Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Other

Micron Technology Incorporated

Avago Technologies Ecbu IP (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Novasolar Holdings Limited

George M Clifford, Jr

Patricia A Beck

Richard H Henze

Paul W Poorman

Geraint Owen

Storrs Townsend Hoen

Stephan P Howe

Henryk Birecki

Donald J Fasen

Dale W Schroeder

Richard Paul Tella

S Jeffrey Rosner

Richard K Workman

William Gong

David Patrick Fromm

Richard R Workman

Carol J Wilson

Dennis Carlo Diaz

Susan Hunter

A probe assembly for a scanning probe microscope (SPM), a cartridge for a probe assembly for an SPM, and a method of attaching a probe tip to an SPM are described.

Probe tip assembly for scanning probe microscopes

Pre-aligned, kinematically mounted modules including processing lasers, beam trains, and individually calibrated control beams are quickly and easily replaced on subassembly bases with minimal in situ alignment, and can maintain working-spot position to micron tolerances over ambient temperature variations of &#xb1;10&#xb0; C. Subassembly bases, with features for kinematically mating to a plurality of pre-aligned laser modules and to a platform base incorporated in the laser processing tool, enable multi-module subassemblies to be quickly replaced with spare subassemblies of the same type, or swapped for subassemblies of a different type. The mating features and reversible locks are designed to mitigate thermal effects that are often a dominant cause of alignment drift in processing lasers.

Quickly replaceable processing-laser modules and subassemblies

An accelerometer captures multiple frames of image information and uses the image information to generate acceleration data related to an object. In particular, multiple image frames are used to determine relative movement between a target and an image collection system. The relative movement between the target and the image collection system is tracked over time to generate acceleration data related to the object.

Accelerometer utilizing image-based movement tracking

In accordance with the invention, the spring constant of a scanning probe microscope cantilever mechanically coupled to a MEMs actuator may be determined in-situ by application of a force to the scanning probe microscope cantilever.

Force method for determining the spring constant of scanning probe microscope cantilevers using MEMS actuators

An imager captures successive images of an object. One image is then subtracted from another image to generate difference images. Each difference image is then correlated with itself or with one of the images used to generate the difference image to determine the relative motion between the imager an the object.

Method and system for determining motion based on difference image correlation

A batch fabrication technique is described that increases the manufacturing efficiency of servo write heads and also improves servo pattern definition for fine features, while reducing tape and head wear. Multiple heads are fabricated as a batch from one or more ferrite wafers. A nominally flat, large wafer surface and a contour suitable for uniform photoresist application and planar photolithography permit fine servo pattern definition. A rounded leading edge on the head creates an air bearing to reduce wear of the tape and of the head. Moreover, any head wear occurs at the leading edge rather than in the region of the head where the servo pattern is formed. The servo write head may have a substantially planar head surface. A leading edge is disposed adjacent to the head surface such that the tape contacts the leading edge before passing over the head surface. The leading edge is rounded to form an air bearing between the head surface and the tape. A rounded trailing edge may be disposed adjacent to the head surface such that the tape passes over the trailing edge after passing over the head surface. The head may be formed from an upper ferrite wafer having a non-magnetic spacer. Non-magnetic material is photolithographically defined to produce gaps above the spacer. The non-magnetic material may be photoresist, semiconductor materials, glass, metal or the like. The material may even be removed later to leave air gaps. The non-magnetic material forms a region where the field loops out to intersect the passing tape, thereby transferring a magnetic pattern to tape. Additionally, a lower ferrite wafer may be mated to the upper ferrite wafer to complete a magnetic circuit around the gaps. The upper or lower ferrite wafer may have a channel through which an inductive winding passes. Multiple heads may be formed through batch processing of the upper and lower ferrite wafers.

Servo write method for magnetic tape

Adjustment of a tunable external-cavity laser is simplified by incorporating a mount that includes a base, a main body, a reflecting surface, a diffracting surface and a hinge coupling the main body to the base. The laser additionally includes a light source, a converging lens located to receive light from the light source, a tuning mirror and a pivoting arm on which the tuning mirror is mounted. The main body is bounded in part by two plane, external surfaces orthogonal to a common reference plane and angularly separated from one another by an angle. The reflecting surface has a spatial orientation defined by one of the external surfaces and is arranged to receive light from the lens. The diffracting surface has a spatial orientation defined by the other of the external surfaces, and diffracts light received from the reflecting surface towards the tuning mirror. The hinge is located opposite the angle and parallel to the reference plane.

Apparatus and method for adjusting external-cavity lasers

A servo head for magnetic tape is provided. The head includes a substantial planar head surface. The head includes a leading edge that is disposed adjacent to the head surface such that the tape contacts the leading edge before passing over the head surface. The leading edge includes a rounded portion so as to form an air bearing between the head surface and the tape. The leading edge can include an abrupt change in slope at the leading edge. Alternatively, the leading edge can include a smooth transition.

Servo head for magnetic tape

A device for precision alignment of a write element of a tape head to a transport direction of a media that is transported across the tape head is disclosed. The tape head includes at least one alignment element that is cofabricated with the write element so that both the write element and the alignment element have a fixed orientation with respect to a magnetic axis of the tape head. The alignment element and the write element can be fabricated on the tape head using standard microelectronic photolithographic processes. Preferably, the tape head includes a plurality of alignment elements. Those alignment elements are operative to write alignment transitions onto the media. The alignment transitions can be observed to determine if they are indicative of the write element having a predetermined orientation with respect to the transport direction. A read transducer can be used to generate signals from the alignment transitions and those signals can be analyzed to determine if the predetermined orientation of the write element has been achieved. The tape head can include horizontal and/or vertical elements for a gross visual alignment of the tape head to the media. The alignment transitions can be read by a data element of a separate data head. A signal from the data element can be used to adjust the azimuth of the data head with respect to a direction of transport. In servo writer applications where servo code is prerecorded on the media, the alignment transitions can be used to align the write elements of a servo write head to the transport direction of the media so that inter band skew between adjacent servo bands is significantly reduced.

Media with pre-recorded alignment transitions

Systems and methods for adjusting optical path length of an optical path are provided. The systems and methods can be used to controllably adjust optical path length in an external cavity laser. A representative optical path having a first end and a second end comprises a first transparent refractive element located in the optical path between the first end and the second end. The transparent refractive element is adjustable to adjust the optical path length of the optical path without changing the physical distance between the first end and the second end. A representative method includes introducing a transparent refractive element into the optical path and adjusting the transparent refractive element to change the optical path length without changing the physical distance between the first end and the second end of the optical path.

System and method for adjusting the optical path length of an optical path

Systems and methods for forming a seal between members of an assembly are disclosed. In one embodiment, a seal is formed between a first member and a second member by establishing within the members a bounded volume and creating within the bounded volume a pressure differential with respect to the ambient pressure outside the bounded volume. The pressure differential results in a uniformly applied clamping force to the members thereby creating a reliable seal. A sealing member (such as solder, epoxy, or other sealant) is positioned between the first and second members and the resulting assembly is mechanically positioned such that heat can then be applied to melt the solder. Concurrently, the pressure differential is created which allows the externally applied mechanical positioning to be relaxed while the members are being sealed together. This system and method can be used to create hermetic seals.

System and method for seal formation

The invention provides a system and method for reliably and accurately measuring the gap between two materials when the depth of gap is less than the smallest distance that an optical thickness gauge (OTG) is able to measure. The invention is practiced by forming a suitable slot (or a groove, channel, hole or other suitable deformation) having a precisely known depth in at least one material. The sum of the distance of the gap and the depth of the slot is at least equal to the smallest distance that the OTG can measure. The slot is positioned over the materials and under the OTG probe head such that a cavity is formed. The depth of the cavity is measured. Since the distance of the slot is known, the depth of the gap is determined by subtracting the known depth of the slot from the measured depth of the cavity.

Optical measurement for measuring a small space through a transparent surface

Alignment marks for tape head positioning

A batch fabrication technique is described that increases the manufacturing efficiency of servo write heads and also improves servo pattern definition for fine features, while reducing tape and head wear. Multiple heads are fabricated as a batch from one or more ferrite wafers. A nominally flat, large wafer surface and a contour suitable for uniform photoresist application an planar photolithography permit fine servo pattern definition with low linewidth variation. Non-magnetic material is photolithographically defined to produce gaps above a spacer. The non-magnetic material may be photoresist, semiconductor materials, glass, metal or the like. The material may even be removed later to leave air gaps. Additionally, a lower ferrite wafer may be mated to the upper ferrite wafer to complete a magnetic circuit around the gaps. A rounded leading edge on the head creates an air bearing to reduce ware of the tape and of the head. The leading edge is rounded to form an air bearing between the head surface and the tape. Rounding of the leading edge can be accomplished by a variety of methods including blending, grinding, and faceting.

Method of making a magnetic write head and in-process head structures

A head design that reduces wear at the leading and trailing edges where the tape contacts the head while minimizing any adverse effects on the performance of the head. In one embodiment of the invention, a localized layer of wear resistant material is formed on the leading edge where the tape contacts the head before passing over the head recording surface. In a second embodiment, the leading edge is formed as wear resistant material embedded in the head structure adjacent to the recording surface. And, in a third embodiment, the leading edge is formed as a wear resistant material strip affixed to the side of the head structure. For each embodiment, the wear resistant material may also be applied in the manner described to the trailing edge where the tape may also contact the head after passing over the recording surface.

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos Hills, CA, United States of America

George M Clifford, Jr