Monolithic Optical Mount Fold Flexure Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lens mounting methods for photolithography are impractical due to overconstraint, additive tolerance errors, and thermal issues, which hinder precise axial adjustment without unintended movement or rotation in high-resolution applications.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic optical mount using fold flexures with folds oriented in orthogonal and parallel planes, allowing single-axis translation while constraining motion and rotation orthogonal to the optical axis, fabricated from a single block of material to minimize mechanical stress and thermal effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional threaded fittings or sliding components are used for focus adjustment, then ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to additive and non-repeatable tolerance errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (inner member, outer member, flexures) into a monolithic structure fabricated from a single block of material. This eliminates the need for threaded fittings and sliding components, resolving the contradiction by achieving high positional accuracy through monolithic fabrication while maintaining ease of manufacture through single-block processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical adjustment mechanisms (threaded fittings, sliding components) with a flexure-based mechanism. The flexures provide precise, repeatable motion through elastic deformation rather than mechanical engagement, eliminating additive tolerance errors while maintaining manufacturability.
2Manufacturing precision
If stacked annuli lens assembly arrangement is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity worsens due to multiple interconnecting parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (inner member, outer member, flexures) into a single monolithic structure. This reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for multiple interconnecting parts while maintaining the precision of the stacked annuli arrangement through integrated flexure mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic structure is segmented into functional regions (inner member, outer member, flexures) that are defined during fabrication from the single block. This segmentation provides the necessary degrees of freedom and constraints without requiring separate parts, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If radial flexures are used for accurate axial positioning, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity worsens due to sizable part count
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple radial flexure components into a monolithic structure where the flexures are integral to the single block of material. This eliminates the need for separate flexure parts while maintaining accurate axial positioning through the flexure mechanism, resolving the contradiction between precision and part count.
4Ease of manufacture
If multiple interconnecting parts are used for axial translation adjustment, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability worsens due to additive tolerance errors and thermal issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple interconnecting parts into a single monolithic structure fabricated from one block of material. This eliminates interfaces between parts, removing the source of additive tolerance errors and thermal expansion mismatches, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manufacturability through single-block fabrication.
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 monolithic mount provides precise axial adjustment with reduced mechanical stress and thermal effects, simplifying machining and assembly, and ensuring purity of motion along the optical axis, suitable for high-precision photolithography and other optical applications.
Implementation Method 1
a first set of fold flexures extending from the inner member to the outer member, wherein each fold flexure in the first set has a fold that lies in a first plane that is orthogonal to the axis; a second set of fold flexures extending from the inner member to the outer member, wherein each fold flexure in the second set has a fold that lies in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane
Data Source
AI summary
A monolithic optical element mount has an inner member suspended within an outer member and movable with respect to the outer member along an axis. A first set of fold flexures extends from the inner member to the outer member, so that each fold flexure in the first set has a fold that lies on a tangent to a first circle lying in a first plane that is orthogonal to the axis. A second set of fold flexures extends from the inner member to the outer member, so that each fold flexure in the second set has a fold that lies on a tangent to a second circle lying in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane. With respect to a view taken along the axis, the folds for the first set do not align with the folds for the second set.