Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for vibration isolation and cancellation, especially but not exclusively suited for a damper in wafer-chip production equipment. Active vibration isolation and cancellation technology (or air mount technology) for chip production equipment needs to become more effective with the advancement of the production of chips that require ever-smaller features. Typically, actuators and sensors in an active isolation/cancellation system are frequently used but not optimized in their technology. By integrating the actuators and the sensors together certain performance limitations become negligible and can be discarded. The resulting damper can be of an absolute or of a relative damper type. The performance of a vibration isolation and cancellation system and its limitations can be described using gain and phase relations from the control theory. A damper that uses the proposed system is of a so-called absolute damper type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for vibration isolation and cancellation, especially but not exclusively suited for a damper in wafer-chip production equipment. Active vibration isolation and cancellation technology (or air mount technology) for chip production equipment needs to become more effective with the advancement of the production of chips that require ever-smaller features. Typically, actuators and sensors in an active isolation/cancellation system are frequently used but not optimized in their technology. By integrating the actuators and the sensors together certain performance limitations become negligible and can be discarded. The resulting damper can be of an absolute or of a relative damper type. The performance of a vibration isolation and cancellation system and its limitations can be described using gain and phase relations from the control theory. A damper that uses the proposed system is of a so-called absolute damper type.

Abstract: A robotic controller or similar machine represents the shape of an object as a hierarchy of bubbles. The position and radius of each of the bubbles is determined by first calculating the coordinates of the medial axis of the object and then creating a hierarchy of bubbles all of which are disposed on the medial axis. The bubbles may be generated using a top-down algorithm which sequentially places bubbles around portions of the object represented by sub-divisions of branches of the medial axis. Alternatively the bubbles may be placed by using a bottom-up algorithm which combines the smallest of a large number of bubbles centered on the medial axis with its smallest neighbor to generate successively higher level bubbles in the hierarchy.

Abstract: A motion damper (1) with a first part (3) and a second part (5) which are mutually displaceable parallel to a damping direction (X). The first part (3) including a permanent magnet system (35), and the second part (5) including an electric actuator coil (25) which is positioned in the magnetic field of the magnet system (35). According to the invention, the motion damper (1) including an electrical amplifier (53) for amplifying an electric current generated in the actuator coil (25) under the influence of a movement of the actuator coil (25) in the magnetic field of the magnet system (35). Since the electric current is amplified, the interaction between the electric current and the magnetic field of the magnet system (35) provides a sufficient electromagnetic damping force with a substantially ideal linear damping characteristic.

Abstract: A separate user frame of reference is provided for the operator of an electron beam microscope to use in generating position and tilt commands for a motorized goniometer, rather than requiring that the operator input position and tilt commands to the motorized goniometer in the same frame of reference used by the goniometer to implement position and tilt changes. The electron beam image observed by the operator on a display screen furthermore forms the separate user frame of reference in order to make control of the specimen by the operator intuitive. Since the operator observes the user frame of reference and generates position and orientation commands in the user frame of reference, navigation around the sample is easy to accomplish, even for a novice operator. The image does not inadvertently rotate when other specimen movements are intended and an unintended modification in position along the beam axis does not occur for the imaged portion of the specimen unless the operator inputs such a modification.