Abstract: A method for cutting a sheet of material having a thickness of at most 400 ?m using an electromagnetic wave beam (EWB) such as a laser. The method comprises forming a surface initiation defect and irradiating the sheet along a predetermined path within a short distance from the initiation defect a scanning EWB, such that the sheet is heated and cooled to allow for the propagation of the initiation defect into the predetermined path, and further along the predetermined path to result in a separation of the sheet along the predetermined irradiation path. This method can be advantageously used to cut glass sheets having a thin thickness to result in high-quality edge substantially free of major defects carried over from the initiation defect.

Abstract: A non-contact dancer mechanism for conveying a web of brittle material includes a guide rail and a variable position web support plenum adjustably positioned on the guide rail. The variable position web support plenum may include an arcuate outer surface with a plurality of fluid vents for emitting a fluid to support the web of brittle material over and spaced apart from the arcuate outer surface thereby preventing mechanical contact and damage to the web of brittle material. A support plenum counterbalance may be mechanically coupled to the variable position web support plenum, wherein the support plenum counterbalance supports at least a portion of the weight of the variable position web support plenum on the guide rail. Apparatuses incorporating the non-contact dancer mechanism and methods for using the non-contact dancer mechanism for handling continuous webs of brittle material are also disclosed.

Abstract: A lead assembly of an implantable medical device includes an elongated body, electrodes on the body, and a tracking sensor located in the body. The body extends between a connector end and a leading end and has conductors disposed in the body. The connector end of the body includes terminals coupled with the conductors. The electrodes disposed on the body can be located at or near an anatomy of interest in a patient and are conductively coupled with the terminals of the body by the conductors. The electrodes are configured to sense electric activity of the anatomy of interest and/or deliver stimulus pulses to the anatomy of interest. The tracking sensor is conductively coupled with the terminals of the body by the conductors. The tracking sensor generates an electric position signal representative of a position of the tracking sensor in the heart when the body is in the patient.

Abstract: Packages and methods of packaging a plurality of glass sheets provide a stack of glass sheets with an interleaf protective sheet positioned between each adjacent pair of glass sheets. An outer portion of each interleaf protective sheet is bent over a portion of the peripheral edge of one of a corresponding adjacent pair of glass sheets to discourage relative shifting of the glass sheets with respect to one another. The stack of glass sheets are sandwiched between pressure members of an outer housing such that the pressure members each apply a support pressure that is distributed over an outer surface of a corresponding one of the pair of outermost glass sheets of the stack of glass sheets.

Abstract: A glass ribbon (10) including a first glass-ribbon portion (12) and a second portion (22) separated from one another by a gap (40), and a splice joint (30) coupling the first glass-ribbon portion to the second portion. The splice joint includes a splice member (31) having a Young's modulus and cross sectional area so that when subject to a force of 20 kg the splice member under-goes an elongation of ?20%. A filler material (80) may be disposed in the gap. Also, there are disclosed methods of splicing a glass ribbon, and preparing a coated glass ribbon for splicing. One embodiment of a method of splicing glass ribbon includes applying tape (70) to the glass ribbon, and cutting the glass ribbon together with the tape so as to create a free end in the glass ribbon. Before the glass ribbon is cut, a fracture line (75, 77) may be created in the glass ribbon wherein the tape is disposed across the fracture line.

Abstract: Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader.

Abstract: A non-contact dancer mechanism for conveying a web of brittle material includes a guide rail and a variable position web support plenum adjustably positioned on the guide rail. The variable position web support plenum may include an arcuate outer surface with a plurality of fluid vents for emitting a fluid to support the web of brittle material over and spaced apart from the arcuate outer surface thereby preventing mechanical contact and damage to the web of brittle material. A support plenum counterbalance may be mechanically coupled to the variable position web support plenum, wherein the support plenum counterbalance supports at least a portion of the weight of the variable position web support plenum on the guide rail. Apparatuses incorporating the non-contact dancer mechanism and methods for using the non-contact dancer mechanism for handling continuous webs of brittle material are also disclosed.

Abstract: Frontplane articles are described utilizing laminated glass substrates, for example, ion-exchanged glass substrates, with flexible glass and with opto-electronic devices which may be sensitive to alkali migration are described along with methods for making the articles.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for: applying an inorganic barrier layer to at least a portion of a flexible substrate, the barrier layer being formed from a low liquidus temperature (LLT) material; and sintering the inorganic barrier layer while maintaining the flexible substrate below a critical temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed are controlled chemical etching processes used to modify the geometry of surface flaws in thin glass substrates and glass substrate assemblies formed therefrom, and in particular glass substrates suitable for the manufacture of active matrix displays that are essentially free of alkali metal oxides such as Na2O, K2O and Li2O.

Abstract: An entry sheet comprising polymer material for drilling printed circuit boards is provided. The entry sheet is suitable for use with a broad range of diameters, including commonly available drill diameters. The entry sheet comprises an adhesive epoxy configured to, among others, resist drill deflection, resist mechanical damage, and reduce to dust such that the entry sheet may increase drilling accuracy, protect printed circuit board from damage, minimize entry burrs, and may addresses other issues such as fliers, bird nesting, and the like.

Abstract: A lead assembly of an implantable medical device includes an elongated body, electrodes on the body, and a tracking sensor located in the body. The body extends between a connector end and a leading end and has conductors disposed in the body. The connector end of the body includes terminals coupled with the conductors. The electrodes disposed on the body can be located at or near an anatomy of interest in a patient and are conductively coupled with the terminals of the body by the conductors. The electrodes are configured to sense electric activity of the anatomy of interest and/or deliver stimulus pulses to the anatomy of interest. The tracking sensor is conductively coupled with the terminals of the body by the conductors. The tracking sensor generates an electric position signal representative of a position of the tracking sensor in the heart when the body is in the patient.

Abstract: Articles are described utilizing laminated glass substrates, for example, ion-exchanged glass substrates, with flexible glass or polymers and with semiconductor devices which may be sensitive to alkali migration are described along with methods for making the articles.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating a glass ribbon comprise the step of bending a glass ribbon in a cutting zone to provide a bent target segment with a bent orientation in the cutting zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of the bent target segment within the cutting zone. Further methods are provided including the step of bending a glass ribbon in a bending zone downstream from a downward zone, wherein the glass ribbon includes an upwardly concave surface through the bending zone. The methods further include the step of severing at least one of the edge portions from the central portion of a target segment within the bending zone.

Abstract: A sintered electrolyte sheet comprising: a body of no more than 45 ?m thick and laser machined features with at least one edge surface having at least 10% ablation. A method of micromachining the electrolyte sheet includes the steps of: (i) supporting a sintered electrolyte sheet; (ii) micromachining said sheet with a laser, wherein said laser has a wavelength of less than 2 ?m, fluence of less than 200 Joules/cm2, repettion rate (RR) of between 30 Hz and 1 MHz, and cutting speed of preferably over 30 mm/sec.

Abstract: A method for separating sheet of brittle material having a thickness equal to or less than about 1 mm is disclosed. Once an initial flaw or crack is produced, a full body crack can be propagated across a dimension of the brittle material with a laser beam that is substantially absorbed proximate the surface of the sheet to produce sub-sheets. In some embodiments, only a single pass of the laser beam over a surface of the sheet is necessary to separate the sheet. In other embodiments a plurality of passes may be used. Sub-sheets can be further processed into electronic devices by depositing thin film materials on the sub-piece.

Abstract: A method for cutting a sheet of material having a thickness of at most 400 ?m using an electromagnetic wave beam (EWB) such as a laser. The method comprises forming a surface initiation defect and irradiating the sheet along a predetermined path within a short distance from the initiation defect a scanning EWB, such that the sheet is heated and cooled to allow for the propagation of the initiation defect into the predetermined path, and further along the predetermined path to result in a separation of the sheet along the predetermined irradiation path. This method can be advantageously used to cut glass sheets having a thin thickness to result in high-quality edge substantially free of major defects carried over from the initiation defect.

Abstract: Systems and methods include high throughput and/or parallelized ray/geometric shape intersection testing using intersection testing resources accepting and operating with block floating point data. Block floating point data sacrifices precision of scene location in ways that maintain precision where more beneficial, and allow reduced precision where beneficial. In particular, rays, acceleration structures, and primitives can be represented in a variety of block floating point formats, such that storage requirements for storing such data can be reduced. Hardware accelerated intersection testing can be provided with reduced sized math units, with reduced routing requirements. A driver for hardware accelerators can maintain full-precision versions of rays and primitives to allow reduced communication requirements for high throughput intersection testing in loosely coupled systems. Embodiments also can include using BFP formatted data in programmable test cells or more general purpose processing elements.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for guiding flexible glass ribbons (13) without mechanically contacting the central portion (4) of the ribbon are provided in which two curved sections are formed in the ribbon which stiffen the ribbon so that lateral forces can be applied to the ribbon without causing it to buckle. The curvatures of the curved sections are along the direction of motion (15) of the ribbon and can be produced using curved air-bars (12,14) and/or pairs of cylindrical rollers (5a,5b,16a,16b). The lateral forces can be applied by pairs of guide rollers (7a,7b,9a,9b) which can be mounted on spring-loaded pivot arms (6,19,29) and can have a complaint outer coating or sleeve (35). The guiding system can be used in the winding of the glass ribbon onto a cylindrical core (11).

Abstract: A method of separating a sheet of coated brittle material comprises the steps of providing a sheet of layered brittle material comprising a brittle layer and a coating material adhered to a surface of the brittle layer and applying a laser along a separation line in the sheet, thereby cutting the coating material and separating the brittle layer by inducing a stress fracture therein.