Ion beam time of arrival (TOA) gauge
AssigneeAnalex Corporation
InventorsTodd Evan Vande Brake, Gary Lee Paderewski, George Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gauge that is configured to detect a time at which radiation enters the gauge. The gauge may include a member that is configured to transition from a first state to a second state upon receipt of the incoming radiation, and may include a light probe that is configured to detect when the member transitions to the second state. The gauge may provide for determining a time of arrival of the radiation at another gauge. For example, the gauge may correlate the time of arrival at the gauge with the another gauge, thereby providing for correlating a response time of a test specimen with actual exposure time of the test specimen to radiation (e.g., an ion beam).
Claims20
A gauge comprising:
- a housing defining an aperture;
- a member configured to prevent a laser beam from traveling in a first direction beyond a location of the member when the member is in a first state, wherein the member is configured to transition from the first state to a second state in response to a radiation received by the member via the aperture, wherein when in the second state the member is configured to allow the laser beam to travel beyond the location in the first direction;
- and
- a light probe that is configured to detect when the member transitions to the second state by detecting when the laser beam travels beyond the location.
A method of determining a time of arrival of radiation, the method comprising:
- directing a laser beam along a first direction to a member of a gauge, such that laser beam does not travel in the first direction beyond a location of the member while the member is in a first state;
- directing radiation to the member such that the member transitions to a second state, whereby the laser beam passes beyond the location along the first direction;
- detecting, with a light probe, when the member transitions to the second state such that the laser beam travels beyond the location in the first direction;
- and
- determining a time of arrival of the radiation based on a time of the member transitioning to the second state such that the laser beam of the light probe passes beyond the location along the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.