Abstract: Disclosed is an electron beam lithography apparatus comprising means for emitting an electron beam and directing it toward and onto a workpiece, means for deflecting and turning on-off the electron beam so as to form a predetermined pattern on the workpiece, a vacuum column disposed to expose the electron beam to a vacuum, a workpiece stage including a first table supporting the workpiece and a second table supporting the first table, means for moving the first table in one of the X-axis and Y-axis directions and moving the second table in the other direction, a vacuum workpiece chamber disposed to make vacuum communication with the vacuum column and to accommodate both of the workpiece and the workpiece stage, and means for supporting both of the workpiece stage and the workpiece moving means, the vacuum workpiece chamber being partly opened, and the supporting means being detachably mounted on the opening of the vacuum workpiece chamber.

Abstract: A scanning microscope comprises a sample supporting member on which a sample is supported, an optical device which irradiates a light beam to the sample, and a movement mechanism which moves the optical device with respect to the sample supporting member such that the light beam scans the sample. A device photoelectrically detects light radiated out of the portion of the sample, which is exposed to the light beam, an image of the sample being thereby formed. The movement mechanism for moving the optical device or the sample supporting member is constituted of a tuning fork on which the optical device or the sample supporting member is supported, and an excitation device for applying force, the magnitude of which changes periodically, to the tuning fork, and thereby causing the tuning fork to resonate.

Abstract: A mass storage device includes a media sheet supported on a substrate for storing digital data bit manifestations and a planar, integrated array of transducers arranged in rows and columns. The array is mounted in registration with the substrate, and its columns of transducers are oriented at an acute angle with respect to a movement axis. A piezoelectric device provides relative movement between the substrate and the array of transducers along the movement axis. Circuitry accesses rows of transducers in each column in a timed manner, so as to operate each transducer in a column at the time the transducer is adjacent a row of stored digital data in the media sheet. The acute angular relationship between the transducer array and the movement axis enables digital data to be stored in the media sheet in a fraction of the surface area occupied by an individual transducer and its associated circuitry.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope includes a base, an inner piezoelectric tube, and an outer PMN translator arrangement including three PMN posts, with first ends of the PMN posts connected to the base. A first end of the inner piezoelectric tube is rigidly connected to second ends of the PMN posts. Inner quadrant conductors are disposed on the inner surfaces of the inner piezoelectric tube, and outer quadrant conductors are disposed on the outer surfaces of the inner piezoelectric tube. Separate x and y scan control voltage signals are applied to corresponding opposed quadrant conductors of the inner piezoelectric tube to control scanning of the free end of the inner tube in the x and y directions. A z scan control voltage is produced by a servo control circuit in response to a probe signal and applied to the PMN posts, which have negligible hysteresis. The servo control circuit refers to a look-up table to correct non-linearities of the PMN posts.

Abstract: A fiber spreader is provided which reduces fiber damage that occurs during preading. The fiber spreader includes a thin electrically grounded support sheet for supporting a layer of fibers on one surface thereof. The fibers supported on the support sheet are guided by a plurality of guide rollers past at least one corona discharge region at which the fibers are spread substantially uniformly. A motor driven spool advances the support sheet past the corona discharge region. The fibers are attached to the support sheet by an electrostatic attraction. The guide rollers are positioned so as to provide at least one region in which the sheet and the fibers are physically separated to allow for the uniform spreading of the fibers. After the fibers are spread, the fibers and the support sheet are united again and collected on a motor-driven spool.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing scanning tunneling optical absorption spectroscopy includes a scanning tunneling microscope tip positioned at a tunneling distance over a surface portion of a sample to be analyzed, biasing apparatus for producing an electric potential between said scanning tunneling microscope tip and said surface portion sufficient to cause a tunneling current to flow between said scanning tunneling microscope tip and said surface portion, illumination apparatus for illuminating said surface portion with modulated monochromatic light, and a detector for detecting an AC component of the tunneling current resulting from the modulated monochromatic light.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus incorporated in a scanning electron microscope. The focusing apparatus permits accurate focusing even if a very uneven specimen surface is observed. The apparatus has a secondary electron detector. The output signal from this detector is supplied to a peak-holding circuit via a low-pass filter. The greatest peak value of the signal is detected and stored in a memory whenever the electron beam makes a scan at each different focal length of the objective lens. This processing is performed concurrently with integration of the output signal from the detector. This set of operations is repeated for all focal lengths. Data in the memory are compared with each other by a comparator, and the greatest peak value is found. Data about the focal length providing the greatest peak value is supplied as a reference signal to another comparator. In response to this data, data about several focal lengths close to this focal length are read from the memory and compared with each other.

Abstract: An ion beam intensity and emittance measuring system. A substrate supports conductive zones or regions that are impacted by an ion beam. Periodically the conductive regions are discharged through an integrator circuit which produces an output corresponding to the charge buildup on the conductive region. By determining the charge for multiple such regions impacted by an ion beam, a two-dimensional mapping of ion beam intensity vs. position is obtained on essentially a real-time basis. An emittance mask is also placed over the substrate and a measure of the emittance or spread of the ion beam is obtained.

Abstract: In an apparatus for supplying a current for driving a laser diode, an amount of current is supplied to the laser diode. During a read mode, a read peak current modified by a high frequency signal in addition to the amount of current is supplied to the laser diode, and during a write mode, a base read current in addition to the amount of current is supplied to the laser diode so that a light output of the laser diode is equal to a base read output. The read peak current is adjusted so that a mean value of the light output of the laser diode is equal to the base read output. An automatic control is performed upon the amount of current so that the light output of the laser diode is close to or approaches the base read output.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for compensating for dust particles on the surface of an optical disk during a write operation includes a circuit for sensing the reflected laser light back from the optical storage medium, and a negative peak detection circuit for determining when the reflected laser light drops below the average read power level. The reflected laser power is reduced below the average read level whenever a dust or dirt particle is blocking a portion of the incoming laser light. An additonal circuit means then increases the power of the laser beam by an amount proportional to the detected reduction so that the data can be effectively recorded.

Abstract: A method of mass analyzing a sample including the steps of defining a trap volume with a three-dimensional quadrupole field for trapping ions within a predetermined range of mass-to-charge ratio, forming or injecting ions within the trap volume such that those within the predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range are trapped within the trap volume, applying a supplementary AC field superimposed on the three-dimensional quadrupole field to form combined fields, scanning the combined fields to eject ions of consecutive mass-to-charge ratio from the trap volume for detection characterized in that the supplementary field has an amplitude just sufficient to eject the ions and that the supplementary field has a beta value below 0.891 and that the combined fields are scanned at a rate so that a length of time corresponding to 200 cycles or more of the supplementary AC field passes per consecutive thomson.

Abstract: An ion implantation featuring an improved beam neutralizer. A cylindrical electron source encircles the ion beam at a location just before the ion beam enters an implantation chamber. Regularly spaced cavities in the electron source contain wire filaments which are energized to emit electrons. The electrons are accelerated through the region of the ion beam and impact an inwardly facing wall of the cylindrical electron support. This causes low-energy electron emissions which neutralize the ion beam. Performance of the beam neutralizer is enhanced by injecting an ionizable gas into the region between the electron emitting surface and the ion beam.

Abstract: A portable mass spectrometer is described having one or more electrostatic focusing sectors and a magnetic focusing sector, all of which are positioned inside a vacuum chamber, and all of which may be adjusted via adjustment means accessible from outside the vacuum chamber. Mounting of the magnetic sector entirely within the vacuum chamber permits smaller magnets to be used, thus permitting reductions in both weight and bulk.

Abstract: A mass spectrometry method in which notch-filtered noise is applied to an ion trap to resonate all ions except selected ions out of the region of the trapping field. Preferably, the trapping field is a quadrupole trapping field defined by a ring electrode and a pair of end electrodes positioned symmetrically along a z-axis, and the filtered noise is applied to the ring electrode to eject unwanted ions in radial directions rather than toward a detector mounted along the z-axis. Also preferably, the trapping field has a DC component selected so that the trapping field has both a high frequency and low frequency cutoff, and is incapable of trapping ions with resonant frequency below the low frequency cutoff or above the high frequency cutoff. Application of the filtered noise signal to such a trapping field is functionally equivalent to filtration of the trapped ions through a notched bandpass filter having such high and low frequency cutoffs.