Abstract: A lid for a container includes an attachment portion arranged to attach the lid to the container. There is a lid portion integrally formed with the attachment portion and sized to substantially cover an opening in the container. It also includes at least one opening located on the lid portion to allow the ingress or egress of fluid from the container when the lid is in situ, and at least one arm extending from the lid portion and arranged, in use, to locate within the container to stir the contents of the container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing a pattern on a substrate, by applying a photoresist layer over the substrate; locating a laser direct-imagining exposure head to print the pattern on the substrate by the application of one or more laser beams to the photoresist layer on the substrate while relative movement is effected between the exposure head and the substrate; and controlling the drive and the exposure head to cause the exposure head to print a first portion of the pattern on a first portion of the substrate at a first (normal) resolution, and a second portion of the pattern on a second portion of the substrate at a second (higher) resolution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging an overlying conductive pattern over an underlying conductive pattern on a substrate, by determining deviations between the actual locations and the nominal locations of predetermined reference targets in the underlying conductive pattern on the substrate; and utilizing the determined deviations for modifying the scanning control data used for imaging the image data of the overlying conductive pattern in order to reduce misregistration thereof with respect to the underlying conductive pattern. Preferably, the reference targets are predetermined connection sites in the underlying conductive pattern to be precisely located with respect to connection sites in the overlying conductive pattern. The reference features may be assigned different weights according to their registration importance, and the deviations may be determined according to a threshold which varies with the weight assigned to the respective reference feature.

Abstract: A method of supporting an object having an even contact surface during manufacturing operations, by urging it to a rigid substrate, the contact surface facing a supporting surface of said substrate, for use in an environment containing particles that are likely to be entrapped between the object and the substrate. The method includes provision of a supporting surface in the form of a plurality of bulges disposed on the substrate with depressions therebetween. The bulges have crests with rounded profile enabling the entrapped particles to fall into the depressions, thereby reducing the probability of causing mechanical damage to the object and/or of a faulty manufacturing operation on the object.

Abstract: A positive acting, heat-sensitive composition is presented, either coated on a lithographic base, or on a printing circuit board base, and comprises a water insoluble heat-sensitive resin, a novel adhesion promoter and a radiation absorbing agent—a dye or a pigment. An excellent film forming polymer that comprises acetal units directly pendant from the polymer polyvinyl alcohol backbone may be the only binder resin, when other resins being optional. The solubility of the coated material in the areas exposed to near-IR laser radiation in mild alkaline developers becomes considerably higher, allowing to obtain high resolved patterns of the etch-resistant material on printing circuit boards or lithographic printing plates. The composition can be applied on the substrate from a liquid or laminated as a dry film.

Abstract: Images are scanned onto photosensitive media in many different technical fields such as printing plate imaging, printed circuit board manufacture and other product areas. It is important to minimize the time involved in generating high resolution images on relatively large surface areas. The present system allows for both high imaging speeds and high resolution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a processing machine to perform a processing operation on a workpiece by (a) determining the nominal locations of at least two sensible reference marks on the workpiece in terms of the coordinates of the workpiece; (b) loading the workpiece on the processing machine; (c) sensing, and measuring the actual locations of, the reference marks on the workpiece when so mounted, in terms of the coordinates of the processing machine; (d) determining at least one geometrical transformation needed to transform the workpiece coordinates of the nominal locations of the reference marks to the processing machine coordinates of the actual locations of the reference marks; (e) and controlling the processing machine in accordance with the determined geometrical transformation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the fabrication of multilayer articles having electrical connections between conductor patterns on at least two layers of the multilayer article.