International Business Machines Corporation

Pieter J Kerstens

Andrew Ching Tam

Michael Barenboim

Peter Michael Baumgart

Hong S Seing

Peter P Chrusch

Benjamin Karni

Huizong Lu

Benny Michael Harper

Michael G Lisanke

Ali Reza Taheri

Lanphuong Thi Pena

Eric V Schnetzer

Hee Kuwon Park

Iraj Kahkesh Pour

Thao Anh Nguyen

Frederick Yung-Fung Wu

Jon R Mandeville

Leonard S Sheiner

Benjamin Kami

Doug John Krajnovich

Peter B Chrusch

Laser texturing apparatus includes an acousto-optical modulator which deflects a continuous laser beam into a first optical projection path to texture a first side of a disk or into a second optical projection path to texture a second side of the disk. The modulator causes lateral movement of the laser beam in a first direction as it is initially deflected into the first optical projection path and at the end of its deflection into this path. The modulator also caused lateral movement of the laser beam in a second direction as it is initially deflected into the second optical path and at the end of its deflection into this path. Each optical projection path is configured so that this lateral movement is in the direction of movement of the disk being textured at the spots at which it is textured.

Laser texturing system providing even heating of textured spots on a

A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. An optical system includes a laser directed at a beamsplitter to split the laser beam into two beams having approximately equal power, which are directed along parallel paths through a power control optics block to expose simultaneously opposite sides of a disk to be textured. The power control optics block includes means for attenuating and measuring each of the two beams. A shuttling mirror directs these two beams alternately at a disk within each of the two disk handling stations.

Optical apparatus for dual-beam laser texturing

A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. An optical system includes a laser directed at a beamsplitter to split the laser beam into two beams having approximately equal power, which are directed along parallel paths through a power control optics block to expose simultaneously opposite sides of a disk to be textured. A visible laser beam is also directed along this optical system to an inspection spot on each side of the disk, by which a central portion of each textured spots passes. A beam angle detector detects deflection of a reflection of the inspection beam from this spot in the direction of motion of the disk at this spot. This deflection provides a measure of the topography of the spot.

Optical apparatus for monitoring profiles of textured spots during a

A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. Control of the tool is achieved using a right-side disk handling and processing controller, a right-side cassette handling controller, a left-side disk handling and processing controller, and a left side cassette handling controller. The two disk handling and processing controllers share hardware resources performing the texturing process.

Controlling a laser texturing tool having two handling stations for

Optical apparatus is provided for inspecting a textured surface measures a level of scattered reflections from the surface, occurring when an inspection laser beam is directed at the surface. In a first version of the apparatus, the intensity of scattered reflections directed at a single light-sensitive element are compared with the intensity of specular reflections directed at another light-sensitive element. In a second version, diffraction rings formed by the scattered reflections are passed through a mask which attenuates their intensity according to differences between the actual diffraction rings and a predetermined diffraction pattern. In a third version, the scattered light is divided by a beamsplitter to pass through one mask which increases attenuation as the diffraction rings are increased in size compared to a predetermined diffraction pattern or through another mask which decreases attenuation as the diffraction rings are decreased in size compared to the predetermined diffraction pattern.

Textured surface monitoring and control apparatus

A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. Texturing occurs as the annular portions are exposed to a train of pulses from a Q-switched laser. The Q-switch within the laser is driven by a radio-frequency signal form an oscillator, which is in turn driven by a signal from a pulse generator, which can be adjusted to leave the radio-frequency signal on for a variable time between pulses without changing pulse frequency. The laser may be equipped with a shutter and with an electronic gate selectively preventing the production of laser pulses.

Controlling pulses in a laser texturing tool

A disk texturing process uses a single pulsed laser to texture disks within a first group, which are carried through the texturing process on a first spindle assembly, and from a second group, which are carried through the texturing process on a second spindle assembly. Preferably, disks from the first group are textured alternately with disks in the second group. A first level of least one texturing parameter is stored for use only as the process is applied to disks from the first group, while a second level of the same texturing parameter is stored for use only as the process is applied to disks from the second group. These levels may be derived from measurements of textured spots made with interferometric devices forming portions of a texturing station.

Laser texturing apparatus with dual laser paths having an independently

A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a disk for a hard disk drive. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. An optical system includes a laser directed at a beamsplitter to split the laser beam into two beams having approximately power, which are directed along parallel paths through a power control optics block to expose simultaneously opposite sides of a disk to be textured. The power level of each of these two beams is controlled by a program which operates in a teach mode to develop a look up table describing laser beam power as a function of a signal driving an attenuator, in a set point mode setting this drive signal to provide a certain laser beam power, in a run mode controlling this power through a feedback loop, and in a display mode showing laser beam power as a function of time.

Method for controlling laser power in a texturing process

Microscopic apparatus for inspecting electronic circuit chips includes an illumination source directing light at a chip at an oblique angle with respect to a normal plane perpendicular to its surface. To take advantage of specular reflection, a lens is arranged to view the chip also at an oblique angle, placing an image of a strip of the circuit chip on a linear CCD. Movement of the circuit chip in a scanning direction causes the image to flow across the circuit chip in a transverse direction, allowing a two-dimensional data pattern to be formed with data from successive operations reading data from the CCD.

Linear-scanning, oblique-viewing optical apparatus

Inspection apparatus for determining the profile of textured spots extending in a pattern along a surface of a magnetic disk includes an interferometer which illuminates first and second, adjacently disposed test spots on the surface. The disk and the interferometer are moved, relative to one another, so that one of the test spots traverses the textured spots in the pattern while the other test spot is moved along a flat portion of the disk surface. In one embodiment, the inspection apparatus is built into the device forming the textured spots, providing feedback controlling the texturing process.

Optical apparatus for inspecting laser texture

A disk texturing tool is used, for example, to provide textured spots in an annular portion of both sides of a hardfile disk. Disks are moved into and out of the texturing process in cassettes, through two disk-handling stations. In each disk-handling station, a lifter raises each individual disk from the cassette. The individual disk is then transferred to a pick-and-place mechanism, which moves it to a spindle. The spindle spins and translates the disk, so that both sides of the disk are exposed to beams derived from a pulsed laser. The pick-and-place mechanism then returns the disk to the lifter, which lowers it into the cassette pocket from which it was taken. The pick-and-place mechanism simultaneously moves one disk from the lifter to the spindle and another from the spindle to the lifter. While disks are moved by the pick-and-place mechanism of one disk-handling station, a disk in the spindle of the other disk-handling station is exposed to the laser beams.

Apparatus for laser texturing disks

A confocal imaging system utilizes an opaque mask with a slit and a row of pinpoint sensors or utilizes an opaque mask with a skewed pattern of pinholes and an array of isolated pinpoint sensors in a matching pattern in order to obtain sufficient data to provide a complete image for imaging and/or inspecting an object such as electronics in a single one-dimensional scan. The system also simultaneously produces multiple images at different heights in the single one-dimensional scan of the viewed object, and also simultaneously produces images taken in different spectral bands in the same one-dimensional scan of the object to be imaged and/or inspected. The relative height or depth of the different images can be modified by simply adjusting the inclination between the confocal imaging system and a path followed by the object that is to be imaged and/or inspected during the one-dimensional scan. The optical confocal imaging system requires no moving parts and the only moving parts of the system are for motorized conveying of the object to be imaged and/or inspected along the path. In one arrangement of the confocal imaging system, color imaging and/or inspecting of the object can be performed. In another arrangement of the confocal imaging system, simultaneous brightfield and darkfield imaging and/or inspecting of an object can be performed.

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Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Pieter J Kerstens