Abstract: A method of creating an improved hydrodynamic fluid bearing is provided which is relatively insensitive to shock vibration changes in load and rotational speed. The hydrodynamic bearing motor in which the bearing is open at both the upper and lower ends, and in which the balance of fluid flow within the bearings is maintained. The assembly of the hydrodynamic bearing is more easily assembled, and the gaps are easily adjusted. In the design of the hydrodynamic bearing, the tolerances for assembly of the various components is minimized; that is, the critical nature of many of the gaps is diminished.

Abstract: A conductive feed-through providing a conductive path through a dielectric body while maintaining differences in pressure between volumes separated by the dielectric body. A conductive feed-through of the present invention employs a hollow conductive tube created by first drilling a bore through the dielectric material. A first electrode is used to cover one end of the bore, and a vacuum-tight seal is formed around this first electrode. A second electrode is attached to the dielectric body at the other end of the bore. The inside surface of the bore is then coated with an electrically conductive material, and the coating provides a conductive path between the first electrode and the second electrode. In an alternative embodiment, the electrically conductive material coating is deposited such that it extends over the surface of the dielectric body so as to function as an electrode as well.

Abstract: An information storage system is disclosed. The information storage system includes a rigid information storage medium, at least one read/write head, an actuator, and a lubricant. The read/write head comprises a transducer for information introduction and/or retrieval from the storage medium. The actuator supports at least one read/write head for moving the transducer relative to the storage medium. The lubricant which includes a perfluoroacrylate ester polymer is disposed on the surface of the storage medium.

Abstract: A storage server for efficiently retrieving data from a plurality of disks in response to user access requests. The server comprises a plurality of processors coupled to disjoint subsets of disks, and a custom non-blocking packet switch for routing data from the processors to users. By tightly coupling the processors to disks and employing an application-specific switch, congestion and disk scheduling bottlenecks are minimized. By making efficient use of bandwidth, the architecture is also capable of receiving real-time data streams from a remote source and distributing these data streams to requesting users. The architecture is particularly well suited to video-on-demand systems in which a video server stores a library of movies and users submit requests to view particular movies.

Abstract: An optical disc storage system (10) includes an optical disc (12) having a data surface (70) and a transducing element (30) adjacent the data surface (70). An actuator (22) coupled to the transducing element (30) positions the transducing element (30) relative to the data surface (70). The system (10) includes a spindle motor (90) and a controller (34) coupled to the transducing element (30), the actuator (22) and the spindle motor (90) for reading and writing information on the data surface (70). A hub insert (72) is coupled to the optical disc (12) and has a stiffness which is greater than a stiffness of the optical disc (12). An attachment mechanism (94, 96, 98) couples the hub insert (72) to the spindle motor (90) and stress due to the attachment mechanism (94, 96, 98) remains substantially in the hub insert (72) to thereby limit stress applied to the optical disc (12) and the resultant distortion of the optical disc (12).

Abstract: A method of defining extent for storing a plurality data streams having different bit rates. The method calculates the size of the extent for a given data stream then periodically inserts at least one null packet into the extents to enable any bit rate to be able to be stored using a fixed extent size for the stream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for clamping and shielding the edge of a substrate useful in electronic device fabrication. A shadow ring is formed by an inward radial extension of the top surface of a generally annular shaped clamp ring. The shadow ring portion overhangs but does not contact the top surface of a substrate being processed. A smoothly tapered substrate contact surface extending from the outer diametrical extent of the shadow ring bottom surface to the bottom surface of the clamp ring is sized and adapted to engage the outer edge of a substrate. The substrate contact surface aligns the clamp ring to a substrate support member and a substrate to the substrate support member and the clamp ring as the substrate is lifted vertically.

Abstract: A valve assembly comprises a valve body having an interior valve seat and a plurality of adapter ports. A non-metallic sealing material provides a vacuum seal between mating surfaces of adjacent vacuum components, and direct physical contact between mating surfaces ensures good thermal conduction within the valve assembly.

Abstract: The bases of an audible alarm unit and an audible/visible alarm unit are configured to be used interchangeably with a single cover. The cover has an opening that receives a projecting wall portion on the base of the audible alarm unit and a receptacle for a strobe lamp unit on the base of the audible/visible alarm unit. The bases have mounting holes that enable the alarm units to be mounted on several types of standard backboxes, the cover concealing the screw holes for good appearance of the installed units.

Abstract: A vacuum processing system has a load lock chamber for transitioning wafers between an ambient environment pressure and a transfer chamber vacuum pressure. The load lock chamber has wafer supports for two wafers, but contains only one wafer during pressure transitioning. The load lock chamber further has a processing element, so that the load lock chamber performs a pre-processing or post-processing process on the wafer. The processing element may be a wafer heater, so that the load lock chamber may heat the wafer before or after the system performs a primary process on the wafer. The processing element may be a wafer cooler, so that the load lock chamber may cool down a wafer that has been heated before, during or after the primary process. The load lock chamber may have either a wafer heater or a wafer cooler or both.

Abstract: Apparatus for defining patterns electrochemically on conductive materials by forming the patterns as conductive features of a tool, providing insulative properties about the conductive features so the patterns are defined; then providing an immersive medium including an etchant or plating material for defining the pattern on a workpiece, providing an electric direct current so that the immersive medium is concentrated at desired locations defined by the conductive features on the conductive materials; and etching the conductive materials by applying the electric current in a quantity and for an elapsed time to etch or plate patterns in or on the conductive materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electro-chemical deposition system that is designed with a flexible architecture that is expandable to accommodate future designs and gap fill requirements and provides satisfactory throughput to meet the demands of other processing systems. The electro-chemical deposition system generally comprises a mainframe having a mainframe wafer transfer robot, a loading station disposed in connection with the mainframe, one or more processing cells disposed in connection with the mainframe, and an electrolyte supply fluidly connected to the one or more electrical processing cells.

Abstract: Fabrication of an MO disc, the formation of a master pattern of servo and track information, and the subsequent transfer of that pattern to a series of pits and grooves on a substrate. On top of that substrate, at least one sacrificial layer is provided atop a relatively hard layer. The recording stack may be provided with both silicon nitride and silicon dioxide top layers, with the silicon dioxide layer acting as a sacrificial layer to ensure that the hard layer, of silicon nitride, remains at the end of the process. A layer of aluminum or aluminum alloy may be deposited, with the aluminum plugs filling the grooves and pits (created by the embossed servo information) to a level higher than any of the adjacent layers of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or similar dielectric layer.

Abstract: A slider which utilizes a set of four pads arranged in a generally rectangular form. The two pads on the leading edge of the slider each include an angled face on their leading edge to facilitate the lift-off of the slider. Behind each leading edge pad is a trailing pad of substantially the same width and separated from the leading pad by a cross-cut channel. The pressure relief provided by the open cross-slot that separates the front and rear pads of each rail of the slider significantly reduces the sensitivity of air bearing pressure to the shape of the disc surface, leading to a very small fly height modulation even when moving over a disc with substantial runout. The rails are separated by a cross-cut. This cross-cut design substantially diminishes the effect of pressure variations which occur owing to the peaks and valleys which exist on discs, especially plastic discs as the slider flies over the surface of the disc.

Abstract: A water distributor for directing water from roofing configurations that form a roof valley to rain gutters is disclosed. The device directs the water traveling down the roof valley into the rain gutters without collecting debris or becoming clogged with leaves or twigs that may interfere with its function.

Abstract: Apparatus for retaining a workpiece on a workpiece support and method for manufacturing same. The apparatus contains an adhesive layer, an insulating layer made of a base material having a first resistivity, an electrode layer, a hybrid/adhesive layer and a workpiece support layer made of a base material and a dopant, the dopant having a second resistivity wherein a resistivity of the resultant workpiece support layer is lower than the first resistivity. The multi-resistivity layers establish a Johnsen-Rahbek effect for electrostatic chucking while not unduly compromising chuck strength or longevity. The method consists of the steps of disposing an adhesive layer, disposing an insulating layer, disposing an electrode layer, disposing a hybrid/adhesive layer, disposing a workpiece support layer, curing the layers and forming a plurality of grooves in the workpiece support layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus 245 and method of etching grooves 235 in a shaft 175. In one embodiment, a cathode 250 is provided for electrochemically etching grooves 235 in an outer surface 215 of the shaft 175 to form a fluid dynamic journal bearing 225. The cathode 250 includes an electrically conductive cylindrical substrate 270 having an inner surface 275 that corresponds to the outer surface 215 of the shaft 175, the inner surface 275 having raised lands 280 corresponding to areas in which the grooves 235 are to be formed. A layer of electrically insulating material 285 covers the inner surface 275 of the substrate 270 between the lands 280 to preclude etching of the shaft 175 in areas between the lands. Preferably, the lands 280 are arranged so that the grooves 235 etched in the shaft 175 form one or more fluid dynamic bearings.

Abstract: An interactive information distribution system includes service provider equipment for generating an information stream that is coupled to an information channel and transmitted to subscriber equipment. The service provider also generates a command signal that is coupled to a command channel and transmitted to the subscriber equipment. The service provider also receives information manipulation requests from the subscriber via a back channel. A communication network supporting the information channel, command channel and back channel is coupled between the service provider equipment and the subscriber equipment.

Abstract: An improvement in the deposition of materials in a multiple chamber semiconductor processing cluster tool comprising a first cluster of first chambers, a second cluster of second chambers and a transition chamber located between the first cluster and the second cluster, where the transition chamber is adapted to deposit a material upon a wafer. Specifically, the transition chamber provides a flash coating of PVD copper on the wafer which significantly improves the adhesion of subsequently CVD deposited bulk copper without sacrifice in the throughput of the cluster tool.