Sealed Optical Pulse Stretcher With External Element Adjustment

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing optical pulse stretchers require opening the hermetically-sealed container to adjust optical elements, which is time-consuming, complex, and disrupts the controlled environment, making it difficult to perform accurate adjustments at high repetition rates.

Innovation Solution

An optical pulse stretcher apparatus with actuation devices that allow adjustment of optical elements through a hermetically-sealed container, using a mechanism external to the container to translate and rotate elements within the controlled environment without disrupting it, enabling high repetition rates and precise adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the hermetically-sealed container is opened to adjust optical elements, then the optical elements can be accessed and adjusted, but the controlled environment is disrupted and service time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadjustment accessibilityVSAvoidservice time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment mechanism is nested within the hermetically-sealed container structure, with the actuator extending through the wall. This allows the adjustment function to be integrated into the sealed environment without requiring opening the container, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and environment protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The actuator serves as an intermediary mechanism that transfers adjustment commands from outside the container to the optical elements inside. This mediator enables remote adjustment without direct access, eliminating the need to open the container and disrupt the controlled environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the hermetically-sealed container is opened to adjust optical elements, then the optical elements can be accessed, but the controlled environment is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadjustment accessibilityVSAvoidcontrolled environment stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment mechanism is nested within the hermetically-sealed container structure, with the actuator extending through the wall. This allows the adjustment function to be integrated into the sealed environment without requiring opening the container, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and environment protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The actuator serves as an intermediary mechanism that transfers adjustment commands from outside the container to the optical elements inside. This mediator enables remote adjustment without direct access, eliminating the need to open the container and disrupt the controlled environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If manual adjustment of optical elements is performed, then adjustments can be made, but the process is complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadjustment capabilityVSAvoidadjustment process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The actuator serves as an intermediary mechanism that transfers adjustment commands from outside the container to the optical elements inside. This mediator enables remote adjustment without direct access, eliminating the need to open the container and disrupt the controlled environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical adjustment process is replaced with an automated actuation system. The actuator provides precise mechanical movement through a controlled interface, substituting complex manual operations with a simpler, more reliable mechanical system that can be operated externally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250208404A1Optical pulse stretcher apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.06.26 CYMER INC

AI summary

An optical pulse stretcher apparatus includes: a hermetically-sealed container including one or more walls that define an interior cavity that is maintained, in operation, at a controlled environment, at least one wall having one or more windows, each window configured to pass one or more of a pulsed light beam and a stretched pulsed light beam; an optical stretcher arranged within the interior cavity and configured to receive a pulsed light beam and generate at least one stretched pulsed light beam; and one or more actuation devices. Each actuation device physically communicates with an optical element within the interior cavity and includes an adjustment mechanism external to the hermetically-sealed container. The adjustment mechanism enables adjustment of one or more physical properties of the optical element in physical communication with the actuation device without disrupting the controlled environment within the interior cavity.