Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for placing a contact print slide (134) in a photographic printer (10) having a platen (54) for supporting a photographic paper (32) during exposure of an image (88, 90) onto the paper at a paper print gate (36) at the platen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively exposing an uneven substrate surface. The method can be used to remove a coating from the upper portions of the substrate surface by applying photoresist over the coating, placing a prism on the coated substrate, projecting light rays through the prism toward the substrate surface, removing either the exposed or unexposed photoresist, and removing the exposed coating.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transferring xerographically printed information on a piece of paper (102) to an ultraviolet sensitive medium (101). The paper (102) can be optionally treated with a chemical (207) to enhance ultraviolet light transmission through the paper (102). The paper (102)/medium (101) assembly may be advanced via nip rollers (432, 433) at a predetermined rate so as to optimize time of exposure to the ultraviolet light source (410).

Abstract: A device for aligning a flexible mask with a substrate when the substrate is mounted on a vacuum chuck member which includes a surround member surrounding the exposed surface of the substrate. The mask is held on a mask holder and the chuck member and mask holder are movable toward and away from each other. The surround member rests on a flexible element which effectively causes the surround member to float so that when the mask is brought into contact with the substrate, the mask always lies in the same plane as the exposed surface of the substrate and the exposed surface of the surround member and no distortion of the mask occurs.

Abstract: A light-and pressure-sensitive recording sheet and an original, overlapping each other, are introduced into an image forming apparatus, and are exposed to radiation on a transparent drum by means of a light source in the drum, whereupon a latent image, based on the contents of the original, is formed on the recording sheet. Then, the recording sheet is separated from the original by means of a separator, and is passed between a pair of pressure rolls. When the recording sheet is exposed, microcapsules thereon change their hardness. These microcapsules are ruptured selectively by pressure applied to the sheet. As a result, a chromogenic material, contained in the microcapsules, and a developer material, on the surface of a substrate of the recording sheet, react with each other, so that the sheet surface changes its color. Thus, the latent image is developed to accomplish copying in accordance with the original.

Abstract: A compound register pin is provided for aligning lithographic plates and mask sheets which has a rectilinear base portion adapted to fit into the slot of the lithographic plate and a further outer cylindrical portion adapted to accurately fit within the hole of a mask sheet so as to accurately align the mask sheet over the lithographic plate for transfer of the mask sheet images to the lithographic plate in precise registration.

Abstract: A photographic exposure apparatus comprising a support serving as a carrier for sheet material which is an original, or a photographic material, or is an original together with a photographic matrial; and a translucent positioning sheet for covering at least partially said support and which is adapted to engage a corner of said sheet material, characterized in that said translucent positioning sheet is provided with a pair of locating means spaced apart from each other so as to engage two neighbouring corners of said sheet material, whereby said sheet material may be located in a predetermined position, the said positioning sheet being attached to the said support.

Abstract: An exposing apparatus arranged, while peripherally sealing a space between an original and a material to be exposed by a packing of elastic material, to evacuate the space to thereby ensure intimate contact between the original and the material to be exposed, the exposing apparatus being characterized in that the packing is hollow so as to make it possible to change its thickness by changing its internal pressure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for precisely registering a flexible web to a stationary rigid support station to accurately and repeatably electrostatically transfer a developed image from a master on the flexible web to a receiving surface on the rigid support station.

Abstract: This specification discloses an illuminating optical system in which the optical position of a multi-beam generating optical element along the direction of the optical axis is variable, whereby a desired printing wavelength selected from a wide wavelength range from the UV area to the Deep UV area can be used in the same illuminating optical system and illumination irregularity can be kept very slight.

Abstract: A printer which includes a lower cabinet, and an upper cabinet pivotally connected at its one end to the lower cabinet for selective opening or closing with respect to the lower cabinet. The lower cabinet is provided with a holder plate to place on it a photosensitive and heat-sensitive paper having a heat-sensitive layer to be sensitized by light and visualized by heat, and a set of heat fixing rollers for visualizing images by imparting heat to the photo-sensitive and heat-sensitive paper, while the upper cabinet is provided with a transparent liquid crystal display panel of a light transmitting type disposed at a position to confront the photo-sensitive and heat-sensitive paper placed on the holder plate, upon closure of the upper cabinet with respect to the lower cabinet so as to display images corresponding to input as applied by an external operation or external signal and a light source for projecting light onto the transparent liquid crystal panel from its upper portion.

Abstract: A recording device such as an electronic blackboard has a transparent and flexible drawing sheet in an endless form which stretches around a pair of parallel rollers and on which characters and figures can be erasably drawn. A uniformly charged photosensitive sheet is disposed behind this stretched drawing sheet and light is made incident thereon through the drawing sheet such that a latent image is formed on the photosensitive sheet corresponding to the characters and figures on the drawing sheet. A printed copy of this latent image is obtained by the known electrophotographic technique.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a phototool to a light sensitive substrate by means of a roller for applying the phototool to the substrate and a vacuum restraining means for restraining the phototool to maintain it under tension during application of the phototool to the substrate.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for illuminating a surface, having formed thereon a pattern, to transfer the pattern onto a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus includes an elliptic mirror for forming an image of a light source, an imaging system for re-imaging the image of the light source, formed by the elliptical mirror, while causing a curvature of field, a multi-beam generating system disposed relative to the imaging system so that the optimum focus located at the off-axis position of the imaging system is coincident with an input surface of the multi-beam generating system, and a collimator for directing to the pattern surface a number of discrete light beams generated by the multi-beam generating system to illuminate the pattern surface. Whereby a uniform intensity distribution of the light illuminating the pattern surface and a high light-collecting efficiency are assured.

Abstract: A photographic contact printing apparatus for duplicating original color picture films that can be operated in a lightroom, and that can expose the necessary number of photosensitive materials sequentially by closely contacting each of them with respective original picture films set up at an exposure position with a predetermined sequence according to commands of control means which are previously established by exposure conditions.

Abstract: The equipment is intended for exposing both side of printed circuit plates by means of a contact print. The equipment comprises a master copy and printed circuit plates holder in a rack provided with feeding elements and guided in parallel between two light sources and comprising respectively one portion above and below the exposure plane. The holder is formed of a dual frame (1) the two frame portions 2,2' of which are formed to be moved part and together relative to one another and in parallel to one another and while remaining in a position parallel with respect to one another. Located in the frame portions (2,2') of the dual frame (1) is respectively one transparency (4) framed by a frame (5) provided at least on one side thereof with alignment elements (15), with suction ports (7) being provided in its counterdirected surfaces (6) along the circumferential edges thereof.

Abstract: An optical system for determining and reproducing spatial separation of features in the range of 80 .ANG. to 2500 .ANG. for optical microscopy and lithography using visible light, the system being independent of the wavelength of the incident light.An aperture mask is provided having at least one aperture of between about 80 .ANG. and 2500 .ANG. diameter. The mask may be used in optical microscopy to view objects with a high degree of resolution by placing the mask within the near field of light emanating from a sample to be viewed. The mask may also be used for high resolution optical lithography by placing a resist material within the near field of light passing through the mask.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for laser marking of an article in which a pulsed, linearly polarized laser beam is passed through a stencil-type mask and imaged onto an article to be marked.In order to increase the overall transmission and hence the efficiency of the process, at least part of the laser beam energy which is reflected from the opaque parts of the mask is collected and redirected to the mask. The apparatus includes means for separating by beam polarization that portion of the laser radiation reflected by the opaque parts of the stencil and means for reflecting said portion of the radiation back to the stencil.

Abstract: The surface of a sheet-like member such as a sheet of paper may be illuminated by surrounding the member with confronted electrodes. Passing an AC voltage across the electrodes generates a corona discharge within the member. The light so produced facilitates the copying of images on the surface of the member by illuminating the surface from within.

Abstract: A simple proofing apparatus which provides a proof by preparing a synthetic image from proofreading films of each color which are colored with cyan, yellow, magenta, black etc., corresponding to original plates for each color separation films, comprising a table for mounting a ground paper or a proofreading film thereon, a positioning pin adapted to engage with a punch hole formed through said proofreading film for positioning said ground paper or said proofreading film on said table, an absorbing groove provided on an upper surface of said table for fixedly adsorbing said ground paper or said proofreading film on said table, and a heating means adapted to heat said proofreading film mounted on said table and move on said table.

Abstract: More effective camouflage patterns are generated by use of certain known tographic and photooptical contrasting procedures to obtain more desirable positive high contrast images representative of the natural background areas in which military equipment is intended to operate. Generating and using such camouflage patterns constitute a unique and novel use of such images which have predetermined color tones or values assigned to varying degrees of light, intermediate and dark contrast areas. The patterns may be applied onto the equipment in any of several conventionally known manners, thereby enabling otherwise artistically unskilled field soldiers to more effectively camouflage their equipment.

Abstract: A device for photolithographically treating a thin substrate comprises pre-alignment station, a substrate-supporting table and a transport arm which is provided with a vacuum connection for holding the substrate by suction at its lower side during transport of the substrate from the pre-alignment station to the substrate table. The substrate table is provided with supporting means for the substrate which are adjustable in the direction of height and which have a supporting surface which is adjustable to a distance above the substrate table exceeding the thickness of the transport arm and is adjustable in a downward direction at least through a distance such that the supporting surface is level with the upper surface of the substrate table, the supporting means leaving a space free for the movement of the transport arm above a part of the substrate table.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for the preparation of photopolymerized relief image plates is disclosed in which a series of indicators are used to indicate that the liquid photopolymerizable material is prepared for exposure to actinic radiation. Such detection may be accomplished by the closure of electrically energized indicator circuits used to detect when a top cover is in position over a layer of liquid photopolymerizable material. In addition, the actinic radiation may be activated directly by the closure of such circuits. Also disclosed is a method by which the time required for the top cover to come to rest in position over the photopolymerizable layer can be measured, and this measurement may then be used as a control to determine if a sufficient amount of photopolymerizable material to make an acceptable relief image plate was deposited on the platemaking surface.

Abstract: This invention concerns method and apparatus for making a mask conforming to a cured MLC substrate. The mask when made may be used to add layers of metallization to the cured substrate by conventional photolithographic techniques. The method and apparatus feature use of the cured substrate itself to pattern the mask. Particularly, the substrate is aligned with the unpatterned mask and the image of the substrate transferred to the mask such that once patterned, the mask may subsequently be realigned with the substrate. In preferred form, a system of notches and grooves are used to align the substrate and mask and a lens system used to transfer the substrate image to the mask. The invention also includes method and apparatus for making an improved MLC substrate. The improvement is characterized by the use of photolithographic techniques to add successive layers of metallization to the cured substrate.

Abstract: A chase for photographically producing images on both sides of shadow mask material includes a fixed suspension member and a moveable suspension member which is vertically and horizontally moveable relative to the fixed suspension member in the plane of the moveable suspension member. Support members are suspended from the suspension members through solid flexible hinges. Frames are indivdually supported by the support members and include openings for receiving photographic plates. Pivoting means are coupled to the frames whereby the frames are held in a substantially parallel relationship during exposure of the shadow mask material and are separable by flexure of the hinges during changing of the mask material. The images on the plates are alignable by selectively moving the moveable suspension member vertically or horizontally.

Abstract: A machine and a control system are provided for generating high registration photomasks with a contact printing arrangement. Further, a unique control arrangement is provided for controlling a machine such as a high registration contact print machine or other type of machine. In a preferred embodiment, a control system generates signals to a step and repeat contact printing machine that exposes many prints of master die images on a photographic film, where these prints have a high registration characteristic. In a further embodiment a unique control arrangement is provided for machine control operations.

Abstract: In an optical alignment and exposure machine, particularly suited for aligning semiconductive wafers with and exposing them to microelectronic circuit patterns, two stages of mechanical prealignment of the wafers are performed. In the first stage of mechanical prealignment a wafer is received at a prealignment station where the periphery of the wafer engages at least one of three belt-driven rollers in such a manner as to turn the wafer so as to align a flat side edge or alignment flat of the wafer with two of the three rollers. A transfer arm picks up the first-stage prealigned wafer and transfers it to a rotatable alignment and exposure chuck carried by an X-Y addressable work stage.

Abstract: A method for producing prints having continuous tone gradation which includes the steps of selectively placing solvents on a semi-opaque substrate having a surface altering the surface of the substrate enabling the substrate to hold a colorant, placing colorant on the areas of the substrate so treated, thereby producing continuous tone gradations, transferring an image of the continuous tone gradation substrate onto a conventional print plate and printing prints from the print plate. The steps of transferring can be done either by direct contact printing or by an intermediate conventional negative. The most preferred embodiment includes ethyl alcohol as the solvent, cellulose acetate as the substrate and india ink as the colorant. Multicolor prints can be made from varying density print plates produced by differing exposure times of transferring the image and overprinting the plates using differing inks.

Abstract: Paste-consistency photopolymer is imaged onto printed wiring boards by use of glass exposure plate having opaque image areas which contact portions of the board on which photopolymer is not to be exposed, and having clear areas elevated above the photopolymer surface. A printed wiring board is coated with UV-curable solder mask photopolymer and exposed to a strong UV lamp through the glass plate pressed against the printed wiring board by atmospheric pressure. As the glass plate does not contact the photopolymer, trapped air can escape and the gloss surface of the photopolymer is preserved. A non-collimated light source is used to produce high resolution photopolymer coatings at line speeds of 12 feet per minute. Where opaque and raised images contact printed wiring board, photopolymer there between is extruded sideward to form beneficial areas of increased photopolymer thickness. In addition to solder mask imaging, graphics of several colors can be produced.

Abstract: A photographic system and a microcomputer based control system are provided for providing photographic exposures. An illumination control system for generating high registration photomasks is provided. A control system implemented with a monolithic microcomputer controls a photographic device through a minimal interface for high capability and economy.

Abstract: In a color printing method, a color photosensitive material is exposed in the photographing step to object illuminating light, which is recorded thereon as an optical density by photographic treatments. In the printing step, the optical density is detected to determine blue, green and red exposures, which cause the object illuminating light to be reproduced on a color positive photosensitive material so as to have neutal gray or to be colored to a standard color. An object image on the color/photosensitive material is printed on the color positive photosensitive material with the most suitable color reproduction with the same three-color component exposures as those determined in printing the object illuminating light.

Abstract: A method for opposing a sheet-like material to a standard plane with predetermined space therebetween, which method when applied to a non-contact (proximity) printer such as one of IC and LSI construction, can improve the efficiency of the printing operation. The method comprises two sub-steps of a preparation step and a step for actually opposing the sheet-like material to the standard plane; the preparation step is done where no standard plane is present and in the preparation step the space or distance between a sub-standard plane having a predetermined relation with the standard plane and the sheet-like material on a carrier is measured and the measured value is memorized.

Abstract: A programmable microfiche duplicator and sorter apparatus is provided, including control means which operate in accordance with input data received from a teletype or other remote input peripheral, or from a code carried by the master film. The input data is stored in memory and defines the number of copies to be made, the sorter mode and the sorter start position for collation operations.

Abstract: A microfiche editing device for copying images contained in several microfiche frames on a first microfiche simultaneously onto a second at least partly unexposed microfiche; the device includes an array of illuminating means which can be selectively brought into use each to project light through a selected frame on the first microfiche so as to expose frames of the second microfiche placed in contact with the first microfiche; the illuminating means may include either a hinged mirror arrangement or a fibre optic arrangement which feed light into a collimating array of cells each of which correspond to a microfiche frame of the first microfiche.

Abstract: An image-bearing medium (negative or positive) is located over and in close proximity to a light-sensitive film. During exposure, the film is moved in circular orbits parallel to the medium to cause spreading of image lines projected onto the film. To ensure uniform line spreading, the diameter of each successive circular orbit is increased toward a predetermined, maximum diameter, and the film is exposed during each orbit. The film is supported on a mobile table which is mounted, through a frictionless bearing, to a horizontal platform. The platform in turn is keyed to a vertical rotor. As the rotor is rotated by a drive motor, the table is caused to move in a circular orbit about the axis of rotation of the rotor. The diameter of the orbit, determined by the eccentricity of the axis of rotation of the horizontal platform with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotor is precisely controlled by a vertical rack and pinion mechanism.

Abstract: A modular microfiche duplicator including a basic processing module which co-operates with a selected one of a plurality of different film advancing modules. In the basic processing module, the unexposed film is taken from a supply reel in a continuous strip and is drawn through an exposure station in metered segments. The microfiche sheet which is to be duplicated is inserted into the exposure station and an inflated air bag platen presses the films together as they are exposed to radiation from a columnar light source. The exposed segment of the film is then drawn into a film advancing module as the strip of film is advanced to the next segment.

Abstract: A microfilm card duplicating machine is arranged to feed master cards sequentially to a copying station. The master cards have images thereon for duplication by the machine. Copy cards are fed by the machine one by one to the copying station for producing a required number of copies. The copy cards and master cards are routed to a receiving station after copying while the master card is delayed such that it arrives at the receiving station only when its duplicate copy card(s) have been delivered thereto. The sequential delivery enables the formation of an interleaved stack of master and copy cards arranged with the copy card(s) being preceded in each case by the associated master card.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for exposing to ultraviolet light a semi-conductor or hybrid substrate coated with photo-resist, in back of a mask having bars and very narrow slits, the diffraction patterns ordinarily experienced at the substrate being virtually eliminated through use, between the light source and the mask, of a light integrator comprised of two successive matrixes of very small lenses or lenticules. The lenticules form a large number of magnified, superimposed, slightly displaced images of the light source in the plane of the substrate; and when the slitted mask is interposed, this light forms a large number of diffraction patterns on the substrate which, because of their large number, superimposition, and slight displacement, results in extreme uniformity of light intensity and sharp resolution throughout the pattern of light on the substrate.

Abstract: In the apparatus, an image of a mask is printed on a light-sensitive layer while minimizing the debasing influences due to the diffraction occurring on the layer surface as well as due to the standing wave occurring in the layer. This apparatus includes an arrangement such that the rays coming from a light source are collimated and then directed to a fly's eye lens assembly, and the exit rays from this assembly are again collimated to illuminate the mask. The luminous fluxes of parallel rays impinging upon the mask at various angles of incidence remove the influences of diffraction on the image of the mask. Also this apparatus includes a filter removably inserted in the optical path between the light source and the assembly to remove the influence of the standing wave.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for exposing to ultraviolet light a semi-conductor or hybrid substrate coated with photo-resist, in back of a mask having bars and very narrow slits, the diffraction patterns ordinarily experienced at the substrate being virtually eliminated through use, between the light source and the mask, of a light integrator comprised of two successive matrixes of very small lenses or lenticules. The lenticules form a large number of magnified, superimposed, slightly displaced images of the light source in the plane of the substrate; and when the slitted mask is interposed, this light forms a large number of diffraction patterns on the substrate which, because of their large number, superimposition, and slight displacement, results in extreme uniformity of light intensity and sharp resolution throughout the pattern of light on the substrate.