Abstract: Interface circuitry (24) is provided which automatically detects which of two types of microprocessor is connected to the interface and configures the interface accordingly. A "type" flip-flop (36, 38) is initially set to expect a first type of microprocessor (10) and the interface is configured to expect a read and a write strobe. When a write cycle is performed by a second type (14) of microprocessor, the "type" flip-flop changes state and reconfigures the interface to expect a data strobe and a read/write indicator signal.

Abstract: A mechanical scanning system for a batch ion implanter includes a disk for mounting wafers at sites near its periphery and a disk drive assembly for rotating the disk. The disk and the disk drive assembly are supported in an end station vacuum chamber by a scan arm which extends through a sealed opening in an access door. A scan drive assembly attached to the access door scans the scan arm and the disk in an arc-shaped path. Simultaneous rotation and scanning of the disk cause the ion beam to be distributed over the surfaces of the wafers mounted on the disk. A pivot drive assembly rotates the scan arm and the disk about a pivot axis between an implant position and a load/unload position. A bellows seals the scan arm to the vacuum chamber while tranmitting arc-shaped movement into the vacuum chamber. A bellows guide apparatus guides an intermediate portion of the bellows so as to limit lateral distortion caused by pressure differences applied to the bellows in combination with asymmetrical deflection thereof.

Abstract: A flow sensor for regulating the air flow rate to a cooling system can be formed as a housing for channeling the flow through a retangular cavity and a one piece vane of bent metal strip which deflects and closes an electrical contact at a predetermined air flow rate and opens when the air flow rate falls below a preset threshold level.

Abstract: A load chamber of a load lock is provided with a vertical air curtain which isolates the load chamber from the general clean room environment. Horizontal air flows generated in the load chamber bathe wafers held horizontally in the chamber with filtered air. These horizontal air flows are captured by the air curtain and recirculated to filters which provide horizontal and vertical air flows in the load chamber. If desired, the vertical and horizontal flows may be driven by the air supply mechanism of the clean room itself.

Abstract: A mechanical scanning system for a batch ion implanter includes a disk for mounting wafers at sites near its periphery and a disk drive assembly for rotating the disk. The disk and the disk drive assembly are supported in an end station vacuum chamber by a scan arm which extends through a sealed opening in an access door. A scan drive assembly attached to the access door scans the scan arm and the disk in an arc-shaped path. Simultaneous rotation and scanning of the disk cause the ion beam to be distributed over the surfaces of the wafers mounted on the disk. A pivot drive assembly rotates the scan arm and the disk about a pivot axis between an implant position and a load/unload position. The implant angle can be changed without opening or venting the vacuum chamber by loosening the attachment of the scan drive assembly to the access door and rotating the scan drive assembly, the scan arm and the disk about the pivot axis. The access door can be moved on rails to an open position for access to the disk.

Abstract: Several different embodiments of high-intensity rotating-anode X-ray are shown which use a liquid or fluid-cooled rotating-anode. No ferrofluid-type rotating joints or O-ring gasket-type seals are required so that the interior of the tube maintains a high vacuum without pumping. A bellows permits mechanical coupling to interior structures of the tube while providing a completely vacuum tight enclosure. All joints may be hard soldered or brazed together so the entire system can be baked at a high temperature during pumpdown.

Abstract: A wide bandwidth compressional wave transducer array obtains information concerning tissue of a subject being treated and supplies hyperthermia compressional wave treating energy to a treated region of the subject. The array transducers are pulsed on and off with an on duty cycle portion of less than one. An array of compressional wave imaging transducers is in the center of the array of compressional wave hyperthermia focused far field transducers used to analyze and treat. The power and duty cycle of the compressional wave hyperthermia focused far field are varied to control the energy incident on certain regions in a treated subject. The ultrasonic frequencies of hyperthermia beams derived from individual transducers are randomly angle modulated so the energy of adjacent far field focused beams overlaps to a greater extent than focused coherent beams.

Abstract: A sputter coating module for a multifunction processing machine is provided in which the supporting mechanism for the workpiece can be isolated from the sputtering source, the pumps and other processing apparatus for cleaning without exposing the entire machine to atmosphere. The supporting mechanism which is rotatable from the horizontal to the vertical is hollow and mounted on hollow vacuum-sealed trunnions to allow passage of water, argon, and dry-nitrogen or air at atmospheric pressure into the interior of the supporting mechanism.

Abstract: A scan controller for an ion implantation system includes a compensation circuit for generating a scanning signal from a triangle voltage signal. The scanning signal causes an ion beam to be deflected so that, in the variety of geometries describing the orientation of the target in the implantation system, the position of the intersection of the ion beam with the planar target surface changes linearly with time. In one embodiment the scanning signal has the form v(t)=-d -e/(t+c). In other embodiments the compensation circuit approximates the above function by means of polynomials.

Abstract: Wafer transfer apparatus for horizontal transfer of a wafer between a cassette and an input station of a vacuum processing system includes a wafer transfer arm with a primary section linked to a secondary section so as to move a wafer in a straight line to a location and orientation station and then to the input station. The actual location of the wafer center and the angular orientation of the wafer flat are determined, and the wafer is rotated to a desired angular orientation at the location and orientation station. A solar cell is used to sense actual wafer position by sensing the wafer edge as it is rotated. The required correction and rotation are calculated from the solar cell output. As the wafer is transferred to the input station, correcting displacements are added to the movement so that the wafer is accurately positioned at the input station. A strain gauge is used to reliably sense wafer presence or absence on the transfer arm.

Abstract: Thermal transfer between a semiconductor wafer and a platen during vacuum processing is provided through a soft, thermally-conductive polymer layer having a thin, hard surface film. The soft polymer layer, which is preferably silicone rubber containing thermally-conductive particles, conforms to surface irregularities on the wafer and has low thermal resistance. The surface film is preferably silicon dioxide in the form of a multiplicity of flat plates integrally formed on the silicone rubber. Adherence of the wafer and of foreign matter to the polymer layer is prevented by the surface film. In addition, the underlying polymer layer is protected by the surface film. A high purity polymer layer is fabricated by evacuating the mold cavity and the resin container prior to injection of resin. The mold for the polymer layer utilizes a hard, smooth mold release surface and a resilient gasket between the platen and the mold release surface.

Abstract: A device for releaseably holding a workpiece includes a resilient collet which is pivotally attached to a base. Several fingers for holding the workpiece extend from the collet. The fingers are pivoted by actuating a member which elastically deforms the collet and causes the fingers to pivot from a position for engaging the workpiece to a position for releasing the workpiece and vice-versa. In one application, the base is a platen for supporting a wafer in a semiconductor processing system and a plurality of such platens and a corresponding plurality of the holding devices are arranged around the periphery of the disk. A counterweight ring is attached to the ring-shaped collet to counter-balance the moment generated by the centrifugal force of the wafer pressing against the fingers as the disk is rotated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for exciting slices of an object in an NMR device in a specific order. N slices are indexed from 0 to (N-1). An integer X relatively prime to N is selected and the finite sequence I.sub.0 +kX, k+0, . . . , (N-1) is generated where I.sub.0 is a selected integer. The least positive residue r.sub.k satisfying r.sub.k .ident.I.sub.0 +kX(Mod N) is calculated and then the slice S.sub.r.sbsb.k is excited before the slice S.sub.r.sbsb.(k+1) for k=0, . . . , (N-2). The method and apparatus disclosed ensures that slices are excited in an order which reduces the resonant signal contamination present in a slice from the excitation of previously excited slices.

Abstract: A multi-conic shell and a process of creating multi-conic shells from flat materials which are bent and thereby forced into the configuration of continuous regions from oppositely oriented, tangential cones to create variably configured building structures and variably configured lightweight structural panels. The process of creating multi-conic shells from connecting cone segments corresponding to a theoretical array of regular (opening downward) and inverted (opening upward) cones provides an unlimited number of variations for the design of building structures and the design of structural panels. Such multi-conic structures achieve excellent strength to weight ratios by distributing loads into tension and corresponding tetrahedron structures which propogate throughout the shell.

Abstract: A vaporizer system for an ion source includes a radiation source positioned on the vaporizer axis for providing radiation, multiple crucibles radially spaced from the axis and circumferentially spaced from each other and a reflector rotatable about the axis for directing radiation from the source at a selected one of the crucibles. The radiation causes heating of the selected crucible and vaporization of a solid source material contained therein. The radiation source is a visible and/or infrared emitting lamp such as a quartz halogen lamp. The crucibles are thermally isolated from each other by a heat shield so that the selected crucible is heated while the others remain relatively cool.

Abstract: A high-intensity X-ray source generates significant heat at the anode. To help dissipate this heat, the anode is often rotated in the vacuum. Heat must still be radiated from the anode to the exterior walls. An improved X-ray source incorporates the anode in the walls of the vacuum chamber and rotates the entire chamber. The heat is then easily conducted to the exterior where it may be dissipated by connection or forced air cooling.

Abstract: A TTL/CMOS compatible input buffer circuit comprises a Schmitt trigger input buffer stage and a reference voltage generator. In the TTL mode, the reference voltage generator supplies a reference voltage having a level that forces the trigger point of the Schmitt trigger to a predetermined value. In the CMOS mode, the reference voltage generator is disabled and a voltage equal to the power supply voltage is provided to the Schmitt trigger. The input buffer circuit affords an enhanced input noise margin and minimizes DC power loss.

Abstract: A microprocessor controlled configurable logic circuit achieves versatility by including a configurable combinational logic element, a configurable storage circuit, a configurable status buffer, and a configurable output select logic. The input signals to the configurable combinational logic element are input signals to the configurable logic circuit and feedback signals from the storage circuit. The storage circuit may be configured to operate as a D flip-flop with or without set and reset inputs, or as an edge detector. In conjunction with the combinational logic element, the storage circuit may also operate as a stage of a shift register or counter. The output select logic selects output from among the output signals of the combinational logic element and the storage circuit. The configurable status buffer may be configured to provide status information on selected important internal signals of the configurable logic circuit.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers having patterns of steps and grooves defining microcircuit elements thereon are coated with metallic film by supporting the wafers individually adjacent a respective ring-shaped sputtering source in stationary relationship thereto. Within a short deposition time of approximately one minute, good uniformity of deposition across the main wafer plane is obtained by maintaining source-to-wafer spacing less than the diameter of the source, and an effective source diameter (D.sub.s) larger than the diameter of wafer (D.sub.w) with the coating being performed within an argon environment of 2 to 20 microns pressure. Good step coverage across all surfaces of steps and grooves is likewise obtained, and is further enhanced by confining the source-to-wafer spacing ranges to certain values within about 0.4 D.sub.s to 0.9 D.sub.s and the wafer diameter to certain values up to about 0.7 D.sub.s.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining ion dose and ion dose uniformity of an ion beam scanned over a target plane in response to scanning signals includes a mask assembly for sensing the beam current at several different locations and providing a single beam current signal. The mask assembly includes a mask plate with sensing apertures and an annular Faraday cup aligned with the apertures for sensing beam current. The beam current signal is integrated over time to determine ion dose. A demultiplexer, in response to x and y scan signals, separates the beam current signal into separate signal components from each sensing aperture. Ion dose uniformity is determined by comparing the separate signal components, integrated over time, with an average value of the signal component.