Interferometric Temperature Monitoring for Room-Temperature Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote temperature measurement techniques, such as pyrometry, are inaccurate near or below room temperatures, sensitive to stray radiation, and require extensive calibration, making them inadequate for precise temperature monitoring in manufacturing systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of interferometry-based temperature monitoring systems, which direct incident light to a sample and detect interference patterns to determine temperature changes, providing accurate and precise temperature measurements without the need for extensive calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pyrometry is used for remote temperature measurement, then non-contact measurement is achieved, but measurement precision deteriorates at room temperatures and below
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pyrometric measurement (which relies on thermal radiation detection) with interferometric measurement (which relies on optical path length changes). The interferometry system uses laser light interference patterns to detect temperature-induced changes in the sample's physical dimensions or refractive index, providing accurate measurements at room temperature and below where pyrometry fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from thermal radiation intensity (pyrometry) to optical path length or phase shift (interferometry). By measuring the change in optical path length caused by temperature variations rather than measuring thermal radiation, the system achieves high precision across a wide temperature range including room temperature and below.
2Measurement precision
If pyrometry is used for temperature measurement, then remote measurement capability is provided, but sensitivity to stray radiation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pyrometric detection system (sensitive to all thermal radiation including stray radiation) with an interferometric detection system using coherent laser light. The interferometry technique measures phase shifts in specific laser wavelengths, making it inherently less sensitive to stray radiation and environmental thermal interference.
3Measurement precision
If pyrometry is used for temperature measurement, then remote measurement is achieved, but calibration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex pyrometric calibration procedures with simpler interferometric measurements. The interferometry system measures direct physical changes (path length, phase) that can be related to temperature through well-defined physical relationships, reducing the need for extensive empirical calibration compared to pyrometry.
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 approach enables accurate temperature monitoring with high precision, capable of detecting temperature changes of fractions of a degree Celsius, thus ensuring the quality and consistency of materials processed in manufacturing systems.
Implementation Method 1
detecting a plurality of interference patterns (IPs) associated with a light departing from the sample and generated upon interaction of the incident light with the sample
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed systems and techniques are directed to interferometry-based temperature monitoring of various operations performed in manufacturing systems. For example, the disclosed techniques include directing an incident light to a sample and detecting a plurality of interference patterns (IPs) associated with a light departing from the sample. The light departing from the sample can be generated upon interaction of the incident light with the sample. Each IP of the plurality of IPs can be associated with a respective temperature of a plurality of temperatures of the sample. The techniques further include determining, using the plurality of IPs, a temperature difference between a first temperature of the plurality of temperatures and a second temperature of the plurality of temperatures.