Abstract: A method and apparatus for locally raising the temperature of a material in order to facilitate chemical reactions or processes related to growth or removal of the material utilizes an electrode to apply, in the presence of a growth or removal medium, a controlled succession of thermal spikes or shockwaves of varying energy. The scale of the thermal spikes or shockwaves, and the area of the material affected by the resulting energy transfer, is on the order of a few nanometers to several hundred micrometers, and the duration of the thermal spikes or shockwaves ranges from a few picoseconds to several hundred nanoseconds. The growth or removal medium may be a cryogenic liquid, although other growth media, including liquids, solids, gases in critical or non-critical state, and mixtures of liquids and solids, solids and gases, and liquids and gases, may also be employed.

Abstract: A low temperature target and backing plate bonding process and assemblies made thereby. A plurality of male projections (8) are formed in one member (2) of the assembly with a plurality of corresponding female recesses (9) formed in the other member (4). The assembly is bonded by conventional techniques around the peripheral boundary (25) that surrounds the male and female portions (8,9). The assembly is then pressure consolidated at low temperature so that the projections (8), circumscribed by the bonded zone, are force fit into the female recesses (9).

Abstract: A method of treating an object containing a material of metal, oxidized metal, non-metal, and the like and combinations thereof. The method includes (a) exposing an object to a controlled gas atmosphere, and (b) during at least a portion of time during such exposing, subjecting a specific area of the material to an energy beam, preferably a focused energy beam, more preferably a focused and filtered energy beam, having sufficient intensity to provide for the treating of the specific area. Such treating includes heating, welding, cutting, dicing, soldering, singulating, reducing, oxidizing, fusing, melting, and the like and combinations thereof. The energy beam source can be a laser selected from a group which includes YAG lasers, excimer lasers, gas lasers, semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, X-ray lasers, free-electron lasers, ion lasers, gas mixture lasers, chemical lasers, and the like and combinations thereof.

Abstract: In an optical system in which a shaping aperture is illuminated by an illuminating optical system composed of an asymmetric lens system and in which an aperture image obtained is projected by a projecting optical system so as to be contracted, if a plane perpendicular to an optical axis is called an XY plane, a crossover between the optical axis and an X or Y track of an electron beam emitted by an electron gun is located above the shaping aperture, while a crossover between the optical axis and the Y or X track of the beam is located below the shaping aperture. The illuminating optical system is regulated so that these vertical positions are at an equal distance from the shaping aperture and so that the projecting magnification of the beam from the electron gun is the same at both crossovers.

Abstract: A method of treating an object containing a material of metal, oxidized metal, non-metal, and the like and combinations thereof. The method includes (a) exposing an object to a controlled gas atmosphere, and (b) during at least a portion of time during such exposing, subjecting a specific area of the material to an energy beam, preferably a focused energy beam, more preferably a focused and filtered energy beam, having sufficient intensity to provide for the treating of the specific area. Such treating includes heating, welding, cutting, dicing, soldering, singulating, reducing, oxidizing, fusing, melting, and the like and combinations thereof. The energy beam source can be a laser selected from a group which includes YAG lasers, excimer lasers, gas lasers, semiconductor lasers, solid-state lasers, dye lasers, X-ray lasers, free-electron lasers, ion lasers, gas mixture lasers, chemical lasers, and the like and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A method of working an optical element for producing an optical element having a microscopic pattern, comprising a pattern drawing step for forming a specified pattern corresponding to said optical element on a base material including a layer of pattern drawing object, wherein said layer of pattern drawing object has a curved surface, and said specified pattern is drawn by the application of an electron beam to said layer of pattern drawing object.

Abstract: In this invention hot carrier stress of a transistor allows trimming of an offset voltage of an integrated circuit by producing permanent damage to the transistor by means of interface state generation. The hot carrier stress is applied to the integrated circuit for a period of time and the offset voltage is measured. The process is repeated until the offset voltage is within specification. Probe pads are used to allow probing of the circuitry and application of the required voltages. The circuit used to demonstrate the technique is a differential amplifier but offset voltages in other integrated circuits can be adjusted using the method of high voltage stress a transistor. Other high voltage stress techniques like Fowler-Nordheim tunneling can also be used.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for beam welding of hardenable steels using a short-time heat treatment. A preferred area of application of the invention is motor vehicle and mechanical engineering. In the method according to the invention, the short-time heat treatment occurs first as the sole preheating in a defined manner, and then the beam welding begins after a defined cooling time, at the latest.

Abstract: To achieve uniform heating of metal components in all their regions, a method and device for heating metal components using electron irradiation in a vacuum chamber includes multilayer holding elements having an outer layer facing the electron radiation. The outer layer is resistant to heat and exhibits good heat-absorption properties. The holding elements also have an inner layer facing the respective metal component and exhibiting good heat-radiating properties. The holding elements are used to hold the metal components in the vacuum chamber during heating.

Abstract: This method and apparatus permit installing and removing an electron beam generating element comprising a filament or a cathode in a rapidly replaceable module. The apparatus is an electron gun system having an electron gun enclosure, a feed-through element extending through the electron gun enclosure, an electron beam generating element housed within a filament module housing and connected to the feed-through element, an electron gun column and a connector port in the gun enclosure for direct removal and replacement of the filament. The feed-through element and the filament module housing are removed, through the connector port, from the gun enclosure and then the filament is removed and replaced. A load-lock is provided above the connector port to avoid venting into the gun. A bellows can be used to facilitate removal of the gun with minimal exposure to ambient atmospheric gases.