwise expressly stated, should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described. It should be understood that there may be a variety of different forms, embodiments, and combinations without departing from the spirit and teachings of the present disclosure, and therefore the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these examples and embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0025] The term "air cushion" throughout this disclosure may be used generically, and it should be understood that any type of gas or other fluid may be used. Thus, the terms "fluid pressure", "positive pressure" or "positive fluid pressure" may be interpreted as meaning a positive pressure of: air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, an inert gas, etc., or a liquid such as water, oil, etc.

[0026] Figure 1A perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an air cushion assembly 10 is shown. The air cushion assembly 10 includes a base 12 having a base air cushion surface 14 (i.e., a reference plane on which an air cushion carriage 20 will "fly" on an air cushion). In the illustrated embodiment, the base 12 is formed of a ceramic material such as silicon carbide or any of a variety of other ceramic materials. In other embodiments, the base 12 can be made of granite, steel, aluminum, or any of a variety of materials. The air cushion carriage 20 (also referred to herein as a carriage) moves relative to the base 12 in the X and Y directions on one or more air cushions 16 (e.g., generated between a pressure air cushion surface 24 and the base air cushion surface 14), which supports the carriage 20 in the Z direction. In this embodiment, the carriage 20 is moved in the X and Y directions by one or more linear motors (not shown). The carriage 20 is configured to support and secure a payload, including various devices. In the illustrated embodiment, the payload is a wafer chuck (not shown) that holds a semiconductor wafer (also referred to herein as a "wafer") during wafer processing steps (e.g., deposition, etching, inspection, etc.) Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the payload may include a variety of objects.

[0027] Figure 2A perspective view of the bottom of the carriage 20 is shown. The carriage 20 includes at least one carriage body 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the carriage body 22 is formed of a ceramic material such as silicon carbide or any of a variety of other ceramic materials. In other embodiments, the carriage body 22 can be made of granite, steel, aluminum, or any of a variety of materials. One or more pressure air buffer surfaces 24 (also referred to herein as "pressure areas") and one or more vacuum air buffer surfaces 30 (also referred to herein as "vacuum areas") are formed in the carriage body 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the carriage body 22 has six pressure air buffer surfaces 24 and four vacuum air buffer surfaces 30. Those skilled in the art will understand that the carriage body 22 can have any number of pressure air buffer surfaces 24 and vacuum air buffer surfaces 30 formed in the carriage body 22. The pressure air buffer surface 24 includes at least one orifice 26 (also referred to herein as "pressure orifice 26"), which is in fluid communication with at least one positive air pressure and air flow source (not shown) controlled by one or more pneumatic controllers. The pressure source is connected to the carriage 20 through one or more fluid pressure inlets 34. The pressure orifices 26 are configured to transmit sufficient positive air pressure and air flow from the positive air pressure source to the pressure air cushion surface 24, sufficient to form an air cushion 16 between the pressure air cushion surface 24 and the base air cushion surface 14, which allows the carriage 20 to move relative to the base 12 in the X-direction and the Y-direction. In the illustrated embodiment, each pressure air cushion surface 24 has a single pressure orifice 26 formed in the pressure air cushion surface 24. In other embodiments, the pressure air cushion surface 24 can have a plurality of pressure orifices 26 formed in the pressure air cushion surface 24. In one embodiment, the pressure orifice 26 can be provided as a single hole formed in the ceramic material of the carriage body 22 in the pressure air cushion surface 24. In other embodiments, the pressure orifice 26 can be provided as a fluid fitting assembly (such as the fluid fitting assemblies 50 and 100 described below) that is configured to precisely control the air pressure and air flow from the positive fluid pressure source to the pressure air cushion surface 24. One or more channels 28 may be formed in the pressure air buffer surface 24, the channels 28 being configured to facilitate distribution of air from the pressure orifices 26 across the pressure air buffer surface 24. The vacuum air buffer surface 30 includes one or more vacuum orifices 32 in fluid communication with at least one negative air pressure source (also referred to herein as a "vacuum source" (not shown)) controlled by one or more of the pneumatic controllers described above. The vacuum source is connected to the carriage 20 via one or more vacuum inlets 36.The vacuum air buffer surface 30 is configured to clamp the slide 20 to the base air buffer surface 14 by shutting off (e.g., in response to a control command from a pneumatic controller) the positive air pressure to the pressure air buffer surface 24 and applying a vacuum to the vacuum air buffer surface 30 through the vacuum orifice 32 when the wafer needs to be stationary relative to the base 12 (e.g., during a processing step during wafer manufacturing).

[0028] Figure 3 A close-up view of one of the pressure air cushion surfaces 24 of the carriage 20 is shown, the pressure air cushion surface having a pressure port 26 and a channel 28 formed in the carriage body 22. In some embodiments, the pressure port 26 is provided as a fluid fitting assembly 50 that is configured to control air flow to the pressure air cushion surface 24 (e.g., control the flow and pressure of air in the air cushion 16).

[0029] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the pressure air cushioning surface 24 is shown. The fluid fitting assembly 50 is in fluid communication with a positive air pressure source through the conduit 38. Air flows through the exemplary fluid fitting assembly 50 through the conduit 38 to the pressure air cushioning surface 24 to create the air cushion 16.

[0030] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a fluid fitting assembly 50 is shown, which is configured to control air flow to the pressure air cushion surface 24 to maintain the air cushion 16 between the base air cushion surface 14 and the carriage 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid fitting assembly 50 includes a fitting 54, a bushing 62, and a flow control nozzle 70. The bushing 62 includes a bushing body 64 having at least one passage 66 formed therein. The fitting 54 includes an upper fitting body 56 and a lower fitting body 60 having an upper volume 58 formed therein. In this embodiment, the upper fitting body 56 and the lower fitting body 60 are integrally formed, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the upper fitting body 56 and the lower fitting body 60 can be separate components. In the illustrated embodiment, the bushing 62 is press-fit into the passage formed in the carriage body 22, and the lower fitting body 60 is press-fit into the passage 64 formed in the bushing body 64. Collectively, the upper fitting body 56, the lower fitting body 60, and the bushing 62 may also be referred to herein as "fitting bodies."

[0031] At least one fluid inlet port 52 is formed in the upper fitting body 56 in fluid communication with a source of positive air pressure. A flow control nozzle 70 is positioned downstream of the fluid inlet port 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the flow control nozzle 70 is a separate component from the fitting 54. Alternatively, the flow control nozzle 70 may be integrally formed with the fitting 54. The flow control nozzle 70 includes at least one nozzle body 72 having at least one upper chamber 74, at least one orifice 76, and at least one lower chamber 78 and a fluid outlet port 80 formed in the lower chamber 78. Alternatively, the flow control nozzle 70 may not include the upper chamber 74 and the lower chamber 78, but may only have a single passage having a constant diameter extending through the nozzle body 72. In another embodiment, the single passage through the nozzle body 72 may have a taper. The orifice 76 is configured to control the air flow from the upper chamber 74 to the lower chamber 78 and out of the fluid outlet port 80. Specifically, the orifice 76 is sized to allow a specific amount of fluid (e.g., based on a calibration performed a priori) to flow therethrough, depending on the available pressure and flow from the fluid pressure source described above. During operation of the air cushion assembly 10, air flows into the fluid inlet port 52, into the upper volume 58, into the upper chamber 74 of the flow control nozzle 70, through the orifice 76, into the lower chamber 78, and out of the fluid outlet port 80 into the pressure air cushion surface 24 to create the air cushion 16 between the carriage body 22 and the base air cushion surface 14 of the base 12.

[0032] Figure 6 A view of an exemplary simulation of air flow through a flow control nozzle 70 is shown. The simulation is configured to show areas of turbulence of air flow through different zones in the flow control nozzle 70 and the air cushion 16. The simulation assumes that the mass of air flowing through the zone of the flow control nozzle is constant. For the purpose of the description below, the following definitions of terms are provided. The term "flow density" or "flux" refers to the amount of air flowing through a specific area (cross-section of the zone) perpendicular to the flow direction. For example, for a given flow mass of air, since the lateral area of ​​the upper chamber 74 is larger relative to the lateral area of ​​the orifice 76, the "flow density" or "flux" of the air flow is lower in the upper chamber 74 and faster in the orifice 76.

[0033] The simulation shows that the air flow flows from the upper chamber 74 into the lower chamber 78 through the orifice 76 and flows out from the fluid outlet 80 into the air cushion 16. The simulation includes an upper flow area 90 in the upper chamber 74, an orifice area 92 in the orifice 76, and lower flow areas 94 and 96 in the lower chamber 78. Flow areas 98 and 99 are located within the air cushion 16. The darker areas shown in the simulation indicate that the flux is relatively low. The air flow in the upper flow area 90 is relatively slow. Due to the restriction of the orifice 76, the flux of the air in the nozzle area 92 is higher than that in other areas. When the air leaves the orifice 76 and enters the lower chamber 78, it remains orderly within a certain length through the lower flow area 94. In the lower flow area 96 (also referred to herein as the "first turbulent area 96"), the flow becomes turbulent, and after the fluid leaves the outlet port 80 and enters the flow area 98 (also referred to herein as the "second turbulent area 98"), the turbulence continues to exist. The turbulence dissipates as the flow further reaches the air cushion 16, such as in the flow region 99. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 6 The simulation shown in is only one example among many examples of flow through the flow control nozzle 70 and should not be considered limiting. For example, a higher or lower mass flow rate through the flow control nozzle 70 will cause different turbulence levels in all flow regions 90, 92, 94, 98 and 99.

[0034] The turbulence in the turbulent zones 96, 98 and any residual turbulence in zone 99 can cause or allow the carriage body 22 (or a zone of the carriage body 22) to experience rapid oscillations or movements (i.e., vibrations, also referred to herein as "jitter") in the Z direction, either when the carriage 20 is stationary or during movement of the carriage 20 in the X direction or the Y direction. The jitter of the carriage 20 may also cause vibrations or affect the vibratory state of the carriage body 22 in the X direction and / or the Y direction. Any or all of this jitter can be transmitted from the carriage 20 to the clamp support, the wafer clamp, and ultimately to the semiconductor wafer being processed. In one embodiment, the amplitude of the jitter is ±15 nanometers or less. In another embodiment, the amplitude of the jitter is ±10 nanometers or less. In another embodiment, the amplitude of the jitter is ±5 nanometers or less. In another embodiment, the amplitude of the jitter is ±2 nanometers or less. Those skilled in the art will understand that the amplitude of the jitter can be any amount. The frequency of the jitter can vary greatly.

[0035] Figure 7A cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a fluid fitting assembly 100 is shown, which is configured to control air flow to a pressure air cushion surface 24 to maintain an air cushion 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid fitting assembly 100 includes a fitting 104, a bushing 112, a flow control nozzle 120 (also referred to herein as a "nozzle 120"), and a diffusion element 130. The fitting 104 includes an upper fitting body 106 and a lower fitting body 110, in which an upper volume 108 is formed. In this embodiment, the upper fitting body 106 and the lower fitting body 110 are integrally formed, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the upper fitting body 106 and the lower fitting body 110 can be separate components. At least one fluid inlet port 102 is formed in the upper fitting body 106 in fluid communication with an air pressure source (not shown). The upper volume 108 is positioned downstream of the fluid inlet port 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the fitting 104 has an "elbow" configuration, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the fitting 104 can have a straight configuration. The lower fitting body 110 is pressed into a passage 116 formed in a bushing body 114 of a bushing 112. The bushing 112 is press-fit into the carriage body 22. A flow control nozzle 120 is positioned downstream of the fluid inlet port 102 and the upper volume 108. In the illustrated embodiment, the flow control nozzle 120 is a separate component from the fitting 104. Alternatively, the flow control nozzle 120 can be integrally formed with the fitting 104. The flow control nozzle 120 includes a nozzle body 122 having an upper chamber 124, an orifice 126, and a lower chamber 128. The orifice 126 is configured to control air flow from the upper chamber 124 and the lower chamber 128. In the illustrated embodiment, a diffuser element 130 having a diffuser element body 132 is positioned in the passage 116 between the lower chamber 128 and the air cushion 16 , downstream of the fluid inlet port 102 and the upper volume 108 .

[0036] During operation of the air cushion assembly 10, air flows from the positive air pressure source into the fluid inlet port 102, into the upper volume 108, into the upper chamber 124 of the flow control nozzle 120, through the orifice 126, into the lower chamber 128 and into the diffuser element 130, and then out of the fluid outlet port 134 into the air cushion 16 between the pressure air cushion surface 24 and the base air cushion surface 14 of the base 12. The diffuser element 130 is configured to receive the air flow from the lower chamber 128 and diffuse the air flow (e.g., relatively uniformly) across the diameter of the fluid outlet port 134, thereby reducing turbulence of the air flow entering the air cushion 16 from the fluid outlet port 134 and reducing oscillation, vibration, or flutter of the air cushion carriage 20.

[0037] Exemplary materials for the diffusion element body 132 include, but are not limited to, materials used for particulate filters (such as plastic fibers or microglass), porous ceramics (porous granular ceramics (e.g., having micropores or mesopores)), honeycomb ceramics, synthetic porous materials (such as "aerogels"), foamed ceramics, open-cell plastic foams, sintered polymers, sintered metals, and metal filter materials (e.g., steel wool). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of materials may form the diffusion element body 132. In the illustrated embodiment, the porosity of the diffusion element body 132 is 10 microns or less. In another embodiment, the porosity of the diffusion element body 132 is 5 microns or less. In another embodiment, the porosity of the diffusion element body 132 is 2 microns or less. In another embodiment, the porosity of the diffusion element body 132 is less than 1 micron. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the diffusion element body 132 may have any porosity. The diffusion element 130 may be secured in the passage 116 in any of a variety of ways. The diffusion element 130 may be bonded to the passage 116 by an adhesive (e.g., epoxy, cyanoacrylate adhesive, etc., but not limited thereto). The diffusion element 130 may also be mechanically retained in the passage 116 (e.g., by press fit, threads, or by one or more fasteners). In another embodiment, the diffusion element body 132 may be permanently attached to the flow control nozzle 120. In some embodiments, the flow control nozzle 120 may not be required. The diffusion element 130 itself may perform the flow regulation function of the flow control nozzle 120. In still other embodiments, at least some of the internal features of the flow control nozzle 70 may be formed in the diffusion element body 132 instead.

[0038] Figure 8 A bottom view of an exemplary prototype air cushion carriage 150 is shown having one or more pressure air cushion surfaces 152 and at least one vacuum air cushion surface 154. A plurality of air fitting assemblies 100 are installed in the pressure air cushion surface 152. Fig. 9 A close-up view of a prototype air damping carriage 150 is shown, showing the liner 112 and diffuser element 130 positioned in a pressure air damping surface 152 .

[0039] The embodiments described above illustrate air cushioning arrangements in which an air cushioning carriage has an improved air fitting assembly configured to reduce turbulence in the air cushion, thereby potentially reducing oscillation, vibration, and flutter of the air cushioning carriage. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the air cushioning configurations described above may be extended to any number of air cushioning systems without departing from the spirit of the foregoing disclosure.

[0040] The foregoing describes embodiments and examples of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting them. Although several specific embodiments and examples have been described with reference to the drawings, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the disclosed specific embodiments and examples and other embodiments without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Therefore, all such modifications to the subject matter described herein are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the subject matter of any sentence, paragraph, example, or embodiment may be combined with some or all of the subject matter of other sentences, paragraphs, examples, or embodiments, unless such combinations are mutually exclusive. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims, wherein the equivalents of the claims are included therein.

[0041] Reference numerals list

[0042] 10 Air cushion assembly

[0043] 12 Base

[0044] 14 Surface

[0045] 16 Air cushion

[0046] 20 Slide

[0047] 22 Slide body

[0048] 24 Pressure air buffer surface

[0049] 26 Pressure port

[0050] 28 channels

[0051] 30 Vacuum air buffer surface

[0052] 32 Vacuum port

[0053] 34 Fluid pressure inlet

[0054] 36 Vacuum inlet

[0055] 38 Catheter

[0056] 50 Fluid fittings assembly

[0057] 52 Fluid inlet port

[0058] 54 Accessories

[0059] 56 Upper accessory body

[0060] 58 Upper volume

[0061] 60 Lower accessory body

[0062] 62 Bushing

[0063] 64 Bushing body

[0064] 66 access

[0065] 70 Flow Control Nozzle

[0066] 72 Nozzle body

[0067] 74 Upper Room

[0068] 76 Orifice

[0069] 78 Lower Room

[0070] 80 Fluid outlet port

[0071] 90 Upper volume

[0072] 92 Orifice area

[0073] 94 Flow Zone

[0074] 96 Flow Zone

[0075] 98 Flow Zone

[0076] 99 Flow Zone

[0077] 100 Fluid fittings assembly

[0078] 102 Fluid inlet port

[0079] 104 Accessories

[0080] 106 Upper accessory body

[0081] 108 Upper volume

[0082] 110 Lower accessory body

[0083] 112 Bushing

[0084] 114 Bushing body

[0085] 116 access

[0086] 120 Flow Control Nozzle

[0087] 122 Nozzle body

[0088] 124 Upper Room

[0089] 126 Orifice

[0090] 128 Lower Room

[0091] 130 Diffuser

[0092] 132 Diffuser element body

[0093] 134 Fluid outlet port

[0094] 150 Prototype Slide

[0095] 152 Air cushion

[0096] 154 Vacuum pad

Claims

1. A fluid fitting assembly (100), comprising: at least one fitting body (104) having at least one fluid inlet port (102) in communication with at least one positive fluid pressure source and configured to allow fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the at least one fitting body includes at least one first volume (108) located downstream of the at least one fluid inlet port; at least one flow control nozzle (120), the at least one flow control nozzle positioned downstream of the at least one first volume (108); wherein the at least one flow control nozzle comprises at least one nozzle body (122), the at least one nozzle body having at least one upper chamber (124), at least one orifice (126) and at least one lower chamber (128); At least one diffusion element (130) is positioned downstream of the at least one flow control nozzle (120) and upstream of at least one fluid outlet port (134), wherein the at least one diffusion element is configured to receive a fluid flow from the at least one positive fluid pressure source and distribute the fluid flow across a lateral dimension of the at least one fluid outlet port.

2. The fluid fitting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the material of the at least one diffusion element (130) is selected from the group consisting of: particulate filter material, plastic fiber, glass fiber, microglass, porous ceramic, honeycomb ceramic, synthetic porous material, aerogel, foam ceramic, open-cell plastic foam, sintered polymer, sintered metal and metal filter material.

3. The fluid fitting assembly according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the fluid fitting assembly further comprises a bushing body (114) having a passage (116), and the at least one fitting body (104) is pressed into the passage.

4. The fluid fitting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one diffusion element (130) is positioned in the passageway (116).

5. An air cushion assembly comprising the fluid fitting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The air cushion assembly of claim 5, wherein the air cushion assembly comprises at least one base (12) having at least one base air cushion surface (14); at least one carriage (20), the at least one carriage having at least one carriage body (22), at least one pressure air buffer surface (24) formed in the at least one carriage body (22); The fluid fitting assembly (100) is positioned in the at least one carriage body (22) and is in fluid communication with at least one positive air pressure source via at least one conduit.

7. An air cushion assembly according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the bushing body (114) is press-fit into the at least one carriage body (22).

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