Download Superconducting quantum interference device fluxmeter and

Europaisches Patentamt
(19)
J
| | | | 1 1| | | | | | | 1 1| | | 1 1 | | | || | |
European Patent Office
Office europeen des brevets
(11)
EP
0 775
917
A3
E U R O P E A N PATENT A P P L I C A T I O N
(12)
ation A3:
(88) Date of publication
08.10.1997 Bulletin 1997/41
(51) |nt. CI.6: G01 R 3 3 / 0 3 5
(43) Date of publication A2:
28.05.1997 Bulletin 1997/22
(21) Application number: 96116260.9
(22) Date of filing: 10.10.1996
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE GB
(30) Priority: 22.11.1995 JP 304782/95
(71 ) Applicant: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Chiba-shi, Chiba 261 (JP)
(72) Inventors:
• Chinone, Kazuo
Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261 (JP)
(54)
CO
<
• Nakayama, Satoshi
Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261 (JP)
• Morooka, Toshimitsu
Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261 (JP)
• Odawara, Akikazu
Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261 (JP)
(74) Representative: Fleuchaus, Leo, Dipl.-lng. et al
Melchiorstrasse 42
81479 Munchen (DE)
Superconducting quantum interference device f luxmeter and nondestructive inspection
apparatus
An inspection apparatus having a compact
(57)
configuration is provided in a SQUID flux meter used for
nondestructive inspection to make inspection for
defects, corrosion, etc. of metal in a nondestructive and
non-contact mode. A SQUID 1, comprising two Josephson junctions 3, a washer coil 4, shunt resistors 5, a
damping resistor 6, and a feedback modulation coil 8, is
formed of a superconducting thin film on a substrate 14.
A magnetic field applying coil 9 is formed on the same
substrate 14 with a superconducting thin film or a normal conducting metal thin film. The magnetic field
applying coil 9, which is wound plural turns around the
SQUID 1, applies a dc or ac magnetic field for inspection to a sample. The change in magnetic field produced
by a defect in the sample is detected directly by the
washer coil 4, by which the position and size of the
defect are inspected. Since the magnetic field applying
coil is integrated on the same substrate as that on which
the SQUID is formed, an increase in the scale of the
apparatus can be restrained, providing a simple construction.
cr>
10
r»o
Q_
LU
Printed by Rank Xerox (UK)Business Services
2.14.15/3.4
F I G. 1
6
5
EP 0 775 917 A3
European Patent
office
^"t^ ^
EP 96 11 6260
EUROPEAN SEARCH REPORT
DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT
Citation of document with indication, where appropriate,
Relevant
Category
of relevant passages
to claim
KETCHEN M ET AL: "OCTAGONAL WASHER DE
SQUIDS AND INTEGRATED SUSCEPTOMETERS
FABRICATED IN A PLANARIZED SUB- M
NB-ALOX-NB TECHNOLOGY"
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON APPLIED
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY,
vol. 3, no. 1, PART 04, 1 March 1993,
pages 1795-1799, XP000518105
* page 1795, right-hand column, line 5 page 1796, left-hand column, line 2 *
1,4,5
US 4 588 947 A (KETCHEN MARK B) 13 May
1986
* column 4, line 1 - line 34; figure 1 *
1,4,5
US 5 293 119 A (PODNEY WALTER N) 8 March
1994
* column 2, line 28 - line 47 *
1,5
A
EP 0 591 641 A (SEIKO INSTR CO LTD) 13
April 1994
A
EP 0 399 499 A (HITACHI LTD) 28 November
1990
A
US 5 218 297 A (NAKANE HIDEAKI
June 1993
G01R33/035
TECHNICAL FIELDS
SEARCHED (Int.CI.6)
G01R
G01N
ET AL) 8
The present search report has been drawn up for all claims
Place ofsearch
Dateof completion of the search
THE HAGUE
8 August 1997
CATEGORY OF CITED DOCUMENTS
X: particularly relevant if taken alone
Y: particularly relevant if combined with another
document of the same category
A: technological background
O: non-written disclosure
P : intermediate document
CLASSIFICATION OF THE
APPLICATION (lnt.CI.6)
Examiner
Swart jes, H
T : theory or principle underlying the invention
E : earlier patent document, but published on, or
after the filing date
D: document cited in the application
L: document cited for other reasons
&: member of the same patent family, corresponding
document
2