| 摘要 |
<p>A method of controlling the temperature of an article (10), the shape of which may vary, while exposing a selected portion (32) of it to treatment under vacuum by an energetic beam, comprises providing, within a container (18), a heat conductive substance (20) of selected depth having a solid rigid state under conditions of treatment and having a molten state at a higher temperature below the minimum damage temperature of the article, the substance being chemically nonreactive, nonwetting and nonadhesive at the higher temperature with a first portion (30) of the article, heating the heat conductive substance to the higher temperature to cause the substance to be in molten state, temporarily holding the article in selected position to submerge the first portion of the article substantially below the surface of the molten heat conductive substance while a second portion of the article to be treated protrudes above the surface, cooling the heat conductive substance to cause it to solidify about the immersed first portion of the article in intimate heat conducting and rigid supporting relationship therewith, with the second portion of said articles protruding above the surface, in position for exposure to the beam (34), subjecting the exposed second portion under vacuum to the energetic beam for said treatment while controlling the temperature of the article by heat transfer via the intimately engaged, rigid supporting substance, and thereafter following treatment, reheating the rigid substance to the higher temperature to cause the substance to be in molten state, and removing the treated article therefrom. In one aspect, treatment is by an energetic ion beam in vacuum of pressure of the order of 10-5 torr. An apparatus (40) is also described.</p> |
