Abstract: An optical scanner may include a sampler to receive an optical beam and provide a sampled beam including a portion of the optical beam, a dispersive element to spectrally disperse the sampled beam along a dispersion direction, one or more detectors to receive at least a portion of the sampled beam dispersed along the dispersion direction, one or more acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) configured to deflect the optical beam from the sampler, and a controller. The controller may determine a center of mass of the sampled beam dispersed along the dispersion direction based on signals from at least one of the one or more detectors, and generate a drive signal for at least one of the one or more AODs to deflect the optical beam from the sampler along a selected deflection angle based on the center of mass.

Abstract: An electro-optic modulator is a liquid-crystal-based electro-optical light modulator. The liquid-crystal-based electro-optical light modulator is fabricated using surface Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) techniques. The electro-optical light modulator is used for inspecting flat panel displays or the like. Utilizing surface MEMS techniques for fabrication considerably thins the electro-optic modulator and allows the use of pure liquid crystal without the need for thick containment plates.

Abstract: Optical apparatus (20) includes a laser (22), which is configured to emit a beam of coherent optical radiation at a specified wavelength along a beam axis. A deflector (24) is configured to intercept and selectably deflect the beam over a range of angles relative to the beam axis. A plurality of diffractive optical elements (DOEs—32, 34, 36, 64, 66, 68) are positioned to receive the deflected beam at different, respective deflection angles within the range and to output respective diffracted beams. Beam-combining optics (42, 74) are configured to receive and deflect the diffracted beams from the DOEs so that all of the diffracted beams are directed along a common output axis toward a target (48).

Abstract: A roll-to-roll web processing system including a web supply roller operative for supplying web material, at least one upstream intermediate roller for receiving the web material from the web supply roller and directing the web material along at least a first web pathway portion, a processing subsystem arranged along at least a second web pathway portion, at least one downstream intermediate roller for receiving the web material from the processing subsystem and directing the web material along a third web pathway portion, and a web take up roller operative for taking up the web material, the first, second and third web pathway portions at least partially delimiting an internal volume interior of the at least one upstream intermediate roller, the processing subsystem and the at least one downstream intermediate roller and the web supply roller and the web take up roller being located in the internal volume.

Abstract: A modulator material layer includes a polymer matrix formed of a plurality of cross-linked polymer molecules and a plurality of droplets of liquid crystals within the polymer matrix. A planar macrocycle dye is dispersed within the plurality of droplets of liquid crystals. The planar macrocycle dye can include one or more of a phthalocanine, a porphyrin, a naphthalocyanine, a metallophthalocyanine, a metalloporphyrin, or a metallonaphthalocyanine.

Abstract: A fine electrical probe can provide fine-pitch applications in devices such as smart watches and smart phones. Fingers are positioned on a substrate. The substrate has a recess that allows the fingers to flex. The substrate and fingers are positioned in an assembly. The assembly has a recess that allows the substrate to flex.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing includes applying patterned electromagnetic energy to each of a sequence of layers of a dry film comprising a photosensitive material so as to create in the photosensitive material in each of the layers a respective two-dimensional (2D) pattern corresponding to a slice of a predefined three-dimensional (3D) structure. The layers in the sequence in which the respective 2D pattern has been created are laminated together to produce a multi-layer stack. The multi-layer stack is developed so as to remove the photosensitive material in which the 2D pattern has not been created, thereby forming the 3D structure.

Abstract: Provided is an optical apparatus that includes an illumination assembly which include an extended radiation source emitting radiation with a controllable spatial distribution and telecentric condensing optics, configured to receive and project the emitted radiation with a numerical aperture exceeding 0.3 along a first optical axis onto a field and an imaging assembly that includes a sensor and objective optics configured to image the field along a second optical axis onto the sensor and also a prism combiner positioned between the field and the condensing and objective optics which is configured to combine the first and second optical axes, while reflecting at least one of the optical axes multiple times within the prism combiner.

Abstract: A system including a modulator, a laser source, a mirror, a laser sensor, and a processor. The modulator is movable in a first direction. The laser source is configured to emit laser light in a direction parallel to the surface of the modulator. The mirror is configured to redirect the laser light. The laser sensor is configured to detect a first change in intensity when a particle on the surface of the modulator passes through the laser light emitted by the laser source. The laser sensor is further configured to detect a second change in intensity when the particle on the surface of the modulator passes through the laser light redirected by the at least one mirror. The processor is configured to determine an X-Y location of the particle based on the first change in intensity and the second change in intensity.

Abstract: A system for coating of a donor material onto a laser radiation transparent substrate, the system including a donor material applicator, applying donor material to the laser radiation transparent substrate, a multi-pass precise donor material thickness determiner for providing a desired thickness of the donor material on the laser radiation transparent substrate and including a linearly displaceable blade support, a layer thickness uniformizing blade lockably pivotably mounted onto the linearly displaceable blade support about a pivot axis, the blade having a straight edge and a blade position maintainer operative for maintaining the straight edge at a desired separation distance from the laser radiation transparent substrate, the separation distance being uniform along the straight edge of the layer thickness uniformizing blade.

Abstract: A method for producing electronic devices includes fixing a die that includes an electronic component with integral contacts to a dielectric substrate. After fixing the die, a conductive trace is printed over both the dielectric substrate and at least one of the integral contacts, so as to create an ohmic connection between the conductive trace on the substrate and the electronic component.

Abstract: A method includes, receiving a layout design of at least part of an electronic module, the design specifying at least (i) an electronic device coupled to at least a substrate, and (ii) an electrical trace that is connected to the electronic device and has a designed route. A digital input, which represents at least part of an actual electronic module that was manufactured in accordance with the layout design but without at least a portion of the electrical trace, is received. An error in coupling the electronic device to the substrate, relative to the layout design, is estimated based on the digital input. An actual route that corrects the estimated error, is calculated for at least the portion of the electrical trace. At least the portion of the electrical trace is formed on the substrate of the actual electronic module, along the actual route instead of the designed route.

Abstract: An Artificial Intelligence system, an apparatus and, a computer program product and a method for automatic improvement of artificial intelligence classification models. A model-performance measurement of the classification model is iteratively improved by at least a predetermined target goal in each iteration. The iterative improvement comprises generating a hypotheses graph for improving the classification model, based on a list of hypotheses and scores thereof. Each hypothesis relates to a strategy for potentially improving the classification model, and is associated with a score indicating a likelihood that an application thereof improves the model-performance measurement. Each node of the hypotheses graph comprises a hypothesis of the list of hypotheses.

Abstract: A method for circuit fabrication includes defining a solder bump, including a specified solder material and having a specified bump volume, to be formed at a target location on an acceptor substrate. A transparent donor substrate, having a donor film including the specified solder material, is positioned such that the donor film is in proximity to the target location on the acceptor substrate. A sequence of pulses of laser radiation is directed to pass through the first surface of the donor substrate and impinge on the donor film so as to induce ejection from the donor film onto the target location on the acceptor substrate of a number of molten droplets of the solder material such that the droplets deposited at the target location cumulatively reach the specified bump volume. The target location is heated so the deposited droplets melt and reflow to form the solder bump.

Abstract: An apparatus is used in preparing a printed circuit board (PCB). The apparatus can include a common chassis, an inkjet printer mounted on the common chassis, and a pattern exposer mounted on the common chassis. The inkjet printer can selectively print unexposed photosensitive patterns on a PCB substrate with a photosensitive ink. The pattern exposer can expose said photosensitive patterns to radiation thereby defining exposed patterns. A photosensitive ink for use in an ink jet printer can include a photoresist, a solvent, a humectant, a surfactant, an adhesion promoter, and a basic solution. The adhesion promoter is operative to increase anisotropy of a wet etching process of a copper component on which said photosensitive ink is printed.

Abstract: A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate including depositing on the substrate a layer of material having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 5 microns, including metal particles having a diameter in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers, employing a patterning laser beam to selectably sinter regions of the layer of material, thereby causing the metal particles to together define a conductor at sintered regions and employing an ablating laser beam, below a threshold at which the sintered regions would be ablated, to ablate portions of the layer of material other than at the sintered regions.

Abstract: Optical apparatus includes an acousto-optic medium and an array of multiple piezoelectric transducers attached to the acousto-optic medium. A drive circuit is coupled to apply to the piezoelectric transducers respective drive signals including at least first and second frequency components at different, respective first and second frequencies and with different, respective phase offsets for the first and second frequency components at each of the multiple piezoelectric transducers.

Abstract: An optical inspection apparatus includes an interferometer module, which is configured to direct a beam of coherent light toward an area under inspection and to produce a first image of interference fringes of the area. The apparatus also includes a triangulation module configured to project a pattern of structured light onto the area, and at least one image sensor configured to capture the first image of interference fringes and a second image of the pattern that is reflected from the area. Beam combiner optics are configured to direct the beam of coherent light and the projected pattern to impinge on the same location on the area. A processor is configured to process the first and second images in order to generate a 3D map of the area.

Abstract: A method for metallization includes providing a transparent donor substrate (34) having deposited thereon a donor film (36) including a metal with a thickness less than 2 ?m. The donor substrate is positioned in proximity to an acceptor substrate (22) including a semiconductor material with the donor film facing toward the acceptor substrate and with a gap of at least 0.1 mm between the donor film and the acceptor substrate. A train of laser pulses, having a pulse duration less than 2 ns, is directed to impinge on the donor substrate so as to cause droplets (44) of the metal to be ejected from the donor layer and land on the acceptor substrate, thereby forming a circuit trace (25) in ohmic contact with the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A range differentiator useful for auto-focusing, the range differentiator including an image generator providing an image of a scene at various physical depths, a depth differentiator distinguishing portions of the image at depths below a predetermined threshold, irrespective of a shape of the portions, and providing a depth differentiated image and a focus distance ascertainer ascertaining a focus distance based on the depth differentiated image.