International Business Machines Corporation

Kendall Clark

James Garman Belleson

Milton R Shapiro

Alan D Lemberger

Apparatus and processes are utilized to pierce holes in a brittle material by the use of laser induced shock waves. The waves are generated in an environment of compressed gas which confines the shock wave and carries the debris away. The material is moved into and/or through the work area in the y-direction either by a supporting web with associated rollers or sliding action. The laser beam scans in the x-direction and computer control is utilized to either deflect a continuous beam or switch a pulsed beam 'on' where a hole is desired in the material.

Laser piercing of materials by induced shock waves

This patent discloses an improved inspection tool for rapidly inspecting miniature electronic conductor patterns, circuits and the like. The tool focuses a laser beam to a small laser spot that raster scans a large conductor pattern area on the workpiece being inspected. Reflected laser light from the workpiece impinges upon a light detector that generates electrical signals according to the presence or absence of conductor pattern material on the workpiece at the momentary X and Y coordinate of the scanning laser spot. The light detector signals are compared with a previously encoded data image of the correct circuit pattern for the X and Y coordinates of the scanning laser spot. When the signals and the data agree at all X and Y coordinate points the workpiece is accepted. If the signals and the data do not agree at one or more X and Y coordinate points a defect in the circuit pattern is indicated. A defect may indicate out-of-tolerance dimensions, possible electrical short circuits, and/or open circuits. The extent of a defect may be determined by adjacent X and Y coordinate points and suitable computer programming, while workpieces having extended or out-of-tolerance defects are rejected. The improved disclosed inspection tool includes apparatus for automatically compensating for variations in the workpieces, and to effect registration for the scanning laser spot.

Inspection tool

This patent discloses an improved inspection tool for rapidly inspecting miniature electronic conductor patterns, circuits and the like. The tool focuses a laser beam to a small laser spot that raster scans a large conductor pattern area on the workpiece being inspected. Reflected laser light from the workpiece impinges upon a light detector that generates electrical signals according to the presence or absence of conductor pattern materialon the workpiece at the momentary X and Y coordinate of the scanning laser spot. The light detector signals are compared with a previously encoded data image of the correct circuit pattern for the X and Y coordinates of the scanning laser spot. When the signals and the data agree at all X and Y coordinate points the workpiece is accepted. If the signals and the data do not agree at one or more X and Y coordinate points a defect in the circuit pattern is indicated. A defect may indicate out-of-tolerance dimensions, possible electrical short circuits, and/or open circuits. The extent of a defect may be determined by adjacent X and Y coordinate points and suitable computer programming, while workpieces having extended or out-of-tolerance defects are rejected. The improved disclosed inspection tool includes apparatus for automatically compensating for variations in the workpieces, and to effect registration for the scanning laser spot.

This patent discloses an improved gas discharge display panel typically of the type used for luminous displays showing lines of electrically changeable alpha-numeric characters, figures and the like. The gas discharge display panel comprises a transparent front cover plate, a rear cover plate, and marginal sealing areas extending adjacent to and about the periphery of each of the plates. The rear plate includes a plurality of contiguous layers of gas impervious material and electrical wiring intermediate the layers. Intermediate the plates is a thin flat chamber containing ionozable gas. Facing each other are a plurality of dielectrically coated electrodes mounted in the chamber, the electrodes of one group being mounted on the front plate at substantially right angles to but not contacting the electrodes of the second group mounted on the rear plate. To effect a localized ionization discharge of the gas, voltages are applied to electrically selected facing electrodes. The rear cover includes the wiring necessary for effecting such localized ionization and the one group of electrodes is electrically connected to the wiring of the rear cover in the marginal sealing areas between the front and rear covers.

Growing community of inventors

Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Kendall Clark