Ion lens recording system

Claim 2

An ion imaging system, comprising: an ion source; an electrically conductive member spaced away from said ion source; means for receiving and positioning an insulating surface on said electrically conductive member and having an ion sensitive surface facing said ion source; means for supplying an electric voltage to said ion source to institute an ion beam discharge between said ion source and said ion sensitive surface; means for receiving a stencil member defining an aperture of preselected shape interposed between said ion source and ion sensitive surface for defining said ion beam as a shape coinciding with the preselected shape of said aperture; and tapered means disposed intermediate said aperture of preselected shape and said ion sensitive surface and spacially positioned so as to uniformly reduce said defined ion beam shape incident upon said ion sensitive surface relative to said preselected shape.

Claim 3

The system defined in claim 1 in which said tapered means comprises a tapered structure having at a narrow end thereof an aperture proximate to said ion sensitive surface for converging said defined ion beam shape at said aperture to uniformly reduce said defined shape thereat.

Claim 4

The system defined in claim 2 in which said aperture of said tapered structure is provided with a preassigned diameter for minifying said defined ion-charged shape in proportion to the preassigned diameter of said aperture.

Claim 5

The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a housing and in which said ion source comprises a needle having a tapered end disposed proximate to said stencil with said needle being substantially enclosed by said housing.

Claim 6

An ion imaging system, comprising: a conducting electrode consisting of a needle having a tapered end; an electric insulator supporting an end of said needle opposite to said tapered end thereof for disposing said needle in a direction normal to said insulator; a cylindrical housing having one open end attached to said insulator and disposed in a direction normal thereto for so enclosing said needle tapered end within said housing as to locate said needle tapered end within said housing at an area proximate to an opposite end of said housing, whereby said needle and housing are coaxiAlly aligned; an electrically conductive member disposed oppositely to said needle tapered end in spaced relation therewith in a plane normal to a lengthwise axis of said needle; means for receiving and positioning an insulating surface on said member and having an ion sensitive surface disposed to face said needle tapered end; means for supplying an electric voltage to said needle and to said member to institute an ion beam discharge therebetween and thereby onto said said ion sensitive surface; means for receiving a stencil character of preselected shape interposed between said needle tapered end and said ion sensitive surface for defining said ion beam to a shape coincident with that of said character to ion-charge said ion sensitive surface to record thereon an ion-charge shape corresponding to said stencil character shape; and tapered means disposed intermediate said stencil character and ion sensitive surface and spacially positioned so as to uniformly reduce said defined ion beam shape to minify said ion charge shape recorded on said ion sensitive surface relative to said stencil character shape; said tapered means including a funnel having an end of large diameter contiguous with said housing opposite end and an opposite end of small diameter proximate to said ion sensitive surface; said funnel opposite end formed with an aperture of preselected diameter for converging said defined ion beam shape thereat to minify said ion charge shape recorded on said ion sensitive surface in proportion to the preselected diameter of said funnel aperture.

Claim 7

An ion imaging system, comprising: a conducting electrode consisting of a needle having a tapered end; an electric insulator supporting an end of said needle opposite to said tapered end thereof for disposing said needle in a direction normal to said insulator; a cylindrical housing having one open end attached to said insulator and disposed in a direction normal thereto for so enclosing said needle tapered end within said housing as to locate said needle tapered end within said housing at an area proximate to an opposite end of said housing, whereby said needle and housing are coaxiAlly aligned; an electrically conductive member disposed oppositely to said needle tapered end in spaced relation therewith in a plane normal to a lengthwise axis of said needle; means for receiving and positioning an insulating surface on said member and having an ion sensitive surface disposed to face said needle tapered end; means for supplying an electric voltage to said needle and to said member to institute an ion beam discharge therebetween and thereby onto said said ion sensitive surface; means for receiving a stencil character of preselected shape interposed between said needle tapered end and said ion sensitive surface for defining said ion beam to a shape coincident with that of said character to ion-charge said ion sensitive surface to record thereon an ion-charge shape corresponding to said stencil character shape; and tapered means disposed intermediate said stencil character and ion sensitive surface and spacially positioned so as to uniformly reduce said defined ion beam shape to minify said ion charge shape recorded on said ion sensitive surface relative to said stencil character shape; said tapered means including a funnel having an end of large diameter contiguous with said housing opposite end and an opposite end of small diameter proximate to said ion sensitive surface; said funnel opposite end formed with an aperture of preselected diameter for converging said defined ion beam shape thereat to minify said ion charge shape recorded on said ion sensitive surface in proportion to the preselected diameter of said funnel aperture.