Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for filtering light in a thermal processing chamber

US5960158A · kind A · utility

64Cited by
197References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 11, 1997
Grant dateSep 28, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 11, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01J5/06
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and process for filtering light in a thermal processing chamber. In particular, the apparatus of the present invention includes a first spectral filter spaced apart from a second spectral filter. The first spectral filter is spaced apart from the second spectral filter so as to define a cooling fluid channel therebetween through which a cooling fluid can be circulated. In order to prevent thermal radiation being emitted by the light source from interfering with the operation of a radiation sensing device contained in the chamber, the first spectral filter absorbs most of the thermal radiation being emitted by the light source at the operating wavelength of the radiation sensing device. The second spectral filter, on the other hand, is substantially transparent to thermal radiation at the operating wavelength of the radiation sensing device. If desired, various reflective coatings made from dielectric materials can also be applied to selected surfaces of the spectral filters to further prevent unwanted thermal radiation from being detected by the radiation sensing device and for preventing the spectral filters from increasing in temp…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.