Thermal array system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A thermal system comprising:
- a plurality of thermal elements comprising a plurality of first thermal elements and a plurality of second thermal elements, wherein the plurality of first thermal elements and the plurality of second thermal elements form a plurality of parallel pairs, wherein each parallel pair has one first thermal element and one second thermal element connected in parallel;
a plurality of switches;
a positive power line;
a negative power line; and
a control system having a plurality of first power nodes having a first polarity and a plurality of second power nodes having a second polarity,wherein each parallel pair of first and second thermal elements is in electrical series with a first unidirectional circuit in forward bias and a second unidirectional circuit in reverse bias respectively, and the first and second thermal elements are connected between one of the plurality of the first power nodes and one of the plurality of the second power nodes, the first thermal element being activated and the second thermal element being deactivated by the first polarity of the one of the first power nodes relative to the one of the second power nodes, the first thermal element being deactivated and the second thermal element being activated by the second polarity of the one of the first power nodes relative to the one of the second power nodes, andwherein the control system controls the plurality of switches such that the positive power line can be routed to any one of the plurality of first and second power nodes and the negative power line can also be routed to a corresponding one of the plurality of second and first power nodes to control which pair of the first and second thermal elements receive power and which one of the first and second thermal elements is activated to generate heat.
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Abstract
A thermal array system is provided. The system includes a first thermal element and a second thermal element connected between a first node and a second node. The first thermal element being activated and the second thermal element being deactivated by a first polarity of the first node relative to the second node. Further, the first thermal element being deactivated and the second thermal element being activated by a second polarity of the first node relative to the second node.
70 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A thermal system comprising:
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a plurality of thermal elements comprising a plurality of first thermal elements and a plurality of second thermal elements, wherein the plurality of first thermal elements and the plurality of second thermal elements form a plurality of parallel pairs, wherein each parallel pair has one first thermal element and one second thermal element connected in parallel; a plurality of switches; a positive power line; a negative power line; and a control system having a plurality of first power nodes having a first polarity and a plurality of second power nodes having a second polarity, wherein each parallel pair of first and second thermal elements is in electrical series with a first unidirectional circuit in forward bias and a second unidirectional circuit in reverse bias respectively, and the first and second thermal elements are connected between one of the plurality of the first power nodes and one of the plurality of the second power nodes, the first thermal element being activated and the second thermal element being deactivated by the first polarity of the one of the first power nodes relative to the one of the second power nodes, the first thermal element being deactivated and the second thermal element being activated by the second polarity of the one of the first power nodes relative to the one of the second power nodes, and wherein the control system controls the plurality of switches such that the positive power line can be routed to any one of the plurality of first and second power nodes and the negative power line can also be routed to a corresponding one of the plurality of second and first power nodes to control which pair of the first and second thermal elements receive power and which one of the first and second thermal elements is activated to generate heat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A thermal system comprising:
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a plurality of thermal elements, comprising a plurality of first thermal elements and a plurality of second thermal elements, wherein the plurality of first thermal elements and the plurality of second thermal elements form a plurality of parallel pairs, wherein each parallel pair has one first thermal element and one second thermal element connected in parallel; a control system having a plurality of power nodes, wherein the first thermal element and the second thermal element of a parallel pair are connected between a first power node and a second power node, wherein each parallel pair of first and second thermal elements is in electrical series with a first unidirectional circuit in forward bias and a second unidirectional circuit in reverse bias respectively, and wherein the first thermal element is activated and the second thermal element is deactivated by a first polarity of the first node relative to the second node, and the first thermal element is deactivated and the second thermal element is activated by a second polarity of the first node relative to the second node.
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22. A thermal system comprising:
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a base plate; a base heater secured to the base plate; a substrate secured to the base heater; a tuning heater secured to the substrate, the tuning heater comprising a plurality of thermal elements, the plurality of thermal elements comprising a plurality of first thermal elements and a plurality of second thermal elements, wherein the plurality of first thermal elements and the plurality of second thermal elements form a plurality of parallel pairs, wherein each parallel pair has one first thermal element and one second thermal element connected in parallel, and each parallel pair of first and second thermal elements is in electrical series with a first unidirectional circuit in forward bias and a second unidirectional circuit in reverse bias respectively; a chuck secured to the tuning heater; and a control system having a plurality of power nodes, wherein the first thermal element and the second thermal element of a parallel pair are connected between a first power node and a second power node, and wherein the first thermal element is activated and the second thermal element is deactivated by a first polarity of the first node relative to the second node, the first thermal element is deactivated and the second thermal element is activated by a second polarity of the first node relative to the second node.
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Specification