Protective Optic with Wetting Surface for Laser Bond Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser bond inspection processes produce debris and effluent backscatter that contaminate optical components, leading to potential damage from absorbed laser radiation, necessitating a solution to protect these components.
Innovation Solution
A protective optic with enhanced surface wetting capabilities is introduced, featuring a central portion to transmit laser beams and a frosted region to support a transparent liquid, which retains effluent backscatter and debris, while allowing the laser beam to pass through, and includes evacuation ports for removing the liquid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective optic is introduced to prevent debris accumulation, then optical component protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A protective optic with wetting-enhanced surface is introduced as an intermediary component between the laser beam delivery system and the workpiece. This protective optic captures and retains effluent backscatter and debris on its wetted surface, preventing contamination of downstream optical components while maintaining laser beam transmission through its central portion.
2Reliability
If a transparent liquid is used to retain effluent backscatter, then optical component protection is improved, but loss of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective optic's wetting-enhanced surface enables the transparent liquid to automatically spread and form a uniform film that self-retains effluent backscatter and debris through capillary action and surface tension, eliminating the need for additional active retention mechanisms and reducing liquid consumption.
3Productivity
If the protective optic transmits laser beam through central portion, then inspection functionality is maintained, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective optic features localized functional zones: a central portion with high transmission quality for laser beam passage and a peripheral wetting-enhanced surface for debris retention. This local differentiation allows each region to be optimized independently, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining inspection functionality.
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 protective optic effectively prevents debris and backscatter from accumulating on optical components, ensuring their protection during the laser bond inspection process and allowing for flexible orientations of the inspection head.
Implementation Method 1
the first surface comprising an optic surface wetting enhancement modification such that the first surface is configured to support a transparent liquid on the first surface which is effective to retain the effluent backscatter and the debris
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for the protection of optical components used during laser bond inspection. In one embodiment, an optic surface wetting enhancement is provided on a protective optic to assist in forming a substantially flat film of transparent liquid from transparent liquid applied to a surface of a protective optic. A flat film of transparent liquid on a surface of a protective optic may be used to retain debris and effluent backscatter produced during a laser bond inspection process.