The present invention relates generally to the field of sensors for beam imaging and, in particular, to a new and useful beam imaging sensor for use in determining, for example, the power density distribution of a beam including, but not limited to, an electron beam or an ion beam. In one embodiment, the beam imaging sensor of the present invention comprises, among other items, a circumferential slit that is either circular, elliptical or polygonal in nature.

Claims

111 · 4 independent · depth 4

111 granted claims

›1.independentA beam imaging sensor comprising:na cylindrically-shaped sensor body, wherein the sensor body has a top end and a bottom end, the top end having at le…+24

›2.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the beam imaging sensor further comprises:na cylindrically-shaped electronics enclosure, wherein the elect…d2+6

›3.↳ 2The beam imaging sensor of claim 2, wherein the beam imaging sensor further comprises:na cylindrically-shaped clamp ring body and a cylindrically-shap…d3+3

›10.↳ 2The beam imaging sensor of claim 2, wherein the electronics enclosure is formed from an electrically non-conductive material.d3

›11.↳ 2The beam imaging sensor of claim 2, wherein the electronics enclosure is formed from an organic-based or inorganic-based insulating compound, a glass-…d3

›4.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor body is formed from a metal or metal alloy.d2

›5.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor body is formed from aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, duplex an…d2

›6.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the Faraday cup is formed from a conductive metal or conductive metal alloy.d2

›7.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the Faraday cup is formed from copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, or a conductive metal alloy that …d2

›8.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer slit discs are formed from a metal, metal alloy, or refractory material.d2

›9.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer slit discs are formed from tungsten, molybdenum, hafnium, or an alloy that contains on…d2

›15.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.010 inches.d2

›16.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.005 inches.d2

›17.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.002 inches.d2

›18.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the slit is substantially circular in shape.d2

›19.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the slit is polygonal in shape.d2

›20.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the slit is elliptical in shape.d2

›21.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the …d2

›22.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the …d2

›23.↳ 1The beam imaging sensor of claim 1, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the …d2+2

›26.independentA beam imaging sensor comprising:na cylindrically-shaped sensor body, wherein the sensor body has a top end and a bottom end, the top end having at le…+20

›27.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the beam imaging sensor further comprises:na cylindrically-shaped clamp ring body and a cylindrically-sha…d2+1

›28.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the sensor body is formed from aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, duplex a…d2

›29.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the Faraday cup is formed from copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, or a conductive metal alloy that…d2

›30.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the inner and outer slit discs are formed from tungsten, molybdenum, hafnium, or an alloy that contains o…d2

›31.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the electronics enclosure is formed from an organic-based or inorganic-based insulating compound, a glass…d2

›33.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the slit is substantially circular in shape.d2

›34.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the slit is polygonal in shape.d2

›35.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the slit is elliptical in shape.d2

›36.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2

›37.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2+6

›38.↳ 37The beam imaging sensor of claim 37, wherein two or more clamps are utilized to secure each of inner clamp ring and outer clamp ring to the sensor bod…d3+1

›40.↳ 37The beam imaging sensor of claim 37, wherein three or more clamps are utilized to secure each of inner clamp ring and outer clamp ring to the sensor b…d3+1

›42.↳ 37The beam imaging sensor of claim 37, wherein four or more clamps are utilized to secure each of inner clamp ring and outer clamp ring to the sensor bo…d3+1

›44.↳ 26The beam imaging sensor of claim 26, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2+2

›47.independentA beam imaging sensor comprising:na cylindrically-shaped sensor body, wherein the sensor body has a top end and a bottom end, the top end having at le…+20

›48.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the sensor body is formed from aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, duplex a…d2

›49.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the Faraday cup is formed from copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, or a conductive metal alloy that…d2

›50.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the inner and outer slit discs are formed from tungsten, molybdenum, hafnium, or an alloy that contains o…d2

›51.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the electronics enclosure is formed from an organic-based or inorganic-based insulating compound, a glass…d2

›52.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the clamp ring body and lower clamp ring are independently formed from aluminum, titanium, stainless stee…d2

›53.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.002 inches.d2

›54.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the slit is substantially circular in shape.d2

›55.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the slit is polygonal in shape.d2

›56.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the slit is elliptical in shape.d2

›57.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2

›58.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2+6

›59.↳ 58The beam imaging sensor of claim 58, wherein two or more clamps are utilized to secure each of inner clamp ring and outer clamp ring to the sensor bod…d3+1

›61.↳ 58The beam imaging sensor of claim 58, wherein three or more clamps are utilized to secure each of inner clamp ring and outer clamp ring to the sensor b…d3+1

›63.↳ 58The beam imaging sensor of claim 58, wherein four or more clamps are utilized to secure each of inner clamp ring and outer clamp ring to the sensor bo…d3+1

›65.↳ 47The beam imaging sensor of claim 47, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2+2

›68.independentA beam imaging sensor comprising:na sensor body, wherein the sensor body has a top end and a bottom end, the top end having at least one channel forme…+43

›69.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the beam imaging sensor further comprises:nan electronics enclosure, wherein the electronics enclosure ha…d2+6

›70.↳ 69The beam imaging sensor of claim 69, wherein the beam imaging sensor further comprises:na clamp ring body and a lower clamp ring, wherein the clamp ri…d3+3

›77.↳ 69The beam imaging sensor of claim 69, wherein the electronics enclosure is formed from an electrically non-conductive material.d3

›78.↳ 69The beam imaging sensor of claim 69, wherein the electronics enclosure is formed from an organic-based or inorganic-based insulating compound, a glass…d3

›71.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the sensor body is formed from a metal or metal alloy.d2

›72.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the sensor body is formed from aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, duplex a…d2

›73.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is formed from a conductive metal or conductive metal alloy.d2

›74.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is formed from copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, or a conductive metal alloy that…d2

›75.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner and outer slit discs are formed from a metal, metal alloy, or refractory material.d2

›76.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner and outer slit discs are formed from tungsten, molybdenum, hafnium, or an alloy that contains o…d2

›82.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.010 inches.d2

›83.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.005 inches.d2

›84.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit formed between the inner and outer slit discs has a width of less than or equal to 0.002 inches.d2

›85.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit is substantially circular in shape.d2

›86.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit is polygonal in shape.d2

›87.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit is elliptical in shape.d2

›88.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2

›89.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2

›90.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc are secured to the at least one channel in the top end of the…d2+2

›93.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the sensor body of the beam imaging sensor is formed in any geometric shape selected from circular, polyg…d2+2

›96.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is a modified Faraday cup and wherein the modified Faraday cup comprises a cross-sectiona…d2

›97.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is a modified Faraday cup and wherein the modified Faraday cup is circular in shape when …d2

›98.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is a modified Faraday cup and wherein the modified Faraday cup is circular in shape when …d2

›99.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is a modified Faraday cup and wherein the modified Faraday cup is circular in shape when …d2

›100.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the Faraday cup is a modified Faraday cup and wherein the modified Faraday cup is circular in shape when …d2

›101.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner slit disc has at least one protrusion formed thereon so as to permit orientation of the inner s…d2+2

›103.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the outer slit disc has at least one protrusion formed thereon so as to permit orientation of the outer s…d2

›104.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the outer slit disc has at least one notch formed thereon so as to permit orientation of the outer slit d…d2

›105.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner slit disc has at least one notch formed therein so as to permit orientation of the inner slit d…d2+2

›109.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the inner and outer slit discs have at least one set of alignment indicia formed thereon and wherein the …d2+1

›111.↳ 68The beam imaging sensor of claim 68, wherein the slit formed by the inner slit disc and the outer slit disc has at least two different slit widths alo…d2

Classifications

5 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G01T1/29

USPC · US Patent Classification

250/300250/397250/426.R250/354

Claim changes

Soon

Coming soonHow the claims changed between publication and grant

See which claims were amended, added or cancelled during examination, with every added and removed word marked.

AmendedAddedCancelledUnchanged

The published claims of this patent are not paired with the granted ones in what we hold.

File wrapper

Pendency

2.0 y

747 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

1 RCE

Examiner

Phillip A Johnston

art unit 2881 · TC 2800

Law firm

Law firm · Log in to unlock

Citations: 25 back · 0 forward

See the full prosecution history — every USPTO and applicant action on this file, in order.

Term & fees

See the term timeline — pendency span, in-force span, the maintenance fees paid and both computed expiry dates.

Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

14 May 2012

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 61646627	14 May 2012
related publication	US 20130299700 A1	14 Nov 2013

Validity challenges

See the validity challenges on record — reexaminations, IPRs and PGRs, with their institution decisions and outcomes.

Citations

See every patent this one cites and every patent that cites it back — publication, assignee, and how each one was found.