Abstract: An encodable printed circuit board is provided. The circuit board has a plurality of circuit runs disposed on its surface, each of the circuit runs corresponding to a unique bit in an encoded word. Each of the plurality of circuit runs includes a conductor which has a single necked-down section. This single necked-down section can be burned out with the passage of sufficient current through it.

Abstract: A digital gain controlled current to voltage amplifier having particular utility for interfacing with and forming part of a spectrophotometer system with a photomultiplier tube being responsive to light for producing an analog current proportional to the intensity thereof. The digital gain controlled current to voltage amplifier incorporates a current switched multiplying digital-to-analog converter inside its feedback loop. In this manner, the feedback loop impedance may be maintained constant as its gain is varied under control of a software programmed microcomputer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method and apparatus for figuring a surface by plasma assisted chemical transport by means of mounting the surface to be processed on at least one electrode of an R.F. driven reactor having two parallel plate electrodes; passing reactive gas through the reactor to establish gas discharge by the R.F. power; while controlling the ion energies of the reactive gas; and while controlling the removal rate of different areas of the surface by using a substantially smaller surface area electrode than said surface area so that varying the amount of time the small surface area electrode spends at each region shapes the surface. According to one aspect of the invention optical measurement of said surface is affected in quasi real time.

Abstract: A registration system for compensating for distortion of a test printed circuit board relative to a stored reference in a printed circuit board inspection system is disclosed. Fiducial marks on the corners of the test board are compared with fiducial marks on the corners of the stored reference to determine relative distortion of the test board with respect to the reference board. This information is utilized to load a memory so that exposure pulses of a scanning CCD camera occur at intervals which compensate for distortion of the test board in the scanning direction x. The fiducial comparison information is also used to generate a gate on the occurrence of each exposure pulse to compensate for distortion of the test board in the y-direction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the generation of patterns on large optics. A coating layer is deposited on the surface of a large substrate, whereupon a photoresist layer is deposited on the coating layer in relatively small localized areas. A flexible mask is fabricated embodying the pattern to be generated. This flexible mask is then aligned with any desired point on the substrate and brought into contact with the photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is then exposed and each localized area is developed and the underlying coating layer is etched. After the excess photoresist material is washed away the pattern, etched into the coating layer, remains.

Abstract: A sequential spectrophotometer system having a light source, a scanning type monochromator, a stepper motor means for changing the monochromator wavelength over a light spectrum being scanned, a photomultiplier for measuring the intensity of light absorption or passage through a sample being tested and generating a signal corresponding thereto, data acquisition means for compiling data corresponding to said signals and means for recording such data generally as a function of light measured for each wavelength, the improvement comprising:a method and means to effect the data acquisition conversion at or about each desired wavelength during a respective stepper motor rotor displacement period, i.e., during each corresponding period of diffraction grating vibration or oscillation following a stepper motor disposition thereof to another wavelength position angle.

Abstract: A primary ion beam raster gating technique for secondary ion mass spectrometer system is disclosed. The system includes a primary ion gun which raster scans an area of the surface being tested which sputter etches a crater. After the crater is formed, a beam blanking circuit causes the beam to scan a smaller area at the bottom of the first crater thereby sputter etching a second smaller crater. During this phase, the ion beam does not hit the side wall of the first crater so that errors are not introduced into secondary ion measurement from the bottom of the second crater due to material from the side wall of the first crater being sputtered into the second crater.

Abstract: A multi-function high speed barrel shifter comprising three functional levels. The first level performs 1/4 word shifts by a selectable amount. The second level performs 1/8 word shifts on the portion of the word to be shifted and, where desired, fills the remainder of its output with fill bits. The third level performs 1/32 of a data word shift. All shifting and filling are controlled by an input control signal which specifies the operation, direction and shift amount. The circuit is easily complimented in LSI Technology and is easily cascaded to double the size of the data word handled thereby.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improvement in optical lithographic systems which includes in combination a ring field projection system and an optical condenser system for illuminating the ring field in the projection system, the condenser system being constructed and arranged to have lateral color of the right sign and magnitude to complement the radial variation in imagery with wavelength of the ring field projection system.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for obtaining from a two dimensional field of view containing numerous unresolved sources of irradiation of various unknown wavelengths, the wavelengths incident on objects in the field using significantly fewer pixels than required if a conventional imaging spectrometer were employed. A reflective telescope (10, 12) includes a concave reflective grating (14) after the secondary mirror (12). Undiffracted radiation from the grating forms an image on a first detector array (16). Diffracted radiation forms an image on a second detector array (18). The zero order images provide spatial identification of the objects and a set of wavelength independent reference locations from which the relative displacement of the diffracted radiation provides spectral information.

Abstract: Improved diamond-like carbon films of improved properties are deposited on various substrates utilizing a plasma assisted chemical vapor transport process (PACVT) process in which hydrogen is employed as the reactive process feedgas and in which the deposition process is conducted in a controllably energetic ion bombardment of the surface on which the films are grown by introducing the hydrogen feedgas into the reactor volume through a porous graphite electrode into a defined plasma geometry.

Abstract: A software controlled automatic shutter is described which minimizes ultraviolet irradiation damage to optical components from a high intensity spectrophotometric light source. The shutter automatically opens when measurements are being made and closes when the photometer system is idle. The digital control system may be self contained so as to avoid complication of the main computer.

Abstract: A connector for supplying cooling fluid to an optical device without inducing jitter in the optical device. An outer housing formed as a T section has one end fixed to the optical device. An elbow disposed in the housing has an end fixed to mechanical ground. Bellows means connecting the housing and elbow and forms fluid tight volumes with the housing on each side of the elbow. Conduit means communication with the volumes fills each of the volumes with fluid flowing through the elbow which eliminates jitter of the optical device due to fluid flow.

Abstract: A programmable timer controls the duration of integration with respect to time of an unknown analog signal in accordance with a programmable time period established by a microprocessor. A switching logic successively transfers an analog signal and a voltage reference signal to an integrator under logic control actuated by the programmable timer. A comparator monitors the value of the integration of the reference voltage in order to control the time-out results of an event counter initiated simultaneously with input to the integrator of the reference voltage, for providing a digital count output signal to the microprocessor.

Abstract: A timing system for a spectrophotometer having a line driven chopper including a rotating disc with alternate open and opaque segments, index apertures in the disc spaced at invariant angular relationship to one of the open segments for providing indexing pulses having fixed time relationship to the light segments, and a programmable microcomputer assembly for generating a string of timing pulses for timing spectrophotometer operations and adjusting the rate of the timing pulses to provide a fixed number between indexing pulses in fixed phase relationship thereto.

Abstract: A liquid pump motor control for a liquid chromatograph. The control detects when the pump needs to be refilled. Then, the pump motor is accelerated at a first rate for a given number of pulses. Then the motor is accelerated at substantially its maximum rate until a selected maximum speed is reached. Thereafter the speed is maintained at its maximum until the time calculated to begin deceleration. The motor is then decelerated substantially at its maximum deceleration rate until the speed is close to the final desired speed. Then deceleration occurs at a slower rate for a fixed number of pulses. The number of pulses applied to the stepping motor from the beginning of acceleration until the end of deceleration is constant regardless of the beginning or ending pulse rates.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a gas control device for controlling the fuel gas and the oxidizing agent supplied to a burner in an atomic absorption spectrometer, which includes a first restrictor and a first pressure regulator for the fuel gas line, and a second restrictor and a second pressure regulator of the oxidizing agent line, the regulators being connected upstream of the restrictors, respectively, and servomotors for reproducibly adjusting the pressure settings of the pressure regulators, respectively.

Abstract: In an optical system with an optical axis in which an image is to be focused at an image plane, an improved chopper which can be driven at a high rate for obtaining dither about the focal point in the system includes first and second chopper blades, each having at least one notch in their periphery, the chopper blades mounted to a common shaft adapted for rotation, parallel to each other and essentially perpendicular to the optical axis and on opposite side of the image plane, the outputs of one of the blades will representing an ahead of focus edge response and the other of said blades a behind focus edge response which can be sensed and processed to carry out correction of the optical system.

Abstract: A system for producing an Auger image which is substantially independent of the topographical contour of the sample surface includes at least two counting means. Preferably, the two counting means are adapted to be dedicated counters, one for background incidents and one for signal incidents. The system also includes counter control means for regulating the counting time and the immersion incident energy threshold for each counter.

Abstract: A laser detection system is disclosed. Optical means projects light scattered from a moving localized portion of the beam onto a photosensitive strip. Voltage applied across the strip causes the light generated electrons therein to move through the strip at the same rate as the scattered light from the moving localized portion of the beam projected onto the strip moves across the strip so that all the electrons generated in the strip are detected as an accumulated charge at one end thereof.