Abstract: Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to laser exposure system that employs a pulsed solid state laser to provide a reactive response wavelength and a pulse repetition rate specifically optimized for application to solidification of a liquid photopolymer in a stereolithographic process. The solid state laser employs two second harmonic crystals for generating an emission wavelength at about 320-345 nm and a pulse repetition rate, wherein the pulse repetition rate is selected such that a pulse separation at the target surface results which is less than a diameter of the beam when the beam is being scanned at a desired velocity and an average exposure deposited by the beam is equal to a desired amount.

Abstract: A solid-state laser includes a high-absorption coefficient solid-state gain medium such as Nd:YVO.sub.4 that is side pumped with a semiconductor laser diode array. The resonant cavity of the solid-state laser is positioned so that the TEM.sub.00 mode is spaced from the face of the laser through which the laser is pumped by a distance sufficient to reduce diffraction losses but sufficiently near to allow coupling of pump light into the gain mode. The gain medium, the doping level of the gain medium, and the operating temperature of the pump laser are selected to efficiently couple pump light into the gain mode. The pump laser is positioned to side pump the gain medium without collimating or focusing optics between the pump laser and the face of the gain medium. A gap between the pump laser and the gain medium is empirically selected to match the angular extent of the pump laser output light to the height of the gain mode at the position of the gain mode fixed to optimize coupling and diffraction losses.

Abstract: Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to laser exposure systems that employ a pulsed solid state laser to provide a reactive response wavelength and a pulse repetition rate specifically optimized for application to solidification of a liquid photopolymer in a stereolithographic process. The solid state laser employs two second harmonic crystals for generating an emission wavelength at about 320-345 nm and a pulse repetition rate, wherein the pulse repetition rate is selected such that a resulting pulse separation at the target surface is less than a width of the beam when the beam is being scanned at a desired velocity and an average exposure deposited by the beam is equal to a desired amount.

Abstract: A system for rapidly producing an integrated circuit on a substrate using a curable liquid capable of solidification to form a photo-resist pattern corresponding to an artwork representation of interconnections when subjected to ultra-violet light energy operates with a processor and computer aided design software. The system includes an x-y table, an electronically erasable mask, a drawing device and a projecting system. The substrate is disposed on the x-y table. The curable liquid lies in a solidification plane on the substrate. The electronically erasable mask is an ultra-violet wavelength isolating image buffer and is electrically coupled to the processor. The drawing device may be a back lighted liquid crystal display or a high resolution cathode ray tube or an infrared diode laser raster scanner and electronically draws an image of the artwork representation for the interconnections onto the electronically erasable mask.

Abstract: A liquid stabilizing system stabilizes an internal mirror/internal resonator gas discharge laser tube assembly which has a hermetically sealed gas laser tube which includes a gas, a capillary tube, an anode, an anode end assembly, a cathode, a cathode end bell, a cathode end assembly with electrical feed-throughs for the cathode, which are coaxially disposed with a central axis, and laser mirrors, which are sealably mounted to each end of the hermetically sealed gas laser tube. The liquid stabilizing system includes a cylindrical plastic jacket and a cooling liquid. The plastic jacket has a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet and surrounds the hermetically sealed gas laser tube. The cylindrical cooling jacket is sealed to the hermetically sealed laser tube by O-rings which are held in place by plastic retainers. An annulus is formed between the hermetically sealed laser tube and the plastic jacket.

Abstract: An inspection/detection system for use in forensic applications includes a carrying case, a high intensity lamp assembly and a plurality of notch filters. The carrying case has a cover-lid and is a rectangular box with a closed end and an open end to which the cover-lid is hingedly coupled. The high intensity lamp assembly generates light energy of multiple wavelengths within the visible spectrum and infrared spectrum. The high intensity lamp assembly has an output aperture and is mounted within the carrying case. A power supply unit is mounted within the carrying case and energizes the high intensity lamp assembly in order to generate light energy therefrom. An optical connector is optically coupled to the output aperture of the high intensity lamp assembly. A flexible optical fiber cable is optically coupled to the optical connector.

Abstract: A system for rapidly producing a plastic part from a curable liquid which solidifies when subjected to ultra-violet light energy operates with a processor and computer aided design software. The system includes a receptacle and a moving mechanism which is electrically coupled to the processor. The receptacle stores the curable liquid part of which lies in a solidification plane. The system also includes an electronically erasable mask, a drawing device and a projecting system all of which are electrically coupled to the processor. The electronically erasable mask is an ultra-violet wavelength isolating image buffer. The drawing device may be a back lighted liquid crystal display or a high resolution cathode ray tube or an infrared diode laser raster scanner and electronically draws a plurality of images of successive cross-sectional laminae onto the electronically erasable mask.

Abstract: An ultraviolet metal vapor laser tube includes an elongated envelope, an active laser medium, an output coupling mirror assembly which is disposed on one end of the elongated envelope and a reflector mirror assembly which is disposed on the other end thereof. The active laser medium consists of helium gas and cadmium vapor and is contained in the elongated envelope. A partially reflecting multilayer dielectric coating is formed on the inner surface of a glass substrate to form the output coupling mirror assembly. The glass substrate has a thickness in the range of 3.0 to 10.0 millimeters and transmits at least 85% of light energy at a wavelength of 325 nanometers. A reflecting multilayer dielectric coating is formed on the inner surface of a glass substrate and is substantially reflective of light energy at a wavelength of 325 nanometers to form the reflector mirror assembly.

Abstract: A metal vapor laser discharge tube configuration for preventing accumulation of the condensed metal form interfering with the generated laser beam. A heater arrangement is positioned on the tube in an area corresponding to the area in which the metal vapor condenses within the tube. Energization of the heater when required melts the condensate thus extending the laser tube lifetime.

Abstract: An improved stereolithographic system which produces a three-dimensional object from a heat curable fluid medium which is capable of solidification when subjected to heat includes a computer-aided design controller, a container, an elevator platform and a first servo mechanism which incrementally drives the elevator platform in response to the output signals. The improved stereolithographic system also includes an elongated carrier which is movably coupled to the container, a second servo mechanism which incrementally drives the elongated carrier along the two side walls of the container in response to the output signals, a plurality of spot-sources of heat and a switching network. Each spot-source of heat may be individually switched on and is serially disposed on and fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the elongated carrier on the bottom surface adjacent to the designated working surface. The switching network individually switches on each spot-source of heat in response to each set of output signals.

Abstract: An inspection/detection system is for use in forensic applications. The inspection/detection system includes a carrying case which has a cover-lid, a light module and a power supply module. The carrying case is a rectangular box with a closed end and an open end to which the cover-lid is hingedly coupled. The light module is mounted within the carrying case and has an output aperture. The light module may be an argon laser head. The power supply module is disposed within the carrying case and energizes the light module to generate light energy therefrom. The inspection/detection system also includes an optical connector and a shutter assembly. The optical connector is optically coupled to the output aperture. The shutter assembly is optically coupled to the optical connector. The inspection/detection system further includes a flexible optical fiber, a remote control handpiece and a heat exchanger. The flexible optical fiber cable is optically coupled to the optical connector.

Abstract: An integral mirror type laser system which produces miltiline emissions simultaneously and which is adapted for use in optical data processing systems. In particular, in a first embodiment, a unitary positive column laser comprises two sections, the first section comprising a positive column helium-cadmium laser, the second section comprising a positive column helium-neon laser, the first and second sections being coaxially aligned and having different inner diameters. Simultaneous excitation in the two different sections provides optimum excitation for red laser light, produced by the helium-neon section and blue laser light produced by the helium-neon-cadmium section. The present system also allows separate cadmium vapor pressure control by separately controlling the vaporization temperature of the cadmium and also allows confinement of the cadmium vapor whereby the vapor does not contaminate one of the optical windows which confines the active laser medium.

Abstract: A laser printing system having a plurality of modules is provided wherein one of the modules comprises a laser, modulator and part of the system optics, the light output from the module being directed to a rotating scanner. The components in the module are secured to a common base member to minimize relative movement between the components, the alignment between the output laser beam and a cylindrical lens, the cylindrical lens being one element of the module optics, thereby being substantially maintained so that the energy distribution of the laser beam focused onto a recording medium across a scan line is maintained at its optimum value. If the laser or other component in the module becomes defective, the module is removed and replaced with a similar module, the critical alignment between the laser beam and the cylindrical lens thereby being maintained.

Abstract: An internal mirror metal vapor laser, and in particular, a helium-cadmium laser discharge tube, which is economical, compact and has a relatively long operating and shelf life, the operating life typically exceeding 10,000 hours. A positive column helium-cadmium laser tube of the consumable type and having optical resonator mirrors integral with the tube ends to hermetically seal the tube is provided which includes a relatively large volume cadmium reservoir capable of containing sufficient cadmium for operating life times exceeding ten thousand hours. A heater is applied to the cadmium reservoir for controlling the cadmium vapor pressure. The helium pressure is actively controlled by releasing helium from a high pressure helium reservoir when the helium pressure is less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A molecular gas is compressed in a quasi-adiabatic manner to produce pulsed adiation during each compressor cycle when the pressure and temperature are sufficiently high, and part of the energy is recovered during the expansion phase, as defined in U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,666; characterized by use of a cylinder with a reciprocating piston as a compressor.

Abstract: An internal mirror metal vapor laser, and in particular, a helium-cadmium laser discharge tube, which is economical, compact and has a relatively long operating and shelf life, typically of 10,000 hours. A positive column helium-cadmium laser tube of the consumable type and having optical resonator mirrors integral with the tube ends to hermetically seal the tube is provided which includes a relatively large volume cadmium reservoir capable of containing sufficient cadmium for life times exceeding ten thousand hours. A resistive heater is applied to the cadmium reservoir for controlling the cadmium vapor pressure. A heat sunk diffusion confinement section and a cataphoretic confinement section are provided adjacent one end mirror and a heat sunk diffusion confinement section is provided adjacent the other end mirror to protect the end mirrors from condensing cadmium vapor.

Abstract: A radiation emission device characterized by a cylindrical cathode enclosed by an elongated envelope having a body section and two end sections is disclosed. The device includes an anode terminal, coupled to the body section, which serves to provide electrical energy to excite metallic material inside the envelope. The device further includes a pair of cataphoresis terminals located along each end section to prevent the excited metallic material from drifting into contact with radiation transmission windows located at the terminus of each end section.