Temperature Adjustment Apparatus with Peripheral Depressions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature changes in optical systems used in semiconductor and liquid crystal display manufacturing cause performance deterioration, and existing methods of blowing temperature-adjusted gas to reduce these changes often result in local temperature changes and optical performance degradation due to gas spreading orthogonally.
Innovation Solution
A temperature adjustment apparatus that uses a blowing unit with strategically designed opening portions to blow temperature-adjusted gas along the optical path, reducing local temperature changes and vibrations, and featuring a control unit to manage gas flow and temperature, ensuring minimal diffusion and maintaining optical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If temperature-adjusted gas is blown to the optical path to reduce temperature change, then the temperature stability of the optical path is improved, but the gas spreads orthogonally and causes local temperature changes in optical elements, deteriorating optical performance
Solution Approach 1:
The blowing unit is divided into multiple independent blowing holes instead of using a single opening. This segmentation allows the gas flow to be distributed across multiple points, reducing the spread in orthogonal directions and preventing localized temperature changes on optical elements while maintaining overall optical path temperature stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces peripheral depressions around each blowing hole to create localized flow control. These depressions modify the gas flow pattern at the local level, directing the flow more precisely along the optical path and preventing orthogonal spread that would affect optical elements differently across the optical system.
2Temperature
If gas is blown strongly to effectively adjust temperature, then temperature adjustment effectiveness is improved, but vibrations are increased, affecting measurement accuracy and optical performance
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the gas flow into multiple smaller streams through multiple blowing holes, the overall temperature adjustment effectiveness is maintained while reducing the intensity of any single gas jet. This segmentation minimizes vibrations caused by strong localized flows, thereby preserving measurement accuracy and optical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses multiple blowing holes with controlled flow rates that collectively provide sufficient temperature adjustment without requiring excessive flow strength from each individual hole. This partial action approach achieves the desired temperature control while avoiding the vibrations that would result from overly strong single-point gas blowing.
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 effectively adjusts the optical path temperature while minimizing local temperature changes and optical performance degradation, enhancing measurement accuracy and reducing vibrations caused by gas blowing.
Implementation Method 1
blowing gas from a blowing unit toward the periphery of the optical path of the measurement optical system
Implementation Method 2
the outer periphery shape of each of the opening portions has depressed portions... the gas is blown to an optical element in the optical system
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A temperature adjustment apparatus includes a blowing unit configured to blow a temperature-adjusted gas to an optical path of an optical system via an opening portion, wherein a shape of an outer periphery of the opening portion includes a depressed portion depressed inward from a circumscribed circle of the opening portion, wherein in a case where a position nearest to a center of the circumscribed circle in the depressed portion is any of an intersection point of two straight line portions, an intersection point of two curved line portions, and an intersection point of a straight line portion and a curved line portion, an angle at the intersection point inside the opening portion is 180 degrees or more.