Purging light beam paths in optical equipment

US7016039B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Hinds Instruments, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Andrew O. Breninger · Hillsboro, US
• Christopher O. Griffiths · Beaverton, US
• Douglas C. Mark · Tigard, US
• Artemiy Mikheyev · Beaverton, US
• Baoliang Wang · Shanghai, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 10, 2003
• Grant date: Mar 21, 2006
• Expiry date: Aug 2, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70933
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Purging of a light beam path in an effective manner that minimizes the affect of the purging requirement on system throughput. In one embodiment, the invention is incorporated into a birefringence measurement system that has several components for directing light through a sample optical element and thereafter detecting and analyzing the light. The segment of the beam path through the sample is isolated to reduce the volume that requires continual purging.