Laser Gas Purification with Constant-Volume Additive Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser gas used in laser-light generation devices, such as excimer lasers, contains trace concentrations of components like xenon that are difficult to control, leading to instability in laser output and the need for costly gas replacement.
Innovation Solution
A gas purification apparatus with a flow-rate control device, a constant-volume supply device, and a purifier is used to recover, analyze, and purify laser gas, allowing precise control of additive gas addition and re-purification to maintain optimal component concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If laser gas is purified and recycled, then operational costs are reduced and gas usage efficiency is improved, but the trace concentration of components like xenon becomes difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The gas purification apparatus is divided into multiple independent functional modules: a purifier for removing impurities, a constant-volume supply device for precise additive gas dosing, and a flow-rate control device for regulated gas flow. This segmentation allows each module to optimize its specific function, with the constant-volume supply device specifically addressing trace concentration control through discrete, quantifiable gas addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a gas analyzer that continuously monitors the composition of recovered gas and provides feedback to the control unit. This feedback mechanism enables real-time adjustment of the constant-volume supply device to maintain precise trace concentration levels of components like xenon, ensuring that purification and recycling operations maintain required gas composition specifications.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a conventional purification device is used, then impurity removal is achieved, but the addition of additive gas cannot be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The constant-volume supply device is designed to pre-charge a constant-volume portion with a precise amount of additive gas before injection into the recovered gas stream. This preliminary preparation ensures that the additive gas is dosed in predetermined, accurate quantities, enabling precise control over trace component concentrations before the gas enters the purification and recycling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The constant-volume supply device operates by discretely injecting additive gas at periodic intervals rather than continuous flow. Each injection cycle delivers a precisely controlled volume of additive gas, and the frequency of injections can be adjusted to achieve target concentration levels. This periodic action provides superior control precision compared to continuous addition methods.
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
The apparatus achieves excellent controllability in purifying laser gas, ensuring stable laser output, reducing the need for gas replacement, and lowering operational costs through efficient recycling and quality assurance of the recovered gas.
Implementation Method 1
a purifier provided downstream of the constant-volume supply device
Implementation Method 2
a purifier provided downstream of the constant-volume supply device
Implementation Method 3
a flow-rate control device that controls a flow rate of the recovered gas
Implementation Method 4
a constant-volume supply device that is provided downstream of the flow-rate control device and that supplies an additive gas
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(A)~3(D)
AI summary
Provided is a gas purification apparatus (100) capable of purifying, with excellent controllability, laser gas that is used in a laser-light generation device (1). The gas purification apparatus (100) purifies recovered gas recovered from the laser-light generation device (1) that uses the laser gas, and supplies the recovered gas that has been purified to the laser-light generation device (1). The gas purification apparatus (100) includes a flow-rate control device (MFC) that controls a flow rate of the recovered gas, a constant-volume supply device (15) that is provided downstream of the flow-rate control device (MFC) and that supplies an additive gas, and a purifier (16) provided downstream of the constant-volume supply device (15).