Protecting a vacuum environment from leakage

US9807861B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TRUMPF LASER- UND SYSTEMTECHNIK GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Andreas Enzmann · Villingen-Schwenningen, DE
• Bjoern Volz · Ludwigsburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 10, 2016
• Grant date: Oct 31, 2017
• Expiry date: Aug 10, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/2232
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for protecting a vacuum environment from leakage are provided. The devices include an optical component for gas-tight closure of the vacuum environment, a retention device configured to retain the optical component and including a cooling region separated from the vacuum environment in a gas-tight manner and configured to receive a cooling medium to cool the optical component, a first part-region of the optical component being arranged in the cooling region, and a reduced-pressure region configured to have a reduced pressure and separated in a gas-tight manner from the vacuum environment and from the cooling region, a second part-region of the optical component being arranged in the reduced-pressure region, and a detector configured to detect a leakage in the optical component when the cooling medium flows from the cooling region into at least one of the reduced-pressure region or the vacuum environment.