A bipod flexure mount couples an optic to a base while isolating the optic from strain to resist wavefront error. The bipod flexure mount has a distal attachment pad to be coupled to the optic and a proximal attachment pad to be coupled to the base. A pair of beams extend between and couple the distal and proximal attachment pads. The distal attachment pad, the proximal attachment pad and the pair of beams are disposed in and define a planar layer with opposite planar surfaces that are substantially parallel. The bipod flexure mount is relatively flexible about four degrees of freedom and is relatively stiff about two degrees of freedom.

A method adjusts a first element of a lithography apparatus toward a second element of the lithography apparatus via a tunable spacer which is arranged between the first element and the second element. The method includes: determining an actual location of the first element; determining a nominal location of the first element; unloading the tunable spacer; adjusting a height of the tunable spacer to bring the first element from the actual location to the nominal location; and loading the tunable spacer.

Disclosed is an adjustable mirror mount that is capable of adjusting a mirror in two axes with a high degree of precision and low cross-coupling. Long horizontal and vertical adjustment arms are used to allow the precision adjustment about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis.

A method adjusts a first element of a lithography apparatus toward a second element of the lithography apparatus via a tunable spacer which is arranged between the first element and the second element. The method includes: determining an actual location of the first element; determining a nominal location of the first element; unloading the tunable spacer; adjusting a height of the tunable spacer to bring the first element from the actual location to the nominal location; and loading the tunable spacer.

A ruggedized adjustable mounting system is described for adjustably coupling and selectively locking a component supported in a fixture of the mount in a desired orientation. In some embodiments, the mounting system includes one or more kinematic couplings that support a fixture on a base and one or more adjustable couplings that are configured to adjust a separation distance between two opposing portions of the fixture and the base to selectively pivot the fixture about one or more axes of rotation.

Kinematic mounts are used frequently to hold objects such as mirrors, lenses, and other optical equipment. To adjust kinematic mounts, adjustment mechanisms are often required. Adjustment mechanisms can be used to make fine adjustments in applications where precision is required (e.g., laser system prototyping). Kinematic mounts that include never-before implemented form factors and structural elements require new adjustment solutions. This application describes systems that include both novel kinematic mounts as well as new adjustment mechanisms developed to reorient the new kinematic mounts. Adjustment mechanisms described in this application include a main body, a control frame, and control screws to adjust the orientation of the control frame. The control frame is coupled with a kinematic mount's housing, which rotates about a center of curvature of a bottom surface of the housing.

Kinematic mounts are used frequently to hold objects such as mirrors, lenses, and other optical equipment. To adjust kinematic mounts, adjustment mechanisms are often required. Adjustment mechanisms can be used to make fine adjustments in applications where precision is required (e.g., laser system prototyping). Kinematic mounts that include never-before implemented form factors and structural elements require new adjustment solutions, and those solutions are described in this application. Adjustment mechanisms described in this application include a main body, a control frame, and control screws to adjust the orientation of the control frame. The control frame is coupled with a kinematic mount's housing, which rotates about a center of curvature of a bottom surface of the housing.

An optical mount has a component support for an optical component, a clamp member and a frame. The frame has a component support interface that, when positioned against the component support, defines a first spherical curvature for pivoting the component support about a center of curvature. A clamping interface defines a second spherical curvature, concentric with the center of curvature of the component support interface, for pivoting the clamp member. A coupling is configured to urge the clamp member toward the component support against the frame.

A stabilizing locking clamp for a kinematic optical mount includes a clamp plate configured for optical access and a plurality of clamp actuators affixed to the clamp plate. The clamp actuators are positioned such that each clamp actuator exerts a force on a front plate of the kinematic optical mount in a push-push configuration. A stabilizing kinematic optical mount includes a kinematic optical mount and a plurality of clamp arms, each clamp arm including a clamp actuator positioned to exert a force on a front plate of the kinematic optical mount in a push-push configuration. The stabilizing locking clamp and stabilizing kinematic optical mount reduce temperature-dependent and vibration-induced changes in pitch and yaw, thereby improving pointing stability for optical setups that rely on critical beam alignment.

Disclosed herein is a laser apparatus including: a laser oscillator configured to generate a laser beam; a plurality of mirror mount assemblies each arranged in one of predetermined reference transmission steps, each of the mirror mount assemblies including: a mount-side reflective mirror configured to reflect and transmit the laser beam; and an aligner configured to change alignment of the mount-side reflective mirror to adjust a machining optical path through which the laser beam transmitted by the mount-side reflective mirror travels; a laser nozzle assembly including a laser nozzle configured to radiate the laser beam transmitted from the mirror mount assembly located in the last step of the reference transmission steps onto an object to be processed; a database configured to store big data constructed to include optical path adjustment data indicating a pattern of selective adjustment of the machining optical path by the mount-side reflective mirror linked with the aligner according to a driving method of the aligner; and a controller configured to correct, when distortion occurs in the machining optical path, the distortion of the machining optical path by selectively driving the aligner provided in each of at least one mirror mount assembly among the mirror mount assemblies based on the big data using a driving method according to a pattern of the distortion of the machining optical path.