Abstract: An improved stereolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, information defining the object being specially processed to reduce curl and distortion, and increase resolution, strength, accuracy, speed and economy of reproduction even for rather difficult object shapes, the successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: An improved method for stereolithographically making an object by alternating the order in which similar sets of vectors are exposed over two or more layers. In another method, a pattern of tightly packed hexagonal tiles are drawn. Each tile is isolated from its neighboring tiles by specifying breaks of unexposed material between the tiles. Using an interrupted scan method, vectors are drawn with periodic breaks along their lengths. In another method, modulator and scanning techniques are used to reduce exposure problems associated with the acceleration and deceleration of the scanning system when jumping between vectors or changing scanning directions.

Abstract: A system for generating three-dimensional objects by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: An improved stereolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, information defining the object being specially processed to reduce curl and distortion, and increase resolution, strength, accuracy, speed and economy of reproduction even for rather difficult object shapes, the successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: A stereolithographic method for constructing an object from a medium capable of solidification upon exposure to synergistic stimulation (e.g. a laser beam). Stacked layers of solidified medium are constructed by exposing the medium to synergistic stimulation in magnitude and pre-selected pattern, such that each layer is formed with external boundaries and up and down facing surfaces as necessary. At least a portion of a layer which is neither upfacing nor downfacing is also skinned, e.g., provided with a continuous skin formed by overlapping skin vectors or traces of the laser beam. Alternatively, all intermediate or internal cross-sectional layers are provided with skin and cross-hatch. Upfacing and downfacing features, and intermediate layers may be provided with a skin created by scanning in a first pass using non-consecutive skin vectors followed by scanning in at least one additional pass that completes the exposing process by filling in between the originally drawn vectors.

Abstract: An improved sterolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object from object defining information, the information defining the object being structurally specified to reduce curl, stress and distortion in the ultimately formed object is described. A stereolithographic distortion known as curl is reduced by the system, and several techniques to eliminate or reduce curl are utilized by the system, including dashed line, bent line, secondary structure, rivets, and multi-pass techniques.

Abstract: An improved sterolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, information defining the object being specially processed to reduce curl and distortion, and increase resolution, strength, accuracy, speed and economy of reproduction even for rather difficult object shapes, and successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: An improved stereolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, information defining the object being specially tailored to provide built-in supports for the object, reduce curl and distortion, and increase resolution, strength, accuracy, speed and economy of reproduction, the successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: A system for generating three-dimensional objects by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: A system for generating three-dimensional objects by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Abstract: A method has been devised whereby material is removed from a solid surface and ionized to produce singly charged monatomic ions representative of the surface. A sample of the material (or surface) is mounted in place of the repeller electrode of an ion source, biased negatively with respect to the source's block and sputtered with argon ions. Some of the sputtered sample material is ionized by charge exchange with the argon ions near the ion source's exit slit and accelerated into a mass analyzer. An electron beam is used to ionize the argon sputtering gas. This method provides an advantage in that the initial kinetic energy spread of the monatomic ions is much lower than with other methods.To perform this method, the solid sample is mounted upon a removable probe which is introduced into the ion source or ion chamber of a mass spectrometer. More specifically, the sample is placed in a recessed cavity in the end of the probe located opposite the exit slit of the ion chamber.

Abstract: Ion sources which become coated with insulative materials are rejuvenated by forming the repeller electrode in the ion source of gold and bombarding such repeller electrode with ions to sputter the gold onto the coated surfaces to render them conductive again. Gold sputtering is accomplished by bombarding the gold repeller electrode with inert argon ions.To perform this method, the slit of the extractor plate on the ion source is greatly reduced in cross-sectional area such that the normally higher sputtering pressures may be maintained within the ion source itself. If a direct sample probe is used, it too may be formed of gold and used to provide the gold sputtering source.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an analytical apparatus comprising a gas chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, and an interface connecting the two. The mass spectrometer comprises a variable energy ion beam source, a magnetic sector of substantially fixed magnetic field for deflecting the ions in the ion beam according to their momentum, and a detector for detecting those ions within the ion beams which have been deflected by a given angle by the magnetic sector. The variable energy ion source comprises a repeller electrode, a first low energy alignment electrode coacting with the repeller electrode to define an ion-forming region, an inlet means for introducing gas into the ion-forming region, means for forming an electron beam in the ion-forming region, a second high energy alignment electrode, and an entrance electrode separating the ion beam source from the magnetic sector.