Abstract: N-input Logic Gates are presented that have a high speed transmission path for a first input logic signal A.sub.1. For an AND Gate embodiment, a logic signal A.sub.1 is applied to an input of a master transmission gate that is transmitting if all of logic signals A.sub.2, . . . , A.sub.N are logic one signals and is otherwise nontransmitting. For an OR Gate embodiment, a logic signal A.sub.1 is applied to an input of a master transmission gate that is transmitting if all of logic signals A.sub.2, . . . , A.sub.N are logic zero signals and is otherwise nontransmitting.

Abstract: A planar magnetron sputtering source having a pair of pole pieces configured to produce a uniform coating, excellent step coverage and excellent step coverage uniformity of a wafer. Between the two pole pieces is a gap within which the magnetic field and electric field produce an electron trap. The shape of the gap produces a depth of sputter profile in the target that results in the uniform coating, excellent step coverage and excellent step coverage uniformity. The outer pole piece is bowl-shaped cross-section with a rim substantially coplanar with a planar inner pole piece.

Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing signal to noise ratio in the detection of electromagnetic radiation traversing a capillary tube includes a ball lens and a holding element for holding the ball lens and the capillary tube, the holding element having an aperture so that the aperature and the lens together define an optic axis. The holding element is configured to hold the capillary tube such that the center of the capillary tube traverses the optic axis. The lens has a focal length and is held at such a position relative to that focal length by the holding element such that electromagnetic radiation incident on the aperature is focussed to pass radially through the capillary tube. Thus, the effective path length is 100% of the inside diameter of the capillary tube.

Abstract: A clamping ring and temperature regulated platen for clamping a wafer to the platen and regulating the temperature of the wafer. The force of the clamping ring against the wafer is produced by the weight of the clamping ring. A roof shields all but a few contact regions of the interface between the wafer and clamp from receiving depositing particles so that a coating formed on the wafer makes continuous contact with the clamping ring in only a few narrow regions that act as conductive bridges when the depositing layer is conductive.

Abstract: An apparatus having a set of apertures of selected diameters, each aperture being positioned in a multiaperture assembly that can be moved to bring selectively each of these apertures into a path of a beam. This enables control of the diameter of an aperture in a beam and also enables accurate positioning of that aperture so that it is centered on the beam where it is moved to a position of alignment with the beam.

Abstract: A photometer having a plurality of input fibers to its optical entrance, at least one of which is for transmission of calibration light and at least one of which is for transmission of sample light. The exit ends of these fibers are aligned into a linear array, thereby producing an effective entrance slit for the optical entrance of the photometer. The fiber(s) for calibration light are positioned at the center of the linear array to avoid miscalibration due to photometer astigmatism.

Abstract: A workpiece loading interface is included within a workpiece processing system which processes workpieces, typically wafers, in a vacuum. The workpiece loading interface includes two separate chambers. Each chamber may be separately pumped down. Thus, while a first cassette of wafers, from a first chamber is being accessed, a second cassette of wafers may be loaded in the second chamber and the second chamber pumped down. Each chamber is designed to minimize intrusion to a clean room. Thus a door to each chamber has a mechanism which, when opening the door, first moves the door slightly away from an opening in the chamber and then the door is moved down parallel to the chamber. After the door is opened, a cassette of wafers is lowered through the opening in a motion much like a drawbridge. The cassette may be pivoted within the chamber when the position from which wafers are accessed from the cassette differs from the position from which the cassette is lowered out of the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for automatically constructing a polypeptide of high purity, up to 50 amino acids in length, using only single couplings. The apparatus includes an activation system for receiving protected amino acids, one kind at a time, having a common vessel (an activator vessel) in which to activate each of the amino acids. Also included is a reaction vessel for containing a resin used in solid-phase peptide synthesis for attaching a peptide chain thereto. A transfer system is also provided, which operates under control of a computer, to transfer the activated species from the activation system to the reaction vessel and to transfer amino acids, reagents, gases, and solvents from one part of the apparatus to another. The activator system also includes a temperature controlled concentrator vessel in which an activator solvent is replaced by a coupling solvent to enhance the coupling of the activated species to the peptide chain in the reaction vessel.

Abstract: A clock generator for producing a pair of nonoverlapping clock signals. In one embodiment, a flip-flop functions as a state machine to clock a pair of complementary switches that direct successive pulses of a clock signal alternately to one and then the other of a pair of output clock signal ports. In another embodiment, each of a pair of output clock signals is generated by an AND gate having a first input connected directly to a clock input and having a second input connected through a delay element. Mechanisms are included to sense the amount of delay introduced by this delay element and to select a new delay value when the sensed delay is outside of an operating range.

Abstract: An implantation process in which a first dose of ions is implanted to produce a damaged layer through which a second dose of implant ions is directed. The damaged layer scatters the ions in the second dose so that these latter ions need not be directed at an angle to avoid channeling. The second dose is generally significantly higher than the first so that the resulting doping profile is produced primarily by the second dose, which can be directed perpendicular to the surface of the wafer.

Abstract: A junction reactor that aligns a pair of capillaries substantially collinearly, end-to-end that allows a small gap to be produced between these two ends. An applied voltage difference between the other ends of these two capillaries produces in the gap electric field lines that extend across the gap. Empirical evidence shows that the gap introduces only a small reduction in resolution of an electrophoretic or electrochromatographic separation. The gap enables sample liquid to be coupled between capillaries of different internal diameters and enables on-capillary reactions such as attaching a fluorescent tag to a sample components.

Abstract: A method of preventing particulates from depositing onto a wafer during all periods that processing is not taking place including during all periods of wafer transfer into or out of a plasma reactor chamber. During all periods in which a wafer is within the reactor chamber, but is not being processed, a nonreactive auxiliary plasma is produced in the reactor chamber. This plasma charges the particulates and produces just above the surface of the wafer an electric field that repels the particulates from the wafer.

Abstract: A tooling plate having a plurality of columns of holes can be quickly and easily configured as a jig. Every second column contains threaded holes and the other columns contain unthreaded holes for reception of alignment pins. Alignment pins can be inserted into these unthreaded holes to produce a jig suitable for aligning a workpiece. The threaded holes are utilized by clamps that hold the workpiece rigidly in place and by an alignment bar that can be used to align the workpiece along any desired direction parallel to a front face of the tooling plate.

Abstract: A mask for reducing a semiperiodic variation of an output signal produced in response to a semiperiodic temporal variation of a distribution of radiation incident on the input of a detector. The mask can have a transmitance that changes abruptly at an outer profile of an opaque region or can have a varation in transmittance that varies continuously.

Abstract: A hub-to-shaft coupling, without any key or keyway, having a pair of coaxial bushings which can be rotated relative to one another. In a first relative angular position, the inner bushing fits loosely within the outer bushing. In a second relative position, the bushings deform one another, pushing the inner bushing against the shaft and the outer bushing against the hub, thereby locking the shaft to the hub. The hub can be unclamped from the shaft without damage to the shaft or hub by rotating the bushings relative to one another back to the first angular position.

Abstract: A concentration detector having a light source that is responsive to a chemical absorption peak to produce substantially monochromatic light at a wavelength of this absorption peak. The wavelength can be stabilized against an absorption peak in a reference chemical or by an absorption peak in a sample being measured in the concentration detector.

Abstract: A broadband-tunable external fiber-cavity laser system includes a laser diode, and a single-mode optical fiber with an in-line fiber optic grating filter. The grating filter includes a grating with divergent ridges so that the periodicity at an exposed evanescent field can be adjusted by translating the grating transversely with respect to the fiber. The evanescent field of light transmitted along the fiber core is accessed at a side-polished region. The laser preferentially oscillates at the reflected wavelength, so that the laser output is tuned by moving the grating. The grating is manufactured by oblique exposure to a holographic wavefront, producing the divergent pattern.

Abstract: A hardware switch level simulator for LSI/VLSI MOS circuits capable of simulating circuits with pass transistors and performing timing analysis. The simulator has a stack memory containing lists of nodes to be operated on, a solve unit having programmed logic arrays for performing simulation steps using Bryant algebra plus an addition step for detecting unblocked paths to a controlling gate of a pass transistor, a traversal unit having gate memory storing a gate list of nodes for each transistor and having link memory storing a netlist of transistor switches with parameters such as preset transistor switch state, transistor strength, and pointers to nodes to which a transistor connects. A timing unit performs delay calculations. In order to simulate pass transistor circuits, the traversal unit has two sets of memory addressing gates. One set ordinarily accesses link memory, while a second set ordinarily addresses gate memory.