Abstract: A process for detection of straight-line segments in a stream of digital data that are representative of an image (m, n) in which the contour points of said image each defined by the modulus and the orientation &thgr; of their gradient in relation to a horizontal axis are identified. The stream of digital data is stored in the form of two successive lines, each of n points P(i, j), for each of the lines the n points of said line are extracted successively, and for each point Pc(i, j) extracted, the so-called current point, the three points having inferior coordinates Pa(i−1, j−1), Pb(i, j−1), Pd(i−1, j) directly neighbouring said current point are extracted, successively the value of the orientation of the current point Pc is compared with that of the neighbouring points Pa, Pb and Pd. The values of the orientations of the points Pb and Pd are compared, the result of a comparison is validated if the points are contour points and if the values of their orientation are close.

Abstract: A process for detection of straight-line segments in a stream of digital data that are representative of an image (m, n) in which the contour points of said image each defined by the modulus and the orientation &thgr; of their gradient in relation to a horizontal axis are identified. The stream of digital data is stored in the form of two successive lines, each of n points P(i, j), for each of the lines the n points of said line are extracted successively, and for each point Pc(i, j) extracted, the so-called current point, the three points having inferior coordinates Pa(i−1, j−1), Pb(i, j−1), Pd(i−1, j) directly neighbouring said current point are extracted, successively the value of the orientation of the current point Pc is compared with that of the neighbouring points Pa, Pb and Pd. The values of the orientations of the points Pb and Pd are compared, the result of a comparison is validated if the points are contour points and if the values of their orientation are close.

Abstract: In a vacuum pumping system according to the invention, the Roots or claw multistage dry primary pump discharges into an outlet stage including an additional piston or membrane pump connected in parallel with a preliminary evacuation pipe including a check valve. The outlet stage very significantly reduces heating of the primary pump and thereby enables the vacuum pumping system to pump efficiently and without damage gases with a low thermal conductivity, such as argon or xenon.

Abstract: A reactor for applying reactive ion etching to a component, wherein a substrate holder (3) and clamping means (10) are provided for respectively supporting and securing components (8) to be exposed to reactive ion flux, that includes a separate shield arrangement (20) fixed in a detachable way on said substrate holder (3), above said clamping means (10) to mask said clamping means with respect to said reactive ion flux. Said shield arrangement (20), made up of a single ring can be mounted on said substrate holder (3) directly upon said clamping means or can also be mounted just above it and separated by a small distance from said clamping means (10). The shield arrangement (20) can also made up of at least two rings (22) which are stacked with a small mutual separation, above said clamping means (10). The material of said shield arrangement (20) can be covered with a film of dielectric material and electrically connected to ground (23) through said substrate holder (3).

Abstract: In a process for treatment of a substrate placed in a vacuum enclosure, the invention provides for compensating any variation of the active gas supply flowrate through an active gas supply pipe by injecting a complementary flowrate of control gas into an area near controlled gas aspiration means. This circumvents the inability of pressure control systems and impedance matching systems to respond in times of the order of one second to variations of the input active gas flowrate.

Abstract: In a vacuum pumping system according to the invention, the Roots or claw multistage dry primary pump discharges into an outlet stage including an additional piston or membrane pump connected in parallel with a preliminary evacuation pipe including a check valve. The outlet stage very significantly reduces heating of the primary pump and thereby enables the vacuum pumping system to pump efficiently and without damage gases with a low thermal conductivity, such as argon or xenon.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device for acquisition of images of objects, such as barcodes, includes a lighting system which is designed such that the axis of the light beam intersects the optical axis. A reflector that allows the image beam to pass through, and can reflect the light beam, is disposed such as to intercept the light beam, and is inclined relative to the optical axis, by an angle which is such that the light beam is centered on the optical axis. The lighting system is designed to light the useful optical field throughout the entire depth of the field, and the angle &agr;, in which the lighting system is seen from the object plane, is such that α ≤ Arc ⁢   ⁢ tg ⁢ L 5 ⁢ P , in which L is the width of the object plane, and P is the distance between the object and the lighting system.

Abstract: In a process for treatment of a substrate placed in a vacuum enclosure, the invention provides for compensating any variation of the active gas supply flowrate through an active gas supply pipe by injecting a complementary flowrate of control gas into an area near controlled gas aspiration means. This circumvents the inability of pressure control systems and impedance matching systems to respond in times of the order of one second to variations of the input active gas flowrate.

Abstract: A method of plasma etching of silicon that utilizes the plasma to provide laterally defined recess structures through a mask. The method is based on the variation of the plasma parameters to provide a well-controlled anisotropic etch, while achieving a very high etch rate, and a high selectivity with respect to a mask. A mixed gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber after the chamber is evacuated, and plasma is generated within the chamber. The substrate's surface is exposed to the plasma. Power sources are used for formation of the plasma discharge. An integrated control system is used to modulate the plasma discharge power and substrate polarization voltage levels.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device for acquisition of images, such as images of bar codes, includes a case which contains an electronic scanning sensor, an illumination source and optics including a diaphragm that permit the formation of images on the sensor. The optics include at least two diopters disposed between the diaphragm and the sensor. For example, the diopters may take the form of a revolved symmetrical lens, the useful part of which is convex, and a cylindrical lens which does not create any deflection in a plane parallel to the optical plane, and is convergent in a plane perpendicular to the parallel plane.

Abstract: The invention concerns an oplo-electronic device for acquisition of images of codes in one and two dimensions, comprising an electronic sensor constituted by a high-resolution photosensitive matrix, an analog/digital converter to convert the data emitted from the electronic sensor, and an image acquisition and processing module, comprising a preprocessing module and two processing modules, forming a pipe-line type architecture. The preprocessing module, acts in synchronous mode on the flow of digital data and implements simple image-processing operations. A number of cabled processing units can form the preprocessing modules. The processing modules, are constituted by programmable modules acting in asynchronous mode on the data emitted from the preceding module and stored in alternative manner in two memory blocks.

Abstract: A method of plasma etching of silicon that utilizes the plasma to provide laterally defined recess structures through a mask. The method is based on the variation of the plasma parameters to provide a well-controlled anisotropic etch, while achieving a very high etch rate, and a high selectivity with respect to a mask. A mixed gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber after the chamber is evacuated, and plasma is generated within the chamber. The substrate's surface is exposed to the plasma. Power sources are used for formation of the plasma discharge. An integrated control system is used to modulate the plasma discharge power and substrate polarization voltage levels.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a process for acquiring bichromatic bar codes, with a two-dimensional sensor with electronic scanning. The height Hy of the scanned portion is modified between at least two successive scanning operations. Thus, the device is or may be adapted to the type and/or to characteristics not known in advance of the code to be read.

Abstract: In the invention, deposits that disturb electrical discharges between the rotor and the stator inside a turbomolecular pump with a plurality of stages on magnetic or gas bearings are prevented from forming by injecting an active gas at at least one suitable location inside the pump via at least one gas intake pipe, which active gas reacts with the deposit-generating molecules and forms gaseous compounds that are removed by the pump. Such deposits are thus prevented from forming without disturbing the conductance of the pump or adversely affecting the atmosphere present in the enclosure to which the pump is connected.

Abstract: A barcode label reader comprises a read window having a longer dimension parallel to an X axis and a lens system with an optical axis Y substantially normal to the window at its center which projects a conjugate image of a read line of the label onto a CCD type strip which is scanned sequentially to form a signal representing the barcode carried by the label. A strip of light-emitting diodes is disposed outside the X-Y plane to illuminate the label through the read window. A prismlike lens in the form of two refractors separated by a slot in the X-Y plane deflects the beam emitted by this strip so that it is substantially parallel to the X-Y plane. Thus, the depth of field of the reader is limited only by the aperture of the lens system.