Thermo-mechanical actuator
US-12117739-B2 · Oct 15, 2024 · US
US9752807B2 · US · B2
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Publication number | US-9752807-B2 |
| Application number | US-201414773120-A |
| Country | US |
| Kind code | B2 |
| Filing date | Feb 18, 2014 |
| Priority date | Mar 15, 2013 |
| Publication date | Sep 5, 2017 |
| Grant date | Sep 5, 2017 |
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Disclosed is a reflector apparatus comprising a reflector and an array of thermoelectric heat pumps each having a first end proximal to and in thermal contact with the reflector and having a second end distal from the reflector, a lithography tool having such a reflector apparatus, and a method of using the same.
Opening claim text (preview).
The invention claimed is: 1. A reflector apparatus comprising: a reflector and an array of thermoelectric heat pumps, wherein each thermoelectric heat pump is electrically insulated from another and comprises a first and a second semiconductor block and an electrical insulation layer disposed between the first and second semiconductor blocks; and a controller configured to independently control each thermoelectric heat pump of the array of thermoelectric heat pumps, whereby the controller is configured to determine a temperature of the reflector from a voltage measured across at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps. 2. The reflector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a supply voltage applied across the thermoelectric heat pumps. 3. The reflector apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a power source configured to supply a supply voltage across the thermoelectric heat pumps. 4. The reflector apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to alternatingly apply the supply voltage to at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps in order to heat or cool the reflector and disconnect the at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps from the supply voltage to enable a measurement of the voltage across the at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps. 5. The reflector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to periodically determine the temperature of the reflector from the voltage measured across the at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps. 6. The reflector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to use feed-forward correction to control the thermoelectric heat pumps. 7. The reflector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to use feed-back correction to control the thermoelectric heat pumps. 8. The reflector apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the feed-back correction is based on the determined temperature of the reflector. 9. The reflector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor block is positively doped and the second semiconductor block is negatively doped. 10. The reflector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of thermoelectric heat pumps is a two-dimensional array. 11. The reflector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric heat pumps are individually controllable. 12. The reflector apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a wavefront of radiation reflected by the reflector, by maintaining a temperature difference between mirror areas connected to adjacent thermoelectric heat pumps. 13. The reflector apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain a substantially equal temperature across the reflector using the thermoelectric heat pumps. 14. The reflector apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to reverse the polarity of current supplied to the thermoelectric heat pumps if radiation ceases to be incident upon the reflector. 15. A laser or beam delivery system comprising the reflector of claim 1 . 16. A lithographic apparatus comprising: an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and a projection system configured to project the radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, wherein a reflector of the illumination system or the projection system is a reflector apparatus according to claim 1 . 17. A method of controlling the temperature of a reflector, the method comprising: supplying power to an array of thermoelectric heat pumps, wherein each thermoelectric heat pump is electrically insulated from another and comprises a first and a second semiconductor block and an electrical insulation layer disposed between the first and second semiconductor blocks, the power supplied to the array of thermoelectric heat pumps causing the thermoelectric heat pumps to remove heat from or transfer heat to the reflector; independently controlling each thermoelectric heat pump of the array of thermoelectric heat pumps; and determining a temperature of the reflector from a voltage measured across at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps. 18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a temperature difference is maintained between mirror areas connected to adjacent thermoelectric heat pumps, thereby adjusting a wavefront of radiation reflected by the reflector. 19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the spatial intensity of the radiation is adjusted to more closely correspond to a distribution of fuel upon which the radiation is incident. 20. A support for supporting an object, the support comprising; a support surface configured to receive the object, the support further comprising: an array of thermoelectric heat pumps, wherein each thermoelectric heat pump is electrically insulated from another and comprises a first and a second semiconductor block and an electrical insulation layer disposed between the first and second semiconductor blocks; and a controller configured to independently control each thermoelectric heat pump of the array of thermoelectric heat pumps, whereby the controller is configured to, in use, determine a temperature of the object from a voltage measured across at least one of the thermoelectric heat pumps.
Temperature · CPC title
reversible · CPC title
with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title
Electricity · mapped topic
Electricity · mapped topic
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