Nikon Corporation

Leland Stanford Junior University

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

John K Eaton

Andrew J Hazelton

Michael R Sogard

Yuji Saito

Juan G Santiago

Friedrich B Prinz

Naoyuki Kobayashi

Kyoichi Suwa

Jun Sasahara

Tadahiro Kubota

Kin Pong Lo

Tibor Fabian

Christopher Elkins

Suk-Won Cha

Hideaki Tsuru

Tristan M Burton

Jonathan Posner

Claude Matalanis

Debjit Mukerji

Cullen Buie

Daejoogn Kim

A diffuser () expanding a gas flow (F) upstream of a heat recovery steam generator () of a combined cycle power plant (). An outer wall () of the diffuser includes a smoothly lofted backward facing step () effective to fix a location of a flow recirculation bubble () under conditions conducive to flow separation. The step has a varying step height (H, H) about a circumference of the step edge (). The varying step height segments the recirculation bubble into small cells () located downstream of each peak () of the step height and reducing a reattachment length (L) of the bubble, thereby facilitating a reduction of the overall length of the diffuser.

Diffuser with backward facing step having varying step height

Water flooding at the cathode of a fuel cell is a common problem in fuel cells. By integrating an electroosmotic (EO) pump to remove product water from the cathode area, fuel cell power can be increased. Integration of EO pumps transforms the designs of air channel and air breathing cathodes, reducing air pumping power loads and increasing oxidant transport. Hydration of gas streams, management of liquid reactants, and oxidant delivery can also be accomplished with integrated electroosmotic pumps. Electroosmotic pumps have no moving parts, can be integrated as a layer of the fuel cell, and scale with centimeter to micron scale fuel cells.

Fuel cell with electroosmotic pump

A wake vortex alleviator is provided. The wake vortex alleviator produces rapid variations in the position of vortices emanating from aerodynamic surfaces by using an active flap that moves span-wise back and forth along the outboard section of the surface. Rapidly moving the flap back and forth in a slot at an appropriate frequency will cause the vortex to oscillate, resulting in interaction between other vortices and subsequent destruction much earlier than it would occur naturally. The slot is positioned near the aerodynamic surface trailing edge and generally transverse to a chord line of the aerodynamic surface. The flap can be moved using a variety of actuators to position, translate and stow the flap. The oscillation frequency and position are guided by information feedback according variations in lift in the aerodynamic surface, such as wind gusts. The flaps can control yaw, roll and pitch of the aerodynamic surface.

Translating active Gurney flap to alleviate aircraft wake vortex hazard

A system and method of cooling motors of a lithographic tool. The system includes a temperature-adjusting device which adjusts the temperature of a heat transfer fluid to a boiling temperature that is substantially equal to the desired motor housing temperature. The system further includes a fixed or adjustable pressure device which adjusts the pressure of the heat transfer fluid to a predetermined level to maintain the boiling temperature. The boiling temperature remains substantially constant as the heat generated by the motor is absorbed by the heat transfer fluid. A pump pumps the heat transfer fluid through the temperature adjusting device, the pressure device and the motor. The system functions as a closed-looped system with the addition of a condenser/heat exchanger.

System and method for cooling motors of a lithographic tool

A method for determining the flow of a fluid () in a gap () between a pad () and a substrate () includes the step of utilizing a hybrid Navier-Stokes/lubrication formulation to calculate the flow of the fluid () in the gap () at a plurality of time steps. The gap () can be divided into a plurality of elements (). The hybrid Navier-Stokes/lubrication formulation can be used to calculate the fluid flow and the pressure of the fluid () at each element () at the plurality of time steps. Additionally, a method for tracking and estimating the composition of the fluid () at various locations in the gap () and a material removal rate model that attempts to account for the effects of the fluid flow in the gap (), the hydrostatic pressure in the gap () and the composition of the fluid () in the gap () are provided herein.

Method for simulating slurry flow for a grooved polishing pad

An outer wall temperature of an enclosure containing a heat source, such as a coil array of a linear or planar motor, e.g. for driving a photolithography wafer positioning stage, is controlled by an insulating coolant flow in an intermediate channel. Laminar flow provides a thermal boundary layer having a thickness smaller than the channel height, which minimizes heat transfer, thereby effectively 'insulating' the outer wall from the heat source. Excess heat is removed by turbulent coolant flow in a second channel. The two channels can be connected in series. Variations provide cooling of two-sided heat sources. To support the outer wall, posts extend through openings in the channel walls and are attached to a base plate. An insulating barrier surrounds each post in the turbulent flow channel, thereby minimizing heat transfer to the posts. To minimize turbulence in the insulating flow channel, the post has an airfoil shape.

Cooling system for a linear or planar motor

A local air duct directs a temperature-controlled stream of air across two perpendicular sets of interferometer beams which are used to measure the two dimension (X-Y) position of a precision stage in e.g. an optical lithography stepper or step and scan system, or in any other precision coordinate measuring machine. By thereby providing an additional single air flow which is azimuthally directed across both the X and Y direction interferometer beams, the precision of the interferometric measurement is maximized. In addition, a second flow of air is directed downwards from the local air duct, thus providing sufficient air circulation onto the stage when the stage is directly beneath the local duct, even though in that location the stage is otherwise blocked from receiving the main air flow through the chamber.

Precision stage interferometer system with local single air duct

Growing community of inventors

Stanford, CA, United States of America

John K Eaton