Abstract: A caster wheel assembly includes a vertical axis brake and barrier-traversing member. The caster shaft housing contains a stator surface adjacent the caster wheel assembly. The barrier-traversing member with barrier contact surface is biasedly fastened to the caster wheel assembly. A brake pad member is attached to the barrier-traversing member opposite the barrier contact surface and adjacent the stator surface. In operation, the moving caster wheel assembly first contacts an obstacle with the barrier contact surface of the barrier-traversing member. The encountered obstacle elevates the barrier-traversing member and attached brake pad member into contact with the stator surface of the caster shaft housing, thereby restraining rotation of the caster wheel assembly. Then, further forward movement of the rotation-restrained caster wheel assembly allows the barrier-traversing member to elevate the caster wheel, transfer load to the caster wheel, and thereby more easily traverse the obstacle.

Abstract: A caster wheel assembly includes a vertical axis brake and barrier-traversing member. The caster shaft housing contains a vertically movable element with stator surface adjacent the caster wheel assembly. The barrier-traversing member with barrier contact surface is fastened to the caster wheel assembly. A braking surface member is attached to the barrier-traversing member opposite the barrier contact surface and adjacent the stator surface. In operation, the moving caster wheel assembly first contacts an obstacle with the barrier contact surface of the barrier-traversing member. The obstacle elevates the barrier-traversing member and attached braking surface member into contact with the vertically movable element of the stator surface of the caster shaft housing, thereby restraining rotation of the caster wheel assembly.

Abstract: A caster wheel assembly includes a vertical axis brake and barrier-traversing member. The caster shaft housing contains a stator surface adjacent the caster wheel assembly. The barrier-traversing member with barrier contact surface is biasedly fastened to the caster wheel assembly. A braking surface member is attached to the barrier-traversing member opposite the barrier contact surface and adjacent the stator surface. In operation, the moving caster wheel assembly first contacts an obstacle with the barrier contact surface of the barrier-traversing member. The encountered obstacle elevates the barrier-traversing member and attached braking surface member into contact with the stator surface of the caster shaft housing, thereby restraining rotation of the caster wheel assembly. Then, further forward movement of the rotation-restrained caster wheel assembly allows the barrier-traversing member to elevate the caster wheel, transfer load to the caster wheel, and thereby more easily traverse the obstacle.

Abstract: A ball and socket joint providing longevity especially suitable for use in implants in human bodies. The ball is designed to incorporate specified strength, hardness, and smoothness characteristics. The socket has a cooperating bearing surface which is less hard than that of the ball. This combination of characteristics lead to maximal mutual bearing contact which minimizes local friction and abrasion. Both components are biologically inert. One component is hydrophilic. The ball is preferably formed from a ceramic, such as a metal or silicon oxide or carbide. The socket preferably has a noble metal alloy liner partially surrounding the ball. The socket further includes an insulator isolating the liner from the socket structural member, should the latter be formed from a different metal. The liner can be formed in complementary segments to avoid fracture or splitting. The liner is either mechanically entrapped by the socket structural member or is adhered thereto.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus is provided with a support mechanism upon which X and Y axis interferometers are mounted within a vacuum chamber. By employing a flat ring of a low coefficient of thermal expansion glass ceramic composition affixed beneath the chamber upper wall and to which the interferometers are mounted, the normal extremes of vacuum and heat as existing within the chamber are resisted to insure of a fixed horizontal alignment of the beams as projected by the interferometers during operation of the apparatus. Flexure mounts are included for the interferometer ring together with a magnetic shield disposed adjacent the ring undersurface. Stability of workpieces is further enhanced by the use of the same glass ceramic composition in the formation of the carrier and its reference plate of the apparatus.

Abstract: A medical device having a regular or irregular shape is sterilized in a sterilizing apparatus comprising a means for moveably supporting the medical device, and a electrode having an anode tip at one end thereof which is positioned to form a gap with a predetermined length between the anode tip and the medical device. To sterilize a portion of an outer surface of the medical device at the anode tip of the electrode, predetermined first and second voltages are applied to the anode tip and the medical device, respectively. The voltage and current applied to the anode tip and the medical device are raised to predetermined values to provide a voltage differential across the gap to form a glow discharge adjacent the outer surface of the medical device for sterilizing the outer surface of the medical device.

Abstract: Conventional alignment procedures in electron beam (e-beam) direct write systems typically use an e-beam exposure tool as a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to imagine wafer alignment marks. However, electrical charging of the wafer surface by the electron beam can typically result in image distortions which generally can lead to alignment inaccuracies. The inventive method and apparatus advantageously overcome the alignment inaccuracies associated with the charging effects, by optically aligning the wafer to a reference axis of the electron beam. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, light is focused on a diffraction grating on the wafer, used as an alignment mark, and the diffracted light is spatially filtered and detected. Spatially filtering the diffracted light, eliminating the 0th order of the diffracted light, provides increased depth of focus.

Abstract: An X-ray mask for manufacturing chips is produced by forming an X-ray transparent semiconductor membrane with gaps and including X-ray transparent material in the gaps. In one embodiment the opaque material is formed by sputtering Pt onto the semiconductor material to form Pt silicides in the gaps. In another embodiment the semiconductor material is exposed to W in a silane mixture and the W replaces the semiconductor material so that the W projects into the material.

Abstract: In the disclosed method, an X-ray mask is made by forming a semiconductor wafer having a first coefficient of expansion, doping a surface of the wafer, metallizing the wafer, metallizing a washer shaped ring having a lower coefficient of expansion, bonding the ring to the doped surface at the periphery of the wafer at or above room temperature, and processing the wafer by removing the undoped substrate and depositing metallic material on the wafer.

Abstract: A nozzle structure in a crystallographically oriented, monocrystalline silicon includes a pyramidal opening anisotropically etched from the entrance side of the nozzle and truncated in a membrane having a smaller cross-section than the initial cross-section of the entrance opening. The membrane has extending therethrough a pyramidal opening etched anisotropically from the exit side. The vertical axes of both openings are substantially concentric.

Abstract: An integrated circuit 14 having an active circuit 19 is formed on a circuit wafer 10. A moat 18 in the field oxide 20 surrounds the active circuit 19. Metallic conductor 30 passes from a location on the active circuit 19 over the moat 18 to a contact area 22. The wafer 10 is covered with a photoshaped silicon nitride layer 18, and a support wafer 40 is secured with adhesive 46 to the circuit side of the circuit wafer 10. The circuit wafer 10 is photoshaped to expose the metallic conductor 30 at the contact area 22, and the contact area 22 is prepared with multiple metal layers 62, 66, 70 for connection to external wiring.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a device in a wafer with a P-type semiconductor, includes forming on a surface of the semiconductor body a layer of silicon dioxide doped with an N-type dopant. The portion of the doped silicon dioxide covering the interconnect work site area is removed and a masking layer of an oxidation impervious medium is formed over the wafer and thereafter removed from the field areas, as is the doped silicon dioxide layer. A thin layer of gate oxide is formed over the field areas. A layer of conductive polysilicon is formed over the entire wafer followed by a layer of oxygen impervious masking medium. The conductive polysilicon and masking medium layers are removed from all areas of the wafer except those whereat transistors are to be formed. The wafer is exposed to an oxidizing environment under an elevated temperature producing a field oxide over the exposed gate oxide.