The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 23, 1989
Filed:
Feb. 27, 1987
Wolfgang Knauer, Malibu, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A source of clusters of atoms is provided, wherein the clusters are thermally conditioned after their formation so that the clusters are in the liquid state. A beam of clusters is first formed during the mixing of a stream of atoms and a carrier gas. The beam of clusters mixed with carrier gas is passed through a conditioner, preferably including a heated drift tube, to bring the clusters to a temperature whereat the clusters are in a condensed state without crystalline order, comparable to the liquid state. The conditioned cluster beam passes to vacuum, with separation and removal of a large portion of the carrier gas mixed therewith, so that cooling of the clusters in the cluster beam is minimized during their flight to the cluster target.