Abstract: A sample mount assembly for an x-ray imaging system comprises: a main base; a rotation stage attached to the main base rotatably around a rotation axis; a linear slide attached relative to the rotation stage movably in a linear direction; and a support surface connected to, or formed integrally with, the linear slide for supporting the sample.

Abstract: A method for operating a blast furnace plant that includes a blast furnace, at least one material hopper for charging raw materials to the blast furnace, having a upper seal valve and a lower seal valve, and at least one hot stove that produces hot blast for the blast furnace, the method including at least one charging cycle with the following steps: opening the upper seal valve, introducing raw materials into the material hopper, closing the upper seal valve, pressure equalization of the material hopper with blast furnace top pressure, and opening the lower seal valve to discharge raw materials into the blast furnace, wherein, in order to provide a cost-effective way to minimize the explosion danger during operation of a top charging system, an offgas from the at least one hot stove is transferred by a transfer system to the at least one material hopper and, before the lower seal valve is opened, the offgas is injected into the material hopper.

Abstract: A method for operating a blast furnace plant that includes a blast furnace, at least one material hopper for charging raw materials to the blast furnace, having a upper seal valve and a lower seal valve, and at least one hot stove that produces hot blast for the blast furnace, the method including at least one charging cycle with the following steps: opening the upper seal valve, introducing raw materials into the material hopper, closing the upper seal valve, pressure equalization of the material hopper with blast furnace top pressure, and opening the lower seal valve to discharge raw materials into the blast furnace, wherein, in order to provide a cost-effective way to minimize the explosion danger during operation of a top charging system, an offgas from the at least one hot stove is transferred by a transfer system to the at least one material hopper and, before the lower seal valve is opened, the offgas is injected into the material hopper.

Abstract: A digital microscope system configured for use with the built in camera of a mobile device is provided. The digital microscope system has a lens and an advanced lighting system incorporated into a case designed to fit a particular mobile device, where the case positions the optics of the case over the lens of the built in camera and the camera built in flash. When combined with an application program (app) running on the mobile device held within the case, the optics of the case combined with the built in camera of the mobile device becomes a powerful digital microscope with a user adjustable magnification. In a specific embodiment the adjustable magnification ranges from 1× up to 200× optical magnification.

Abstract: A digital microscope system configured for use with the built in camera of a mobile device is provided. The digital microscope system has a lens and an advanced lighting system incorporated into a case designed to fit a particular mobile device, where the case positions the optics of the case over the lens of the built in camera and the camera built in flash. When combined with an application program (app) running on the mobile device held within the case, the optics of the case combined with the built in camera of the mobile device becomes a powerful digital microscope with a user adjustable magnification. In a specific embodiment the adjustable magnification ranges from 1× up to 200× optical magnification.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a granulation installation (10) for granulating molten material produced in a metallurgical plant. The installation comprises a.o. a steam condensation tower (30) with a steam condensing system and an evacuation device (60) for selectively evacuating gas and steam from said tower, condensing excessive steam and evacuating gas to the atmosphere, said evacuation device (60) having an inlet (62) arranged to communicate with said upper zone (44) of said condensation tower (30) above the water-spraying device (40) and an outlet arranged to evacuate and condensate steam and evacuate gas from said condensation tower (30).

Abstract: The present invention concerns a granulation installation (10) for granulating molten material produced in a metallurgical plant. The installation comprises a water injection device (20), for injecting granulation water into a flow of molten material (14) to granulate the molten material, a granulation tank (18) for collecting the granulation water and the granulated material. The installation further comprises a steam collecting hood that includes an evacuation device for evacuating steam from said hood, condensing said steam and evacuating said condensed steam to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A one-piece inner shield usable in a plasma sputter reactor and extending from the target to the pedestal with a smooth inner surface and supported by an annular flange in a middle portion of the shield. The shield may be used to support the RF coil used in exciting the plasma. An outer shield includes an outwardly extending flange on its end alignable with the inner shield flange, holes in correspondence to recesses in the inner shield for standoffs for the RF coil, and circumferentially arranged gas flow holes.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a substrate processing chamber component involves forming a component having a textured surface and sweeping a jet of pressurized fluid across the textured surface of the component. The jet of fluid is pressurized sufficiently high to dislodge substantially all the particles from the textured surface. The method can be applied to dislodge grit particles from textured exposed surfaces formed by electromagnetic energy beam scanning and grit blasting. The method can also be applied to remove loosely adhered coating particles from the textured surfaces of coated components.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a component for a substrate processing chamber involves providing a preform having internal and external surfaces, and providing a mandrel having a textured surface with a pattern of textured features comprising protrusions and depressions. The internal surface of the preform component is contacted with the textured surface of mandrel, and a pressure is applied to the external surface of the preform. The pressure is sufficiently high to plastically deform the preform over the textured surface of the mandrel to form a component having a textured internal surface comprising the pattern of textured feature that are shaped and sized to adhere process residues generated in the processing of substrates.

Abstract: A component for a substrate processing chamber has a structure having an overlying metal coating. The metal coating has a plurality of electron beam textured features that are formed by scanning an electron beam across a surface of the metal coating. The electron beam textured features include a plurality of depressions and protuberances on the surface that are capable of accumulating process deposits during processing of a substrate to reduce contamination of the substrate. The component having the metal coating provides improved processing results, and exhibits reduced erosion during cleaning processes performed to remove process deposits from the component.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention includes an auxiliary magnet ring positioned outside of the chamber wall of a plasma sputter reactor and being disposed at least partially radially outwardly of an RF coil used to inductively generate a plasma, particularly for sputter etching the substrate being sputter deposited. Thereby, a magnetic barrier prevents the plasma from leaking outwardly to the coil and improves the uniformity of sputter etching. The magnetic field also acts as a magnetron when the coil, when made of the same material as the primary target, is being used as a secondary target. Another aspect of the invention includes a one-piece inner shield extending from the target to the pedestal with a smooth inner surface and supported by an annular flange in a middle portion of the shield. The shield may be used to support the RF coil.

Abstract: A one-piece inner shield usable in a plasma sputter reactor and extending from the target to the pedestal with a smooth inner surface and supported by an annular flange in a middle portion of the shield. The shield may be used to support the RF coil used in exciting the plasma. An outer shield includes an outwardly extending flange on its end alignable with the inner shield flange, holes in correspondence to recesses in the inner shield for standoffs for the RF coil, and circumferentially arranged gas flow holes.

Abstract: In a method of cleaning a surface of a substrate processing chamber component to remove process deposits, the component surface is cooled to a temperature below about ?40° C. to fracture the process deposits on the surface. The surface can be cooled by immersing the surface in a low temperature fluid, such as liquid nitrogen. In another version, the component surface is heated to fracture and delaminate the deposits, and optionally, subsequently rapidly cooled to form more fractures. The component surface cleaning can also be performed by bead blasting followed by a chemical cleaning step.

Abstract: Plasma etching or resputtering of a layer of sputtered materials including opaque metal conductor materials may be controlled in a sputter reactor system. In one embodiment, resputtering of a sputter deposited layer is performed after material has been sputtered deposited and while additional material is being sputter deposited onto a substrate. A path positioned within a chamber of the system directs light or other radiation emitted by the plasma to a chamber window or other optical view-port which is protected by a shield against deposition by the conductor material. In one embodiment, the radiation path is folded to reflect plasma light around the chamber shield and through the window to a detector positioned outside the chamber window.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a substrate processing chamber component involves forming a component having a textured surface and sweeping a jet of pressurized fluid across the textured surface of the component. The jet of fluid is pressurized sufficiently high to dislodge substantially all the particles from the textured surface. The method can be applied to dislodge grit particles from textured exposed surfaces formed by electromagnetic energy beam scanning and grit blasting. The method can also be applied to remove loosely adhered coating particles from the textured surfaces of coated components.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention includes an auxiliary magnet ring positioned outside of the chamber wall of a plasma sputter reactor and being disposed at least partially radially outwardly of an RF coil used to inductively generate a plasma, particularly for sputter etching the substrate being sputter deposited. Thereby, a magnetic barrier prevents the plasma from leaking outwardly to the coil and improves the uniformity of sputter etching. The magnetic field also acts as a magnetron when the coil, when made of the same material as the primary target, is being used as a secondary target. Another aspect of the invention includes a one-piece inner shield extending from the target to the pedestal with a smooth inner surface and supported by an annular flange in a middle portion of the shield. The shield may be used to support the RF coil.

Abstract: An apparatus for a physical vapor deposition system includes a target having a sidewall having an undercut thereon defining a net erosion area and a net redeposition area.

Abstract: An apparatus for a physical vapor deposition system includes a target having a sidewall having an undercut thereon defining a net erosion area and a net redeposition area.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for measuring the temperature of a moving radiant object. A probe, such as a pyrometer, is disposed in an opening of a vacuum chamber adjacent a radiation transparent window. The probe defines an optical path which intercepts the radiant object entering or exiting a processing chamber. The radiant object is moved through the optical path and emits electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic waves are collected by the probe and transmitted to a signal processing unit where the waves are detected and converted to a temperature reading. If desired, the accumulated data may then be used to generate a cooling curve representing the thermal effects experienced by the radiant object. Extrapolation or correlation methods may be used to extend the cooling curve to points in time prior to or after the data collected by the probe.