Beam Cropping System for Adjustable Radiation Spot Size Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aerosol producing apparatuses face limitations in adjusting the spot size of radiation pulses to produce aerosol plumes of varying sizes for bulk and spatial compositional analyses, as they rely on aperture wheels with size and number constraints, which restrict precise control over the amount of material removed from the target material.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a beam cropping system with a first and second beam cropper, each capable of incrementally adjusting the spot size of radiation pulses over specific ranges, using diaphragms with adjustable apertures to produce aerosol plumes of desired sizes, allowing for precise control over the amount of material ablated from the target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an aperture wheel with fixed apertures is used to adjust spot size, then the number of discrete spot sizes is limited by the wheel size and apparatus constraints, but the device complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The beam cropping system is divided into multiple beam croppers (first beam cropper, second beam cropper, etc.), each capable of independently adjusting the spot size within a specific range. This segmentation allows the system to achieve a broader overall adjustment range and finer control resolution without requiring a single complex aperture wheel with numerous apertures.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using fixed apertures on a rotating wheel, the invention employs dynamically adjustable beam croppers that can continuously or incrementally modify the spot size. Each beam cropper includes adjustable elements (such as movable diaphragms or adjustable aperture masks) that allow real-time control of the radiation beam cross-section, providing flexible and precise spot size adjustment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single beam cropper is used to adjust spot size, then the adjustment range is limited, but the device complexity is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The beam cropping function is segmented across multiple beam croppers arranged in series along the beam path. Each beam cropper handles a specific portion of the adjustment range, and their combined effect provides a broad overall adjustment range. For example, the first beam cropper may adjust the spot size from 100 μm to 500 μm, while the second beam cropper further adjusts from 50 μm to 250 μm, achieving a comprehensive coverage without requiring one extremely complex adjustable element.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple beam croppers are arranged in a nested configuration where the output of one beam cropper serves as the input to the next. This nested arrangement allows each beam cropper to operate within its optimal adjustment range while contributing to the overall spot size control, effectively multiplying the total adjustment capability without linearly increasing system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed aperture sizes are used in the aperture wheel, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the adaptability to produce different aerosol plume sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The beam croppers employ dynamically adjustable aperture mechanisms that allow continuous or incremental modification of the spot size, replacing fixed apertures with movable or variable elements. This dynamic capability enables precise control over the aerosol plume size while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled adjustment mechanisms rather than relying solely on pre-fabricated fixed apertures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of the beam cropping elements, such as the position of movable diaphragms or the effective aperture size, to achieve different spot sizes. By adjusting these parameters continuously or in controlled increments, the system provides versatile aerosol plume size control while maintaining precision through controlled parameter variation rather than discrete fixed apertures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the production of aerosol plumes with adjustable spot sizes, facilitating both bulk and spatial compositional analyses by varying the amount of material removed, enhancing the precision and effectiveness of compositional analysis techniques.
Implementation Method 1
A conventional aerosol producing apparatus can produce an aerosol by directing a radiation pulse having a fluence sufficient to ablate a portion of the target material. The ablated material is typically ejected from the bulk of the target material in the form of an aerosol plume.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus can include a first beam cropper configured to crop a portion of a radiation pulse having a first spot size to form an intermediate cropped radiation pulse having an intermediate cropped spot with an intermediate cropped spot size less than the first spot size; and a second beam cropper configured to crop the intermediate cropped spot to form a second cropped radiation pulse having a second cropped spot with a second cropped spot size less the intermediate cropped spot size.