Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Differential fluid etching apparatus – With microwave gas energizing means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-28
2001-08-14
Mills, Gregory (Department: 1763)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Differential fluid etching apparatus
With microwave gas energizing means
C118S719000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273991
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to adjustment or trimming systems for frequency devices such as oscillators, crystals and surface acoustic wave filters and resonators. Specifically, this invention is a system for trimming devices to a pre-determined frequency by removing intrinsic or previously deposited materials through a controlled plasma ion bombardment process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, trimming of frequency devices such as oscillators, crystals and surface acoustic wave filters and resonators depended on several techniques. For those devices where material such as precious and semi-precious metal is deposited or sputtered on to the frequency device, the technique is to carefully control the deposition of material on the frequency device such that the target frequency is achieved without the necessity of the subsequent removal of the deposited material. A disadvantage to this technique is the requirement to constantly attend to the deposition apparatus to insure that an adequate supply of deposition material was available within the apparatus during the deposition process. Another disadvantage to this technique is that the deposition of material take place on a part by part basis, which is a time consuming, and thus costly process. Also, extreme care must be exercised not to over deposit the material on the frequency device.
A second technique relied on batch processing of the material deposition on several devices simultaneously. The batch processing aspect of this technique would require the over approximation of the target frequency by depositing perhaps slightly more material than required. Following the deposition step, each part would be individually trimmed to the target frequency by a plasma ion process or other suitable process to remove a small portion of the deposited material. For those frequency devices not undergoing deposition of material, the trimming of intrinsic material, e.g. material comprising the substrate, such as silicon dioxide, also requires a part by part process under the prior art. Again, the time consuming nature of trimming each part individually, whether trimming of deposited material or intrinsic material, is a disadvantage to this procedure.
Therefore, a solution to the costly and unproductive limitations imposed by the prior art was needed for trimming frequency devices to the target frequency.
BRIEF SUMMRRY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a complete system for the simultaneous frequency trimming of a plurality of frequency devices such as oscillators, crystals and surface acoustic wave filters and resonators.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a plasma ion chamber for simultaneous frequency trimming of a plurality of frequency devices such as oscillators, crystals and surface acoustic wave filters and resonators.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ionization station for the simultaneous frequency trimming of a plurality of frequency devices such as oscillators, crystals and surface acoustic wave filters and resonators.
It is still another object of the present invention to control the trimming of a plurality of frequency devices by permitting or restricting the effects of plasma ion bombardment on a device by device basis. Trimming control is provided by a shutter assembly comprised of a plurality of individual shutters, wherein each of the individual shutters corresponds to a frequency device. Plasma ion bombardment of a frequency device is permitted by selecting an open position for an individual shutter and plasma ion bombardment of a frequency device is restricted by selecting the closed position of an individual shutter corresponding to a particular frequency device.
It is still another object of the present invention to determine the frequency and acquire other data from the frequency device without having to remove the frequency device from the system or the plasma ion chamber.
It is still another object of the present invention to determine the frequency and acquire other data from the frequency device while plasma ion bombardment is occurring to the frequency device.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a system for trimming frequency devices, comprises a plasma ion chamber for ion bombardment of the frequency devices; a magazine rack coupled to the plasma ion chamber for storing a plurality of the frequency devices; a vacuum evacuator coupled to the plasma ion chamber for creating a vacuum in the plasma ion chamber; a plasma power supply coupled to the plasma ion chamber for providing power to an ion gun; a frequency evaluator coupled to the plasma ion chamber for determining the frequency of the frequency devices; and a control console coupled to the plasma ion chamber, the magazine rack, the vacuum evacuator, the plasma power supply and the frequency evaluator for controlling the operation of the system.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a plasma ion chamber for trimming frequency devices comprises a bell jar for providing a hermetically sealable chamber for conducting plasma ion bombardment; a bell jar hinge assembly coupled to the bell jar for opening and closing a surface of the bell jar; an insertion/extraction port coupled to the bell jar for inserting and removing the frequency devices from the plasma ion chamber; an ion gun coupled to the bell jar for conducting plasma ionization within the plasma ion chamber; a baseplate located internal to the bell jar for mounting a plurality of mechanical components; a drive assembly coupled to the baseplate for controlling the movement of a boat containing the frequency devices; an ionization station coupled to the baseplate for regulating the plasma ion bombardment of the frequency devices; and a shutter mechanism coupled to the baseplate for interfacing with the ionization station.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, an ionization station for trimming frequency devices comprises a contact mechanism coupled to a baseplate; a shutter assembly coupled to the contact mechanism for regulating plasma ion bombardment of the frequency devices; and a top etching shield coupled to the shutter assembly for protecting the contact mechanism from the plasma ion bombardment; wherein the contact mechanism comprises a probe assembly for acquiring data from the frequency devices; and a linear slide coupled to the probe assembly for controlling vertical movement of the probe assembly.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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Howse Mark M.
Rose Dwane L.
Wixon Ronald K.
Alejandro Luz
Mills Gregory
Moy Jeffrey D.
Saunders & Associates, Inc.
Weiss Harry M.
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