Compartmental fast thermal cycler
First Claim
1. A thermal cycling system for repetitively thermal cycling a device, the system comprising,a hot compartment for heating the device, a first heater for heating the device in the hot compartment, a cold compartment for cooling the device, a cooler for cooling the device in the cold compartment, a second heater for heating the device in the cold compartment for reducing thermal gradients across the device during cooling, an aperture between the hot compartment and the cold compartment, and a motor for repetitively transporting the device between the hot and cold compartments.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fast thermal cycler has a temperature chamber divided into a top, hot compartment heated by heating lamps and a bottom cold compartment cooled by liquid nitrogen, for optimizing thermal cycling rates for devices under test, such as solar cells, for rapid thermal life testing where both compartments use pressurized gaseous nitrogen for thermal conduction and regulation and a motor drive repetitively transports a test device mounted on a panel transiting between the two compartments. The thermal cycler is enhanced by computer control, enabling in-situ electrical testing, fail-safe heating, precision temperature heating and cooling phases, operator alerting and thermal gradient control during the temperature cycling.
50 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A thermal cycling system for repetitively thermal cycling a device, the system comprising,
a hot compartment for heating the device, a first heater for heating the device in the hot compartment, a cold compartment for cooling the device, a cooler for cooling the device in the cold compartment, a second heater for heating the device in the cold compartment for reducing thermal gradients across the device during cooling, an aperture between the hot compartment and the cold compartment, and a motor for repetitively transporting the device between the hot and cold compartments.
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3. A thermal cycling system for repetitively thermal cycling a device, the system comprising,
a plurality of temperature sensors for sensing temperatures across the device, a hot compartment for heating the device, a plurality of heaters for heating the device in the hot compartment to a hot temperature, a cold compartment for cooling the device, a cooler for cooling the cold compartment to a cold temperature, a heater disposed under the device for heating the device in the cold compartment for reducing thermal gradients across the device during cooling, an aperture between the hot compartment and the cold compartment, a motor for repetitively transporting the device between the hot and cold compartment, and a controller for sensing the temperatures and controlling the heaters to a predetermined hot temperature when the device is in the hot compartment and for controlling the cooler to a predetermined cold temperature when the device is in the cold compartment.
Specification