Lens Support Device with Flexible Hinges for Optical Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-diameter lenses in semiconductor exposure apparatuses face challenges in maintaining optical quality due to deformation caused by their own gravity and clamping stress, which existing support mechanisms fail to adequately address, leading to suboptimal image-forming quality.
Innovation Solution
A support device with a main body featuring first and second support portions, where the first support portions provide rigid support and the second support portions offer flexible support, allowing for a decoupling relationship with a larger second height that transitions to a coupling relationship with a reduced height difference, minimizing lens surface deformation through spring forces generated by flexible hinges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a firmly fixed mechanism is applied to the large-diameter lens, then the lens is securely supported, but the lens surface deformation increases due to clamping stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the support mechanism from rigid fixed support to elastic support, transforming the support characteristics from rigid to flexible. This parameter change allows the support to adapt to the lens surface while reducing clamping stress-induced deformation, resolving the contradiction between support stability and lens surface precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite support structures combining rigid and elastic elements. The support device includes elastic support portions that can deform elastically to accommodate lens surface variations while maintaining overall support stability, thus reducing lens surface deformation without compromising support firmness
2Manufacturing precision
If the lens is supported without firm fixation, then the lens surface deformation is reduced, but the lens positioning accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the support parameter from rigid fixed to elastic deformable, enabling the support to maintain lens positioning accuracy through elastic recovery while reducing clamping-induced surface deformation. The elastic support portions can deform to accommodate positioning adjustments and then return to their original state, maintaining both positioning accuracy and surface precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic elastic support portions that can adaptively deform and recover, rather than static rigid support. This dynamic characteristic allows the support system to accommodate lens positioning requirements while minimizing deformation, as the elastic portions can adjust to the lens position and then maintain stable support
3Stress or pressure
If a semi-kinematic design with enlarged contact area is used, then the contact stress is reduced, but the support complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs elastic support portions that function as flexible elements to distribute contact stress over an enlarged area. These elastic portions naturally expand the contact area through their deformable nature, reducing contact stress without requiring complex multi-component support structures, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving stress reduction
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 support device effectively reduces lens surface deformation, maintaining optical quality by counteracting clamping forces and minimizing own-gravity deformation, suitable for large-diameter lenses with improved manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional designs.
Implementation Method 1
spring forces generated by flexible hinges
Implementation Method 2
flexible hinges
Implementation Method 3
own-gravity deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A support device for supporting a lens includes a support component. The support component includes a main body, a plurality of first support portions and a plurality of second support portions. Each of the plurality of first support portions is disposed on the main body, has a first support position thereon having a first height, and is configured to rigidly support the lens. Each of the plurality of second support portions is disposed on the main body, has a second support position thereon having a second height, and is configured to flexibly support the lens. When a configuration relationship between the support component and the lens becomes a decoupling relationship, the second height is larger than the first height. When the configuration relationship is changed to a coupling relationship, an absolute difference value between the first and the second heights is less than a threshold.