1. A method for producing a lithographic pattern comprising the steps of:
using a mask, said mask including one or more materials, each said material corresponding to a material of a structure to be etched, and
transferring the pattern and removing said mask from said structure to be etched in one step.
2. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 1 includes providing an initial structure of said structure to be etched.
3. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of using said mask includes depositing said mask onto said initial structure.
4. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 3 wherein said mask includes one or more materials, each said material of said mask corresponding to a material and a material thickness of said initial structure to be etched.
5. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 3 wherein depositing said mask onto said initial structure includes the step of using e-beam lithography for defining lines on said initial structure.
6. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of transferring the pattern and removing said mask in one step includes ion-milling said structure to be etched including said mask.
7. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of using said mask includes depositing said mask onto said structure to be etched.
8. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 1 wherein the steps of using said mask; and transferring the pattern and removing said mask includes building up of one layer or multiple layers of material of specific thickness on top of a substrate and providing temporal control of an etching process for forming of a desired pattern.
9. A method for producing a lithographic pattern as recited in claim 1 wherein said structure to be etched is a spin valve device and includes the steps of establishing different exchange bias directions by the use of shape anisotropy for an exchange biased component of said spin valve device.
10. A vector magnetic field sensor for measuring an external magnetic field comprising:
a single chip; said single chip having different magnetic reference directions established; and
said different field directions being established on said single chip by using shape anisotropy.
11. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 10 wherein said single chip includes a free soft ferromagnetic layer.
12. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 2 wherein said free layer includes a permalloy.
13. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 10 wherein said single chip includes a separating layer carried by a free layer.
14. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 13 wherein said separating layer includes a spin valve defined by a non-magnetic metal or tunnel junction defined by an insulator.
15. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 13 wherein said separating layer includes a tunnel junction defined by an insulator.
16. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 10 wherein said single chip includes a pinned ferromagnetic layer carried by a separating layer.
17. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 10 wherein said pinned layer includes a CoFe layer.
18. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 10 wherein said single chip includes a pinning layer carried by a pinned layer.
19. A vector magnetic field sensor as recited in claim 18 wherein said pinning layer includes a FeMn layer.
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. A metering valve for controlling a flow of a molten metal between a first molten metal containing component and a second molten metal containing component, the metering valve comprising:
a first and second vertical sealing plates disposed between the first molten metal containing component and the second molten metal containing component to block the flow of the molten metal between the first and the second molten metal containing components, the first and second sealing plates spaced apart from each other to form a valve chamber between the first and second sealing plates, the valve chamber located external to the first and second molten metal containing components;
a sealing port disposed in each of the first and second sealing plates to allow the flow of the molten metal between the first and the second molten metal containing components through the sealing port in each of the first and second sealing plates; and
a sealing means comprising a sealing element at a first end of a sealing tube for each of the first and second sealing plates, the sealing means selectively inserted in the sealing port in each of the first and second sealing plates to prevent the flow of the molten metal between the first and the second molten metal containing components.
2. The metering valve of claim 1 wherein the sealing port comprises a substantially conically-shaped opening having a generally vertically-oriented axial alignment, the substantially conically-shaped opening connected at its smaller diameter to a first end of a substantially cylindrically and elbow-shaped passage, a second end of the substantially cylindrically and elbow-shaped passage having a generally horizontally-oriented axial alignment, and the sealing element having a generally hemispherical shape for insertion into the substantially conically-shaped opening of the sealing port.
3. A method of controlling a flow of a molten metal between a first molten metal containing component and a second molten metal containing component, the method comprising the steps of:
locating the first molten metal containing component external to the second molten metal containing component;
providing a first and second vertically oriented sealing plates between the first and second molten metal containing components, the first and second sealing plates spaced apart to form a valve chamber;
providing a sealing port in each of the first and second sealing plates to allow the flow of the molten metal through the sealing port; and
selectively sealing the sealing port in each of the first and second sealing plates to prevent the flow of the molten metal through the sealing plates.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing a first and second sealing plates further comprises providing for each of the first and second sealing plates a substantially conically-shaped opening in the sealing port, the substantially conically-shaped opening having a generally vertically-oriented axial alignment, the substantially conically-shaped opening connected at its smaller diameter to a first end of a substantially cylindrically and elbow-shaped passage, a second end of the substantially cylindrically and elbow-shaped passage having a generally horizontally-oriented axial alignment, and the step of selectively sealing the sealing port in each of the first and second sealing plates further comprises inserting a generally hemispherically shaped sealing element into the substantially conically-shaped opening of the sealing port.
5. The metering valve of claim 1 wherein the first or second molten metal containing component is a pressurized molten metal containing component.
6. The metering valve of claim 5 wherein the valve chamber is a pressurized chamber.
7. The metering valve of claim 6 wherein the pressurized molten metal containing component is pressurized to the same pressure as the valve chamber.
8. The metering valve of claim 1 wherein the sealing plate and sealing port are an integrally formed component.
9. The metering valve of claim 8 wherein the integrally formed component is cast from a high thermal conductivity ceramic.
10. The metering valve of claim 2 wherein the first or second molten metal containing component is a pressurized molten metal containing component.
11. The metering valve of claim 10 wherein the valve chamber is a pressurized chamber.
12. The metering valve of claim 11 wherein the pressurized molten metal containing component is pressurized to the same pressure as the valve chamber.
13. The metering valve of claim 2 wherein the sealing plate and sealing port are an integrally formed component.
14. The metering valve of claim 13 wherein the integrally formed component is cast from a high thermal conductivity ceramic.
15. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of pressurizing the first or second molten metal containing component.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of pressurizing the valve chamber.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the valve chamber and the first or second molten metal containing component are pressurized to the same pressure.
18. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of pressurizing the first or second molten metal containing component.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of pressurizing the valve chamber.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the valve chamber and the first or second molten metal containing component are pressurized to the same pressure.