Hughes Aircraft Company

Other

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

The Perkin-elmer Corporation

David H Kittell

Mark Timothy Sullivan

Paul Zorabedian

Kerry D Bagwell

Carol Courville

Peter J DeGroot

Guy H Hayes

Justin Lloyd Kreuzer

A manipulator for a fiber optic cable assembly (FOCA) provides microradian accuracy in control of the direction of a beam emanating from the FOCA. Such manipulators can control FOCAs to control the incidence angles of beams at a beam combiner in a beam-combining unit. Accordingly, fewer additional optical elements are required for control of input paths in the beam-combining unit. The manipulator and the beam-combining unit are accurate enough for use in an interferometer that combines beams with different frequencies and polarizations. One such interferometer includes a Zeeman split laser providing a heterodyne beam. A beam splitter separates frequency components of the beams, and AOMs increase the frequency separation between the separated beams. The separated beams can be sent via optical fibers to the beam-combining unit, which combines the beams for use in interferometer optics.

Manipulators for fiber optic cable assemblies

An interferometer includes a source of a heterodyne beam including frequency components having frequency components with orthogonal linear polarizations. A beam splitter separates frequency components of the heterodyne beams, and one or more AOMs increase the frequency separation between the separated beams. The separated beams can be sent via optical fibers to a beam-combining unit, which combines the beams for use in interferometer optics.

Direct combination of fiber optic light beams

Optical metrology apparatus, specifically a laser probe (1), includes a frame (10) comprised of a material selected to have a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion. A beamsplitter (36) is coupled to the frame for generating a sample beam optical path (D) and a reference beam optical path (C). The beamsplitter is optically coupled to an optical fiber (12) that delivers radiation to and conveys radiation from the frame. A piezoelectric stack (48) has an excitation signal coupled thereto and includes a mirror (26) for phase modulating the reference beam optical path length in response to the excitation signal. The laser probe includes a first strain gauge (58) that is coupled to the piezoelectric stack and a second strain gauge (60) that is coupled to the frame. A closed loop control system (A1, A2, A3, A4, VR) varies the excitation signal in accordance with the detected strains so as to maintain the reference beam optical path length in a predetermined relationship to a path length of the sample beam optical path. This athermalizes the probe, in that any expansion or contraction of the frame is matched by the piezoelectric stack, yielding a net zero change in the non-common beam path lengths. The apparatus includes an optical fiber support (14) that is rotatably coupled to the frame for positioning the optical fiber at a desired angular position.

Apparatus for coupling an optical fiber to a structure at a desired angle

Compact laser probe for profilometry

A system for correcting wavefront distortion includes an eight channel deformable mirror 11 attached to a two-axis, tip/tilt mount 12. The deformable mirror 11 reflects an incoming telescopic wavefront 10 onto a beamsplitter 14. The beamsplitter 14 divides the reflected telescopic wavefront 13 into two separate beams 15, 20. The beam 20 reflected by the beamsplitter 14 may be used for experimentation and measurement. The beam 15 transmitted by the beamsplitter 14 is directed toward a modified Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor 16. The modified Hartmann-Shack sensor 16 detects the slope of the wavefront at several locations across this transmitted beam 15 and provides analog signals 17 representing these slopes to a series of actuator drive circuits 18. The actuator drive circuits 18 provide excitation signals 19 to actuators 22, 30 on the deformable mirror 11 and the two-axis, tip/tilt mount 12. These actuators 22, 30 facilitate the reforming and repositioning of the deformable mirror 11 so as to correct any incoming wavefront 10 distortion.

Simple adaptive optical system

A three axis flexure joint is provided which is very stiff against translational forces along its long axis but is operable with three degrees of freedom over small angles with no lost motion. The flexure comprises two spaced metal connectors, which are connected to each other by a wire which runs through the metal connectors along an axis and is integrally joined to each connector, and at least one snubber pin. The snubber pin snugly fits into a bore of one connector of the flexure, the bore being arranged to accept the pin and to be parallel to the wire axis, while in the second connector, the pin has a loose fit in a corresponding hole similarly located. In this manner, the integrity of the connecting wire is maintained as the pins act as stops to rotation if rotation of either connector around any of its axes exceeds a predetermined limit. The flexure is also preferably configured with each connector being a bolt or screw so as to permit easy connection of the flexure to rods and master and slave devices.

Flexure

There are disclosed method and apparatus for precisely aligning the pattern of an opaque mask with a previously exposed pattern on a silicon wafer. Three separate optical channels are aligned so that their axes coincide with three targets on the wafer. The objectives are also adjusted to the same vertical distance from the wafer. Thereafter, the optical channels remain fixed. The wafer is retracted a short distance and is replaced by the mask which also has three targets. The mask is then shifted to align the targets with the prealigned optical axes. When mask alignment is completed, the mask and the wafer are removed as a unit to an exposure station.

Method and apparatus for aligning an opaque mask with an integrated

Freestanding memo clip or similar article

A novelty device for sustainingly bouncing an object such as a ball. The cone of a loud-speaker is covered by a taut elastic diaphragm against which the object is bounced. When the object strikes the diaphragm, the speaker produces a small electrical pulse which is amplified and returned to the speaker. The amplified pulse is thereby acoustically coupled to the diaphragm which is snapped to restore sufficient energy to the object to overcome frictional losses.

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Stamford, CT, United States of America

David H Kittell