Laser-driven light source and optical test apparatus
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure CN2025145154_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Laser-driven light sources and optical testing equipment
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510132703.8, filed on February 6, 2025, entitled "Laser-Driven Light Source and Optical Testing Equipment", and Chinese Patent Application No. 202510132703.9, filed on February 27, 2025, entitled "Laser-Driven Light Source and Optical Testing Equipment", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0002] This application relates to the field of lighting equipment technology, and in particular to a laser-driven light source and an optical testing device. Background Technology
[0003] A laser-driven light source is a type of light source that uses lasers to generate and maintain plasma. At the start of illumination, plasma is first generated within the lamp chamber through electrode discharge. Then, the plasma is irradiated with a laser, heating it to a sufficient temperature to emit high-brightness light. However, the plasma generates a significant amount of heat during the luminescence process, and since the luminescence state is maintained by the laser, the plasma continues to generate high levels of heat throughout the process.
[0004] The lamp chamber of a laser-driven light source is usually made of glass. Glass has relatively poor high-temperature resistance, and prolonged operation in a high-temperature environment can easily affect the structural stability of the lamp chamber. Furthermore, as the demand for brightness of laser-driven light sources gradually increases, it is usually necessary to further increase the power of the laser that sustains plasma emission or further increase the gas pressure inside the lamp chamber. Both of these methods pose challenges to the high-temperature resistance and pressure resistance of glass materials, resulting in the maximum brightness of the laser-driven light source being limited by the lamp chamber material, making it impossible to achieve higher light source brightness. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This application provides a laser-driven light source and an optical testing device. By using a pressure-resistant and thermally conductive material for the housing, the heat from the plasma can be dissipated from the housing in a timely manner, and the housing can operate normally under high temperature and high pressure, thus solving the problem that the maximum brightness of the laser-driven light source is limited by the housing material.
[0006] In one aspect, this application provides a laser-driven light source, including a housing, a first light-transmitting component, and a second light-transmitting component. The housing is made of a pressure-resistant and thermally conductive material, the pressure resistance of which is greater than one atmosphere at room temperature, the thermal conductivity of which is greater than 10, and the melting point of which is greater than 200°C. The housing has a first through-hole and a second through-hole, the first light-transmitting component and the second light-transmitting component being located in the first through-hole and the second through-hole, respectively. The housing, the first light-transmitting component, and the second light-transmitting component together form a sealed chamber for containing plasma. The first through-hole and the second through-hole both penetrate the housing and communicate with the chamber. The first through-hole allows incident light to pass through, and the incident light is used to maintain the plasma's luminescence. The second through-hole allows outgoing light to pass through. Specifically, in one implementation, the cavity is a sealed structure, and the spaces of the chambers are interconnected. This space is used to contain plasma; that is, the plasma is directly exposed in this space without any other physical devices or containers isolating it.
[0007] In this embodiment, by providing a first through hole and a second through hole on the housing to allow incident and outgoing light to pass through respectively, the normal operation of the laser-driven light source is ensured, and the material of the housing is prevented from affecting the incident and outgoing light, allowing for greater diversity in the selection of housing materials. By setting the first and second light-transmitting components at the first and second through holes respectively, the first and second light-transmitting components and the housing together seal the chamber, ensuring the stability of the plasma and thus ensuring the stable emission of the laser-driven light source. By using a pressure-resistant and thermally conductive material for the housing, the housing can maintain good structural stability under high temperature and high pressure, preventing deformation or even damage to the housing under high temperature or high pressure, which is beneficial to improving the maximum brightness of the laser-driven light source. At the same time, the direct contact between the plasma and the inner wall of the housing allows for rapid heat conduction between the housing and the plasma, enabling the heat at the plasma to dissipate in a timely manner, which is beneficial to ensuring the stability of the laser-driven light source.
[0008] In one possible implementation, the material of the casing comprises one or a mixture of at least two of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride; or, the material of the casing comprises one or a mixture / alloy of at least two of aluminum, copper, titanium, silver, and gold.
[0009] In this embodiment, by making the material of the shell meet the above requirements, the material of the shell has better thermal conductivity and pressure resistance, and the laser operating power and operating pressure of the laser driving light source can be greater, which is beneficial to improving the brightness of the laser driving light source and ensuring the working stability of the laser driving light source.
[0010] In one possible implementation, the first light-transmitting component includes a light-transmitting sheet and a sealing ring, the sealing ring being disposed around the first through hole and located between the light-transmitting sheet and the housing.
[0011] In this embodiment, by making the first light-transmitting component include a light-transmitting sheet and a sealing ring, with the sealing ring surrounding the first through hole and located between the light-transmitting sheet and the housing, the sealing performance at the connection between the light-transmitting sheet and the housing of the first light-transmitting component is improved, thereby ensuring the sealing performance of the chamber.
[0012] In one possible implementation, the outer wall of the housing has a first protrusion and a second protrusion connected together, both the first protrusion and the second protrusion being arranged around the first through hole, the second protrusion being located on the side of the first protrusion away from the outer wall of the housing, the inner diameter of the first protrusion being larger than the inner diameter of the second protrusion, the sealing ring abutting against the second protrusion and the outer wall of the housing, and the light-transmitting sheet being fixed on the second protrusion.
[0013] In this embodiment, by having the outer wall of the housing have a connected first protrusion and a second protrusion, and the sealing ring of the first light-transmitting component abuts against the second protrusion and the outer wall of the housing, the sealing ring of the first light-transmitting component is sandwiched between the second protrusion and the outer wall of the housing, and the light-transmitting sheet of the first light-transmitting component is fixed on the second protrusion. This helps to ensure the positional stability of the sealing ring and the light-transmitting sheet of the first light-transmitting component, and improves the sealing performance of the sealing ring of the first light-transmitting component.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the conduction direction of the first through hole and the conduction direction of the second through hole have an angle.
[0015] In this embodiment, by making the conduction direction of the first through hole and the conduction direction of the second through hole have an angle, the incident direction of the incident light and the exit direction of the outgoing light have an angle, thus avoiding the incident light affecting the outgoing light when the incident direction of the incident light and the exit direction of the outgoing light are the same.
[0016] In one possible implementation, the housing further has a third through hole that penetrates the housing and communicates with the chamber, and at least a portion of the third through hole and the first through hole are arranged opposite to each other in the incident direction of the incident light.
[0017] In this embodiment, by having the housing also have a third through hole, the third through hole penetrates the housing and communicates with the cavity, and at least part of the third through hole and the first through hole are arranged opposite to each other in the incident direction of the incident light, the incident light that is not converted into plasma light emission is emitted from the cavity in a timely manner, avoiding the generation of heat in the cavity by excess incident light, which is beneficial to reduce the operating temperature of the laser driving light source and reduce the heat dissipation pressure of the laser driving light source.
[0018] In one possible implementation, the wavelength width through which light can pass through the third through-hole is greater than the wavelength width through which light can pass through the first through-hole.
[0019] In this embodiment, by making the wavelength width of light passing through the third through hole greater than that of light passing through the first through hole, more light can be emitted from the third through hole, reducing the heat generated by excess light in the cavity, which is beneficial to reducing the operating temperature of the laser driving light source and reducing the heat dissipation pressure of the laser driving light source.
[0020] In one possible implementation, the inner wall of the housing is provided with a light-absorbing element for absorbing the incident light.
[0021] In this embodiment, by providing a light-absorbing element on the inner wall of the housing for absorbing incident light, the incident light that has not been converted into plasma emission is absorbed by the light-absorbing element, avoiding the generation of heat in the cavity by excess incident light, which helps to reduce the operating temperature of the laser driving light source and reduce the heat dissipation pressure of the laser driving light source.
[0022] In one possible implementation, the incident light irradiates the light-emitting point formed by the plasma, and the inner wall of the housing is provided with a reflector for reflecting the incident light to the light-emitting point.
[0023] In this embodiment, by providing a reflector on the inner wall of the housing for reflecting incident light to the light-emitting point, the optical path of the incident light is adjusted. This allows the incident direction of the light to be set according to actual needs, simplifying the installation and application of the laser-driven light source. Simultaneously, the reflector can also reflect excess incident light to the reflecting point, improving the utilization rate of incident light energy, thereby increasing the brightness of the laser-driven light source. Furthermore, it reduces the conversion of incident light energy into heat within the cavity, thus lowering the operating temperature of the laser-driven light source and reducing its heat dissipation pressure.
[0024] In one possible implementation, the interior of the housing has heat exchange channels for exchanging heat with the plasma.
[0025] In this embodiment, by having a heat exchange channel inside the shell for heat exchange with the plasma, the heat conduction efficiency between the shell and the plasma is further improved, and the heat at the plasma can be dissipated in time, which helps to ensure the stability of the laser-driven light source.
[0026] In one possible implementation, the chamber is used to contain an ionizable medium, and the incident light is used to excite the ionizable medium to ionize and form the plasma.
[0027] In this embodiment, by ionizing the ionizable medium in the excitation chamber to form plasma, the laser driving light source avoids the need to set electrodes to ionize the ionizable medium, which helps to simplify the setting structure of the laser driving light source and realize the miniaturization of the laser driving light source.
[0028] In one possible implementation, the chamber is used to contain an ionizable medium, and the laser driving source further includes electrodes for exciting the ionizable medium to ionize and form the plasma.
[0029] In this embodiment, the efficiency of plasma formation by ionizing the ionizable medium in the chamber is ensured by ionizing the electrode to excite the plasma.
[0030] Secondly, this application also provides an optical testing device, including a laser and a laser-driven light source as described in any embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the laser is used to generate incident light, and the incident light is used to maintain the plasma luminescence within the cavity of the laser-driven light source. The beneficial effects of this embodiment are similar to those of the above embodiments, and will not be described again in this embodiment. Attached Figure Description
[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the laser-driven light source provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the laser-driven light source at point AA in the embodiment shown in Figure 1;
[0033] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the laser-driven light source at BB in the embodiment shown in Figure 1.
[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10-Laser driving light source; 11-Housing; 12-First light-transmitting component; 13-Second light-transmitting component; 14-Third light-transmitting component; 15-Light-emitting point; 16-Electrode; 111-First through hole; 112-Second through hole; 113-Third through hole; 114-Cavity; 115-First protrusion; 116-Second protrusion; 117-Third protrusion; 118-Fourth protrusion; 119-Heat exchange channel; 121-First light-transmitting sheet; 122-First sealing ring; 131-Second light-transmitting sheet; 132-Second sealing ring. Detailed Implementation
[0035] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0036] For ease of understanding, the English abbreviations and related technical terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained and described below.
[0037] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0038] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0039] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this document is merely a description of the same field in the related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0040] It should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are for distinguishing purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.
[0041] In the description of this application, the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0042] In the description of this application, it should be noted that due to manufacturing or assembly errors, there may be slight angular deviations in the design that should be perpendicular or parallel. For example, a deviation within 15 degrees is also considered perpendicular or parallel as described in this embodiment.
[0043] In this application, the phrase "within a range" implies that both endpoints of the range are included, unless otherwise specified. For example, in the range of 1 to 5, it includes the values 1 and 5. In this application, unless otherwise specified, "at least one" means "one or more", and "at least two" means "two or more".
[0044] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "joining" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can be fixed connections, detachable connections, mating connections or integral connections; those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0045] It should be understood that in this application, "electrical connection" can be understood as physical contact and electrical conduction between components; it can also be understood as the form in which different components in a circuit structure are connected through physical lines that can transmit signals, such as copper foil or wires on a printed circuit board (PCB). "Connection" and "connected" can both refer to a mechanical or physical connection relationship. For example, A and B being connected or A and B being connected can mean that there are fastening components (such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc.) between A and B, or that A and B are in contact with each other and are difficult to separate.
[0046] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0047] This application provides a laser-driven light source 10. Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the laser-driven light source 10 provided in the embodiment of this application. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the laser-driven light source 10 at point AA in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. The laser-driven light source 10 includes a housing 11, a first light-transmitting component 12, and a second light-transmitting component 13. The housing 11 has a cavity 114, a first through hole 111, and a second through hole 112. The first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 both penetrate one side wall of the housing 11, and both the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 communicate with the cavity 114. The first light-transmitting component 12 is located in the first through hole 111, and the second light-transmitting component 13 is located in the second through hole 112. The first light-transmitting component 12, the second light-transmitting component 13, and the housing 11 together seal the cavity 114, making the cavity 114 a sealed structure. The cavity 114 is used to contain plasma, which helps to ensure the stability of the plasma, thereby ensuring the stable emission of the laser-driven light source 10. Specifically, in one implementation, chamber 114 is a sealed structure, and the spaces of the chambers are interconnected. This space is used to contain plasma; that is, the plasma is directly exposed in this space, and there are no other physical devices or containers to isolate the plasma.
[0048] Referring to Figure 2, the first through-hole 111 is used to allow incident light to pass through, which is used to maintain plasma luminescence. During the process of the incident light acting on the laser-driven light source 10, the incident light first passes through the first light-transmitting component 12, and then through the first through-hole 111 to reach the cavity 114. The incident light continuously irradiates the plasma in the cavity 114 to maintain plasma luminescence in the cavity 114. The second through-hole 112 is used to allow outgoing light to pass through, which is the light emitted by the plasma. The outgoing light passes through the second through-hole 112 and the second light-transmitting component 13 in sequence, and finally exits from the laser-driven light source 10.
[0049] The incident light must first pass through the first light-transmitting component 12. Different first light-transmitting components 12 can be selected according to actual needs to adjust the wavelength, wavelength width, and incident angle of the incident light. Similarly, the outgoing light must first pass through the second light-transmitting component 13. Different second light-transmitting components 13 can be selected according to actual needs to adjust the wavelength, wavelength width, and incident angle of the outgoing light.
[0050] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the incident light can be laser light, and the emitted light can be white light, such that the wavelength width of the incident light is smaller than the wavelength width of the emitted light. By ensuring that the wavelength width of the light passing through the first light-transmitting component 12 is smaller than the wavelength width of the light passing through the second light-transmitting component 13, the stability of the incident light incident at the first through-hole 111 and the stability of the emitted light emitted at the second through-hole 112 can be guaranteed. Simultaneously, a filter-like structure can be provided at the second light-transmitting component 13, allowing light of a specified wavelength to exit from the second through-hole 112, further enhancing the controllability of the emitted light.
[0051] Please refer to Figure 2. The chamber 114 is used to contain the plasma. The plasma generates a large amount of heat during the emission process. The material of the shell 11 is a thermally conductive material with a thermal conductivity greater than 10, which allows for rapid heat conduction between the shell 11 and the plasma. The shell 11 also has high heat conduction efficiency with the air, so the heat from the plasma can be dissipated in time, which helps to ensure the stability of the laser-driven light source 10.
[0052] Meanwhile, the melting point of the material of the housing 11 can be greater than 200℃, giving the housing 11 good high-temperature resistance. When the laser power is increased, causing the plasma to generate more heat, the housing 11 can still maintain good structural stability, preventing deformation or even damage at high temperatures. This is beneficial for improving the brightness of the laser driving light source 10 and maintaining its stable operation. The pressure resistance of the material of the housing 11 can be greater than one atmosphere at room temperature, giving the housing 11 good pressure resistance. When the gas pressure inside the chamber 114 of the housing 11 is increased, the housing 11 can still maintain good structural stability, preventing deformation or even damage under high pressure. This is beneficial for improving the brightness of the laser driving light source 10 and maintaining its stable operation.
[0053] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the material of the housing 11 includes ceramic, metal, or alloy. When the material of the housing 11 is ceramic, the material of the housing 11 includes one of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride, or the material of the housing 11 includes a mixture of at least two of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride. When the material of the housing 11 is metal, the material of the housing 11 includes one of aluminum, copper, titanium, silver, and gold, or the material of the housing 11 includes a mixture of at least two of aluminum, copper, titanium, silver, and gold. When the material of the housing 11 is alloy, the material of the housing 11 includes an alloy formed by adding other metals or non-metallic materials to at least one of aluminum, copper, titanium, silver, and gold. All of the above materials give the housing 11 good thermal conductivity and pressure resistance, allowing for higher laser operating power and operating pressure of the laser driving light source 10, which is beneficial for improving the brightness of the laser driving light source 10 and ensuring the working stability of the laser driving light source 10. It is understandable that those skilled in the art can select appropriate materials in practical applications by considering various factors such as cost, processing difficulty, and performance requirements (such as thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance).
[0054] For example, the housing 11 is made of aluminum alloy, which helps to simplify the production and manufacturing process of the housing 11 while meeting performance requirements and reducing the production cost of the housing 11. Aluminum alloy has poor light transmittance. By providing a first through hole 111 and a second through hole 112 on the housing 11, the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 allow incident light and outgoing light to pass through respectively, ensuring the normal operation of the laser driving light source 10. The material of the housing 11 has little impact on the incident and outgoing light, which allows for a greater variety of materials to be selected for the housing 11.
[0055] In one possible implementation, referring to Figure 2, both the first light-transmitting component 12 and the second light-transmitting component 13 include a light-transmitting sheet and a sealing ring. The first light-transmitting component 12 includes a first light-transmitting sheet 121 and a first sealing ring 122. The first sealing ring 122 is disposed around the first through-hole 111 and is located between the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the housing 11 to improve the sealing performance at the connection between the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the housing 11, ensuring the sealing performance of the chamber 114. Similarly, the second light-transmitting component 13 includes a second light-transmitting sheet 131 and a second sealing ring 132. The second sealing ring 132 is disposed around the second through-hole 112 and is located between the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the housing 11 to improve the sealing performance at the connection between the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the housing 11, ensuring the sealing performance of the chamber 114.
[0056] The first sealing ring 122 can be located on the outside of the housing 11, or at least partially within the first through hole 111. Referring to Figure 2, when the first sealing ring 122 is located on the outside of the housing 11, it can contact the outer wall of the housing 11. The inner diameter of the first sealing ring 122 can be greater than or equal to the diameter of the first through hole 111, preventing the first sealing ring 122 from blocking incident light from passing through the first through hole 111. When at least partially the first sealing ring 122 is located within the first through hole 111, it can be located on the side of the first through hole 111 away from the chamber 114. The inner wall of the first through hole 111 can have a first groove, with at least partially of the first sealing ring 122 located within the first groove, thereby improving the stability of the position of the first sealing ring 122. The first groove can be a stepped groove, and the first sealing ring 122 can have a stepped structure corresponding to the stepped groove, so that the first sealing ring 122 and the first groove can be connected to each other, thereby improving the sealing performance at the connection between the first light-transmitting component 12 and the housing 11.
[0057] It is understood that the second sealing ring 132 is arranged similarly to the first sealing ring 122. The second sealing ring 132 can be located on the outside of the housing 11, or at least partially within the first through hole 111. When the second sealing ring 132 is located on the outside of the housing 11, the inner diameter of the second sealing ring 132 can be greater than or equal to the diameter of the second through hole 112, thus preventing the second sealing ring 132 from blocking the emitted light from passing through the second through hole 112. When at least partially within the second through hole 112, the second sealing ring 132 can be located on the side of the second through hole 112 away from the chamber 114, and the inner wall of the second through hole 112 can be provided with a second groove with a structure similar to the first groove to improve the sealing performance at the connection between the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the housing 11.
[0058] Please refer to Figure 2. The outer wall of the housing 11 may have protrusions, including a first protrusion and a second protrusion. The first protrusion is arranged around the first through hole 111, and the second protrusion is arranged around the second through hole 112. The first protrusion is used to install the first light-transmitting component 12, and the second protrusion is used to install the second light-transmitting component 13, so as to ensure the positional stability of the first light-transmitting component 12 and the second light-transmitting component 13.
[0059] Referring to Figure 2, the first protrusion may include a first protrusion 115 and a second protrusion 116 connected together. The first protrusion 115 is connected to the outer wall of the housing 11, and the second protrusion 116 is located on the side of the first protrusion 115 away from the outer wall of the housing 11. Both the first protrusion 115 and the second protrusion 116 are arranged around the first through hole 111, so that both the first protrusion 115 and the second protrusion 116 have channels. The channels of the first protrusion 115 and the second protrusion 116 are connected, and the channel of the first protrusion 115 is connected to the first through hole 111, ensuring that the incident light can smoothly enter the chamber 114 after passing through the channel of the second protrusion 116, the channel of the first protrusion 115, and the first through hole 111 in sequence.
[0060] Please refer to Figure 2. The first sealing ring 122 can be located inside the channel of the first protrusion 115. The inner diameter of the channel of the first protrusion 115 can be larger than the inner diameter of the channel of the second protrusion 116, so that a portion of the second protrusion 116 protrudes relative to the opening of the channel of the first protrusion 115 on the side closer to the second protrusion 116. The first sealing ring 122 can abut against the portion of the second protrusion 116 protruding from the channel of the first protrusion 115 and the outer wall of the housing 11. The first sealing ring 122 is sandwiched between the second protrusion 116 and the outer wall of the housing 11, which helps to ensure the positional stability of the first sealing ring 122 and improve the sealing performance of the first sealing ring 122.
[0061] Please refer to Figure 2. The first light-transmitting sheet 121 can be located inside the channel of the second protrusion 116. The first light-transmitting sheet 121 can be located on the side of the second protrusion 116 away from the first protrusion 115, so that the first light-transmitting sheet 121 is close to the outer side of the first protrusion away from the housing 11. This facilitates the installation and disassembly of the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and allows for the selection of first light-transmitting sheets 121 with different performance according to actual needs. Alternatively, the first light-transmitting sheet 121 can be located on the side of the second protrusion 116 close to the first protrusion 115. The inner diameter of the channel of the first protrusion 115 can be larger than the inner diameter of the channel of the second protrusion 116. The first light-transmitting sheet 121 can abut against the second protrusion 116 and the first protrusion 115, so that the first light-transmitting sheet 121 is sandwiched between the first protrusion 115 and the second protrusion 116. This helps to ensure the positional stability of the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and improve the sealing performance at the first light-transmitting sheet 121. The inner wall of the channel of the second protrusion 116 may have a mounting groove, so that the mounting groove at the channel of the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the second protrusion 116 can be connected to improve the sealing performance at the first light-transmitting sheet 121, thereby improving the sealing performance at the connection between the first light-transmitting component 12 and the housing 11.
[0062] Please refer to Figure 2. The first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the first sealing ring 122 can be spaced apart to avoid interference between them. This helps ensure the positional stability of the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the first sealing ring 122, and provides an error tolerance for their installation, simplifying the installation process. Alternatively, the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the first sealing ring 122 can be in contact. In this case, the first light-transmitting sheet 121 is located on the side of the second protrusion 116 near the first protrusion 115, and the first sealing ring 122 abuts against the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the outer wall of the housing 11. This allows the first sealing ring 122 to be sandwiched between the first light-transmitting sheet 121 and the outer wall of the housing 11, which helps ensure the sealing performance at the connection between the first light-transmitting component 12 and the housing 11.
[0063] It is understood that the second protrusion is arranged in a similar manner to the first protrusion. Referring to Figure 2, the second protrusion may include a connected third protrusion 117 and a fourth protrusion 118. The third protrusion 117 is connected to the outer wall of the housing 11, and the fourth protrusion 118 is located on the side of the third protrusion away from the outer wall of the housing 11. Both the third protrusion 117 and the fourth protrusion 118 are arranged around the second through hole 112. The channel of the third protrusion 117, the channel of the fourth protrusion 118, and the second through hole 112 are all connected, ensuring that the emitted light can pass through the second through hole 112, the channel of the third protrusion 117, and the channel of the fourth protrusion 118 in sequence before smoothly exiting the chamber 114. The second sealing ring 132 can be located within the channel of the third protrusion 117. The inner diameter of the channel of the third protrusion 117 can be larger than the inner diameter of the channel of the fourth protrusion 118, so that the second sealing ring 132 is sandwiched between the fourth protrusion 118 and the outer wall of the housing 11. This helps to ensure the positional stability of the second sealing ring 132 and improve its sealing performance. The second light-transmitting sheet 131 can be located within the channel of the fourth protrusion 118. The second light-transmitting sheet 131 can be located on the side of the fourth protrusion 118 away from the third protrusion 117 to simplify the installation and removal of the second light-transmitting sheet 131; alternatively, the second light-transmitting sheet 131 can be located on the side of the fourth protrusion 118 closer to the third protrusion 117, so that the second light-transmitting sheet 131 is sandwiched between the third protrusion 117 and the fourth protrusion 118, which helps to ensure the positional stability of the second light-transmitting sheet 131. The inner wall of the channel of the fourth protrusion 118 may also have a mounting groove, so that the mounting groove at the channel of the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the fourth protrusion 118 can be connected to improve the sealing performance at the second light-transmitting sheet 131, thereby improving the sealing performance at the connection between the second light-transmitting component 13 and the housing 11.
[0064] Similarly, referring to Figure 2, the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the second sealing ring 132 can be spaced apart to avoid interference between them, ensuring positional stability and providing tolerance for error during installation. This simplifies the installation of the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the second sealing ring 132. Alternatively, the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the second sealing ring 132 can be in contact, with the second light-transmitting sheet 131 located on the side of the fourth protrusion 118 near the third protrusion 117, and the second sealing ring 132 abutting against the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the outer wall of the housing 11. This allows the second sealing ring 132 to be sandwiched between the second light-transmitting sheet 131 and the outer wall of the housing 11, ensuring the sealing performance at the connection between the second light-transmitting component 13 and the housing 11.
[0065] Please refer to Figure 2. The positions of the first light-transmitting component 12 and the second light-transmitting component 13 correspond to the positions of the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112, respectively. The positions and sizes of the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 should be set according to actual needs to ensure that the incident light can smoothly enter the cavity 114 and the outgoing light can smoothly exit the cavity 114, and to avoid the first light-transmitting component 12 and the second light-transmitting component 13 having too large an area, which would affect the overall pressure resistance and thermal conductivity of the laser driving light source 10.
[0066] In one possible implementation, referring to Figure 2, the incident direction of the incident light is the irradiation direction of the incident light. After the incident light irradiates the plasma in the chamber 114, the plasma emits light in all directions, so that light emitted by the plasma is present in each direction. The conduction direction of the first through-hole 111 and the conduction direction of the second through-hole 112 are at an angle, so that the incident direction of the incident light and the exit direction of the outgoing light are at an angle, avoiding the incident light from affecting the outgoing light when the incident direction of the incident light and the exit direction of the outgoing light are the same. For example, referring to Figure 2, the angle between the conduction direction of the first through-hole 111 and the conduction direction of the second through-hole 112 is 90 degrees, reducing the incident light emitted from the second through-hole 112.
[0067] In one embodiment, referring to FIG2, the housing 11 also has a third through hole 113, which penetrates one side wall of the housing 11 and communicates with the cavity 114. The laser driving light source 10 also includes a third light-transmitting component 14, which is located in the third through hole 113. The first light-transmitting component 12, the second light-transmitting component 13, the third light-transmitting component 14 and the housing 11 together seal the cavity 114, making the cavity 114 a sealed structure.
[0068] After the incident light irradiates the plasma in the chamber 114, not all of the incident light can be used to maintain the plasma luminescence in the chamber 114. The incident light that is not converted into plasma luminescence is the excess incident light. The third through hole 113 is used to allow the excess incident light to pass through, so that the incident light that is not converted into plasma luminescence can be emitted from the chamber 114 in a timely manner. This avoids the excess incident light from generating heat in the chamber 114, which would further increase the heat generated by the plasma during the luminescence process. This is beneficial to reduce the operating temperature of the laser driving light source 10 and reduce the heat dissipation pressure of the laser driving light source 10.
[0069] Referring to Figure 2, in the incident direction of the incident light, at least a portion of the third through-hole 113 and the first through-hole 111 are disposed opposite each other, such that at least a portion of the third through-hole 113 is located in the incident light path, ensuring that excess incident light can exit from the third through-hole 113. For example, the conduction direction of the third through-hole 113 is the same as the conduction direction of the first through-hole 111, further ensuring that excess incident light can exit from the third through-hole 113.
[0070] For example, the wavelength width of the light that can pass through the third light-transmitting component 14 at the third through hole 113 is greater than the wavelength width of the light that can pass through the first light-transmitting component 12 at the first through hole 111, so that more light can be emitted from the third through hole 113, reducing the heat generated by excess light in the cavity 114, which is beneficial to reduce the operating temperature of the laser driving light source 10 and reduce the heat dissipation pressure of the laser driving light source 10.
[0071] In one possible implementation, please refer to Figure 2. The housing 11 can be provided with a corresponding structure to reduce the operating temperature of the housing 11, so as to reduce the heat dissipation pressure of the housing 11. The following will describe in detail some of the structures of the housing 11 with reference to some embodiments.
[0072] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the housing 11 may be provided with a light-absorbing element. This element absorbs excess incident light, ensuring that incident light not converted into plasma emission is absorbed, thus preventing excess incident light from generating heat within the chamber 114 and further increasing the heat generated by the plasma during emission. This helps reduce the operating temperature of the laser-driven light source 10 and decreases its heat dissipation pressure. Simultaneously, since the light-absorbing element is located on the inner wall of the housing 11, it avoids affecting the incident light. The light-absorbing element can be a light-absorbing coating applied to the inner wall of the housing 11, or it can be detachably attached to the inner wall of the housing 11. The range of the light-absorbing element can be set according to actual needs. For example, the light-absorbing element can also be located on the inner wall of the housing 11 on the side opposite to the first through hole 111 to further prevent it from affecting the incident light.
[0073] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the laser-driven light source 10 at BB in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. The inner wall of the housing 11 may be provided with a reflector for reflecting incident light. The chamber 114 is used to contain an ionizable medium (such as xenon, argon, etc.). Typically, the electrode 16 discharges to ionize the ionizable medium to generate plasma, and a light-emitting point 15 is formed at the plasma generated by the ionization of the ionizable medium. Incident light illuminates the light-emitting point 15 to maintain plasma luminescence at the light-emitting point 15. By providing a reflector on the inner wall of the housing 11, which reflects the incident light to the light-emitting point 15, the optical path of the incident light is adjusted. This allows the incident light to pass through the light-emitting point 15 instead of passing through it, after being reflected by the reflector. The incident direction of the incident light can be set according to actual needs, which simplifies the installation and application of the laser-driven light source 10.
[0074] In this embodiment, the reflector can be disposed on the side of the light-emitting point 15 away from the first through hole 111, so that the reflector is used to reflect excess incident light. The reflector reflects excess incident light to the reflector, which realizes full utilization of incident light, which is beneficial to improve the utilization rate of incident light energy, thereby improving the brightness of the laser driving light source 10, and reducing the energy of incident light from being converted into heat in the cavity 114, which is beneficial to reduce the operating temperature of the laser driving light source 10 and reduce the heat dissipation pressure of the laser driving light source 10.
[0075] The light source in this application generates a large amount of heat during operation. The higher the light intensity, the greater the heat. Ordinary heat dissipation methods cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements. Therefore, a heat dissipation method with better heat dissipation efficiency is needed. In one embodiment, referring to Figures 2 and 3, the interior of the housing 11 may have a heat exchange channel 119. The heat exchange channel 119 is used for heat exchange with the plasma in the chamber 114, which is beneficial to further improve the heat conduction efficiency between the housing 11 and the plasma. The heat at the plasma can be dissipated in time, which is beneficial to ensure the stability of the laser-driven light source 10. The heat exchange channel 119 can be formed by 3D printing, or by other machining, chemical processing, laser processing, or casting. The heat exchange channel 119 has a flowing heat exchange medium. The heat exchange channel 119 is embedded inside the housing 11, which isolates the heat exchange medium from the gas in the chamber 114, avoiding mutual interference between the heat exchange medium and the gas in the chamber 114. This is beneficial to ensure the normal operation of the laser-driven light source 10 and the heat exchange stability of the heat exchange channel 119. The heat exchange medium includes, but is not limited to, water and heat transfer oil. The heat exchange channel 119 can be arranged around the chamber 114 to increase the contact time and contact area between the heat exchange medium and the gas in the chamber 114, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange channel 119. It is understood that the heat exchange channel 119 should avoid structural arrangements such as the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 to avoid interference between the heat exchange channel 119 and other structures in the laser driving light source 10. For example, referring to Figures 2 and 3, the housing 11 has a cylindrical chamber 114, and the heat exchange channel 119 is a spiral channel that extends spirally around the cylindrical chamber 114 to increase the contact area between the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange channel 119 and the gas in the chamber 114.
[0076] It is understandable that other structures can be provided on the housing 11 to improve its heat dissipation capacity, such as heat sinks on the housing 11 to increase the heat dissipation area of the housing 11 and thereby reduce the operating temperature of the housing 11.
[0077] In one possible implementation, referring to Figure 2, the chamber 114 of the housing 11 is used to contain an ionizable medium. After ionization, the ionizable medium forms plasma. The ionization method of the ionizable medium can be set according to actual needs. Typically, incident light can be emitted first, and then the ionizable medium in the housing can be excited to form plasma through some means (such as high-intensity laser excitation or electrode excitation). The excited plasma can be maintained under the irradiation of the incident light. The intensity of the laser used to excite the plasma is greater than the intensity of the light used to maintain the plasma. Those skilled in the art can select the intensity of the high-intensity laser used for excitation and the intensity of the incident light used for maintenance based on the parameters of the light to be generated (such as brightness).
[0078] Specifically, plasma can be generated by at least the following methods.
[0079] In one embodiment, incident light is first emitted. Since the incident light is used to maintain plasma luminescence, it needs to maintain a certain intensity. Then, a high-intensity laser that can excite an ionizable medium to form plasma is used to excite the plasma along the path of the incident light. Subsequently, the excited plasma can be maintained and emit light under the irradiation of the incident light, and the high-intensity laser can be turned off. The emitter of the high-intensity laser and the emitter of the incident light may be different, and the high-intensity laser can enter through a different optical path than the incident light (such as entering through the first through-hole by refraction, or it can also enter through another through-hole located on the housing). This application does not limit the specific implementation method.
[0080] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3, the laser-driven light source 10 further includes one or more electrodes 16, which are used to excite the ionizable medium within the chamber 114 to ionize and form plasma. Specifically, similar to the previous method, incident light for maintaining plasma luminescence is first emitted; then, the ionizable medium is excited to ionize along the incident light path by discharging through one or more electrodes 16, thus forming plasma. Subsequently, the excited plasma can be maintained and emit light under the irradiation of the incident light, and the electrodes 16 do not need to operate during the process of maintaining plasma luminescence. Specifically, the laser-driven light source 10 may include two electrodes 16 arranged at a relative interval, with plasma formed in the gap between the two electrodes 16. A sealing structure is provided between the electrodes 16 and the housing 11 to ensure the airtightness of the housing 11.
[0081] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2, the incident light is modulated so that it directly excites the ionizable medium within the chamber 114 to ionize and form plasma, and the incident light is subsequently used to maintain the luminescence of the plasma. By using incident light to directly excite the ionizable medium, the need for ionization structures such as electrodes 16 in the laser-driven light source 10 is avoided, which simplifies the structure of the laser-driven light source 10 and enables its miniaturization.
[0082] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3, the laser-driven light source 10 further includes electrodes 16. Electrodes 16 are used to excite the ionizable medium within the chamber 114 to ionize and form plasma. Subsequently, incident light is used to maintain the plasma's luminescence. During the process of maintaining plasma luminescence, electrodes 16 do not need to operate, which helps ensure the efficiency of plasma formation by ionization of the ionizable medium. The laser-driven light source 10 may include two electrodes 16 arranged relatively apart. Plasma is formed in the space between the two electrodes 16, forming a luminescent point. A sealing structure exists between the electrodes 16 and the housing 11 to ensure the airtightness of the housing 11.
[0083] This application also provides an optical testing device, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The optical testing device includes a laser and a laser-driven light source 10 as described in any of the above embodiments. The laser is used to generate incident light, and the incident light is used to maintain plasma luminescence within the chamber 114 of the laser-driven light source 10.
[0084] Optical testing equipment includes ultraviolet-visible spectrometers, monochromators, filter / optical element testing equipment, atomic absorption spectrometers, material characteristic detection equipment, environmental analysis equipment, gas phase analysis and measurement equipment, optical sensor detection equipment, life science and biological imaging equipment, or thin film testing equipment, etc.
[0085] Optical testing equipment can also be used for semiconductor measurement, including optical critical dimension (OCD) measurement equipment, film thickness (THK) measurement equipment, surface topography measurement equipment, image-based overlay (IBO) measurement equipment, diffraction-based overlay (DBO) measurement equipment, or reticle measurement equipment, etc.
[0086] It is understood that the optical testing device in this embodiment has the laser-driven light source 10 in the above embodiments. Therefore, the optical testing device in this embodiment has all the technical effects of the laser-driven light source 10 in the above embodiments. Since the technical effects of the laser-driven light source 10 have been fully explained in the above embodiments, they will not be repeated here.
[0087] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A laser-driven light source, characterized in that, include: Housing, first light-transmitting component, and second light-transmitting component; The shell is made of a pressure-resistant and thermally conductive material. The pressure resistance of the shell material is greater than one atmosphere at room temperature, the thermal conductivity of the shell material is greater than 10, and the melting point of the shell material is greater than 200℃. The housing has a first through hole and a second through hole, and the first light-transmitting component and the second light-transmitting component are located in the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively. The housing, the first light-transmitting component, and the second light-transmitting component together form a sealed chamber. The spaces of the chambers are interconnected and are used to contain plasma. The first through-hole and the second through-hole both penetrate the housing and communicate with the chamber. The first through-hole is used to allow incident light to pass through, and the incident light is used to maintain the luminescence of the plasma. The second through-hole is used to allow outgoing light to pass through.
2. The laser-driven light source according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the shell includes one or a mixture of at least two of aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride; or the material of the shell includes one or a mixture / alloy of at least two of aluminum, copper, titanium, silver, and gold.
3. The laser-driven light source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first light-transmitting component includes a light-transmitting sheet and a sealing ring, the sealing ring being disposed around the first through hole and located between the light-transmitting sheet and the housing.
4. The laser-driven light source according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer wall of the housing has a first protrusion and a second protrusion connected together. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are both arranged around the first through hole. The second protrusion is located on the side of the first protrusion away from the outer wall of the housing. The inner diameter of the first protrusion is larger than the inner diameter of the second protrusion. The sealing ring abuts against the second protrusion and the outer wall of the housing. The light-transmitting sheet is fixed on the second protrusion.
5. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The conduction direction of the first through hole and the conduction direction of the second through hole form an angle.
6. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The housing also has a third through hole, which penetrates the housing and communicates with the chamber. In the incident direction of the incident light, at least part of the third through hole and the first through hole are arranged opposite to each other.
7. The laser-driven light source according to claim 6, characterized in that, The third through-hole allows light to pass through a wavelength wider than the first through-hole.
8. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The inner wall of the housing is provided with a light-absorbing element, which is used to absorb the incident light.
9. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The incident light illuminates the plasma to form a light-emitting point, and the inner wall of the housing is provided with a reflector, which is used to reflect the incident light to the light-emitting point.
10. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The interior of the shell has heat exchange channels for exchanging heat with the plasma.
11. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The chamber is used to contain an ionizable medium, which is used to ionize under the excitation of a powerful laser to form the plasma.
12. The laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The chamber is used to contain an ionizable medium, and the laser driving source further includes one or more electrodes, which are used to excite the ionizable medium to ionize and form the plasma.
13. An optical testing device, characterized in that, Includes a laser and a laser-driven light source according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the laser is used to generate incident light, and the incident light is used to maintain plasma luminescence within the cavity of the laser-driven light source.