Abstract: A modulating valve is described for controlling the flow of a working fluid through a flow orifice. The valve includes a encapsulated armature having a permanent magnet and a pair of soft iron pole pieces within its interior. The armature is axially movable by the passage of current through one or a dual pair of solenoid coils surrounding the armature. A thin webbed sealing disk is stretched over the end of an armature housing extension and acts to close or modulate flow of working fluid by varying the axial clearance between the disk and a stationary annular seat of the flow orifice. The armature is supported on flexure guide springs that allow armature axial motion when axial magnetic forces are applied to the armature. These axial forces are provided by the interaction of the solenoid coil(s) and the field of the permanent magnet.

Abstract: Wafer tray construction for use in a gas plasma reactor. A plurality of the trays are arranged in an array, with an overlap at the adjacent edges of the trays to prevent line-of-sight communication between the trays and ion bombardment of the support on which the trays are mounted. In one disclosed embodiment, the edges of the trays are configured to form the overlap, and in a second embodiment bars inserted between the trays cooperate with the edge portions to form the overlap.