Apparatus and method for cross-flow purge for optical components in a chamber

• Main Authors: Delgado Gildardo, Hennigan Daniel R, Rose Garry, Larson H. Steven
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.05.2017
• Subjects: CLEANING; CLEANING IN GENERAL; CONVEYING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL; STORING; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

An apparatus for cross-flow purging for optical components in a chamber, including: a housing with first and second axial ends, a side wall extending in an axial direction and connecting the first and second axial ends, and the chamber formed by the first and second axial ends and the side wall; an optical component disposed within the chamber and fixed with respect to the housing via at least one connecting point on the optical component; an inlet port aligned with the side wall, between the first and second axial ends in the axial direction, in a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction and arranged to inject a purge gas into the chamber and across the optical component in a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction; and an exhaust port aligned with the side wall in the radial direction and arranged to exhaust the purge gas from the chamber.