1. An ice separator, comprising:
a first airflow deflection surface that is continuously curved and has an introduction region arranged on a front edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
a discharge region arranged on a rear edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
an inflow edge defined between the front edge and the rear edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
an inflow aperture extending from the inflow edge and downstream of the inflow edge, the inflow aperture having a surface that is offset from the first airflow deflection surface; and
a trapping pocket coupled to the inflow aperture so as to extend downstream of the inflow aperture,
wherein a front edge tangent of the first airflow deflection surface and a rear edge tangent of the first airflow deflection surface is adapted to form an angle of less than approximately 180\xb0 relative to each other, and
wherein the trapping pocket is arranged on a side of the first airflow deflection surface that faces away from a centre of curvature of the first airflow deflection surface.
2. The ice separator of claim 1, wherein the angle enclosed between the front edge tangent and the rear edge tangent is adapted to range from approximately 90\xb0 to approximately 135\xb0.
3. The ice separator of claim 1, further comprising a rounded leading edge that is arranged so as to be substantially flush on the front edge of the first airflow deflection surface.
4. The ice separator of claim 1, further comprising a second airflow deflection surface having a second front edge arranged substantially parallel and adjacent to the front edge of the first airflow deflection surface.
5. The ice separator of claim 4, wherein the second airflow deflection surface is arranged so as to be mirror-inverted and symmetrical relative to the first airflow deflection surface.
6. The ice separator of claim 4, wherein a leading edge is arranged substantially flush against the front edge of the first airflow deflection surface and the front edge of the second airflow deflection surface.
7. The ice separator of claim 1, wherein the trapping pocket comprises an open-pore material.
8. The ice separator of claim 7, wherein the trapping pocket comprises a mesh fabric.
9. The ice separator of claim 1, wherein the first airflow deflection surface comprise an open-pore material.
10. The ice separator of claim 4, wherein the second airflow deflection surface comprises an open-pore material.
11. The ice separator of claim 1, wherein the ice separator is adapted to provide a sound-insulating deflection of airflows in air ducts.
12. An air distribution system, comprising:
a main air duct;
at least two secondary air ducts;
a sound-insulating air branching piece including a first airflow deflection surface that is continuously curved with an introduction region arranged on a front edge of the first airflow deflection surface, and a discharge region arranged on a rear edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
an inflow edge defined between the front edge and the rear edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
an inflow aperture extending from the inflow edge and downstream of the inflow edge, the inflow aperture having a surface that is offset from the first airflow deflection surface; and
a trapping pocket coupled to the inflow aperture so as to extend downstream of the inflow aperture,
wherein the sound-insulating air branching piece is arranged between the main air duct and the at least two secondary air ducts, and leads air from the main air duct to the at least two secondary air ducts,
wherein a front edge tangent and a rear edge tangent of the first airflow deflection surface is adapted to form an angle of less than approximately 180\xb0 relative to each other,
wherein the trapping pocket is arranged on one side of the first airflow deflection surface that faces away from a centre of curvature of the first airflow deflection surface, and
wherein the first airflow deflection surface comprises an open-pore material.
13. An aircraft, comprising
an air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning pack, a mixing chamber for mixing air from a cabin of the aircraft with fresh air;
an air distribution system comprising a main air duct, at least two secondary air ducts and a sound-insulating air branching piece;
an air branching piece arranged between the main air duct and the at least two secondary air ducts that leads air from the main air duct to the at least two secondary air ducts;
an ice separator comprising a first airflow deflection surface that is continuously curved with an introduction region arranged on a front edge of the first airflow deflection surface, and a discharge region arranged on a rear edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
an inflow edge defined between the front edge and the rear edge of the first airflow deflection surface;
an inflow aperture extending from the inflow edge and downstream of the inflow edge, the inflow aperture having a surface that is offset from the first airflow deflection surface; and
a trapping pocket coupled to the inflow aperture so as to extend downstream of the inflow aperture,
wherein a front edge tangent and a rear edge tangent of the first airflow deflection surface is adapted to form an angle of less than approximately 180\xb0 relative to each other,
wherein the trapping pocket is arranged on one side of the first airflow deflection surface that faces away from a centre of curvature of the first airflow deflection surface, and
wherein the first airflow deflection surface comprises an open-pore material.
14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the angle enclosed between the front edge tangent and the rear edge tangent is adapted to range from approximately 90\xb0 to approximately 135\xb0.
15. The aircraft of claim 13, further comprising a rounded leading edge that is arranged so as to be substantially flush on the front edge of the first airflow deflection surface.
16. The aircraft claim 13, further comprising a second airflow deflection surface having a second front edge arranged substantially parallel and adjacent to the front edge of the first airflow deflection surface.
17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the second airflow deflection surface is arranged so as to be mirror-inverted and symmetrical relative to the first airflow deflection surface.
18. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein a leading edge is arranged substantially flush against the front edge of the first airflow deflection surface and the front edge of the second airflow deflection surface.
19. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the trapping pocket comprises the open-pore material.
20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the trapping pocket comprises a mesh fabric.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for providing a protective layer on a work piece, comprising:
a support for positioning a work piece;
a work piece positioned on the support, the work piece comprising a semiconductor wafer including one or more integrated circuit features;
an applicator for locally applying a colloidal suspension of conductive material onto the work piece to form a local protective layer to protect an integrated circuit feature on the work piece during charged particle beam processing, the applicator applying the colloidal suspension of conductive material without touching the work piece surface to which the colloidal suspension of conductive material is applied;
a reservoir containing a colloidal suspension of conductive material, the colloidal suspension of conductive material having a particle size less than 100 nanometers, the reservoir being in fluidic communication with the applicator; and
a charged particle beam system for operating on the work piece, the charged particle beam system programmed to process a localized area of the work piece onto which the protective layer was formed;
a wafer cassette adapted for storing the work piece; and
a robot wafer handler adapted for removing the work piece from the wafer cassette and positioning the work piece under the applicator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the applicator comprises an ink jet head.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the ink jet head comprises a thermal ink jet head, a piezoelectric ink jet head, a continuous in jet head, or a thermal sublimation-type ink jet head.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the colloidal suspension of conductive material comprises a colloidal suspension that dries on the work piece to deposit a conductive protective layer.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the colloidal suspension of conductive material comprises a colloidal suspension of silver.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the applicator is capable of applying a drop of colloidal suspension of conductive material having a volume of less than 20 pL with a positional accuracy of 100 \u03bcm.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a camera for forming an image of the work piece surface; and
a computer executing a program for recognizing an image on the work piece and for aligning the ink jet head with a feature on the work piece.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the colloidal suspension of conductive material has a particle size less than 50 nanometers.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the colloidal suspension of conductive material has a particle size less than 10 nanometers.