Abstract: This invention has enabled a new, simple thin film nanoporous dielectric fabrication method. In general, this invention uses glycerol, or another low volatility compound, as a solvent. This new method allows thin film aerogels/low density xerogels to be made without supercritical drying, freeze drying, or a surface modification step before drying. Thus, this invention allows production of nanoporous dielectrics at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, without a separate surface modification step. Although this new method allows fabrication of aerogels without substantial pore collapse during drying, there may be some permanent shrinkage during aging and/or drying. This invention allows controlled porosity thin film nanoporous aerogels to be deposited, gelled, aged, and dried without atmospheric controls.

Abstract: An integrated biochemical sensor (200) for detecting the presence of one or more specific samples (240) having a device platform (355) with a light absorbing upper surface and input/output pins (375) is disclosed. An encapsulating housing (357) provides an optical transmissive enclosure which covers the platform (355) and has a layer of fluorescence chemistry on its outer surface (360). The fluorophore is chosen for its molecular properties in the presence of the sample analyte (240). The detector (370), light sources (365, 367, 407, 409) are all coupled to the platform (355) and encapsulated within the housing (357). A filter (375) element is used to block out unwanted light and increase the detector's (370) ability to resolve wanted emission light.

Abstract: A surface plasmon resonance sensor includes a light source 10 and a polarizer 18 for producing polarized light which passes through a transparent body 12 and strikes a thin conductive film 26 disposed on the exterior surface of the body 12. The film 26 exhibits surface plasmon resonance when the light strikes the film at a "resonance angle". By determining the angle at which surface plasmon resonance occurs, the refractive index of the material on the side of the film 26 opposite to the side which reflects the polarized light can be measured.

Abstract: A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor includes a transparent base housing 12 and a detachable optical housing 19. Radiation from a radiation source 10, disposed within base housing 12, is polarized by polarizing filter 16 and passes through the interface between base housing 12 and optical housing 19. The polarized radiation 18 is reflected from a mirror 20 onto a SPR layer 22, which is formed on an exterior surface of optical housing 19. Layer 22 comprises a thin layer of a conductive material. Radiation 24 reflected from SPR layer 22 re-enters housing 19 and strikes an array 28 of photodetectors. From the intensity of radiation at each photodetector, one can determine the index of refraction of the substance on the opposite side of SPR layer 22.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film of a metal oxide on a substrate by coating the substrate with a solution comprising metal-organic precursors is disclosed. This method is applicable to, e.g., forming thin films of perovskite-phase titanates, zirconates, and/or niobates of divalent metals such as Ba, Sr, Pb and/or Ca. In one embodiment, a first precursor comprises a divalent metal coordinated to one or more organic ligands, and a second precursor comprises a tetravalent metal coordinated to one or more organic ligands are supplied in a common solution. A substrate 14 is coated with this solution (e.g. by spin coating) to form a preliminary thin film 10. Substrate heater 22 preferably heats substrate 14 to a temperature sufficient to react ligands from the first and second precursors in an ester elimination reaction which forms a volatile precursor 16. This reaction leaves an intermediate compound film 12 comprising the divalent metal and the tetravalent metal on the substrate.

Abstract: A dynamic random access memory device (10) includes three separate sections--an input/output section (12), a peripheral transistor section (14), and a memory array section (16), all formed on a p- type substrate layer (18). The dynamic random access memory device (10) can employ separate substrate bias voltages for each section. The input/output section (12) has a p- type region (22) that is isolated from the p- type substrate layer (18) by an n- type well region (20). The peripheral transistor section (14) has a p- type region (36) that can be isolated from the p- type substrate layer (18) by an optional n- type well region (40) for those devices which require a different substrate bias voltage between the peripheral transistor section (14) and the memory array section (16).

Abstract: A method for inferring precise sensor attitude information in a tracking sensor system begins with storing at a first time a reference image in a memory associated with tracking sensor. Next, the method includes sensing it a second time second image. The sensed image comprises a plurality of sensed feature locations. The method further includes determining the position of the tracking sensor at the second time relative to its position at the first time and then forming a correlation between the sensed feature locations and the predetermined feature locations as a function of the relative position. The method results in an estimation of a tracking sensor pose that is calculated as a function of the correlation. Because the method is primarily computational, implementation requires no new hardware in a tracking sensor system other than that which may be required to provide additional computational capacity.

Abstract: Hypodermic needle 2 is to be introduced between the skin and the tissue adjacent to the skin. To separate the skin from the tissue, cartilage or bone below the skin and to prevent the tip 6 of the needle 2 from piercing the tissue below the skin this invention discloses providing the extremity 6 of the needle with a protrusion 4. To prevent damage to the living being in which the needle 2 is introduced the transition of the protrusion 4 to the needle is smooth in all directions. The protrusion 4 is provided on that side of the needle which will be adjacent to the tissue, cartilage or bone of the living being.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved porous structure for semiconductor devices and a process for making the same. This process may be applied to an existing porous structure 28, which may be deposited, for example, between patterned conductors 24. The method may comprise providing a substrate comprising a microelectronic circuit and a porous silica layer, the porous silica layer having an average pore diameter between 2 and 80 nm; and heating the substrate to one or more temperatures between 100 and 490 degrees C. in a substantially halogen-free atmosphere, whereby one or more dielectric properties of the porous dielectric are improved. In some embodiments, the atmosphere comprises a phenyl-containing atmosphere, such as hexaphenyldisilazane.

Abstract: This is a device and method of forming such, wherein the device has an amorphous "TEFLON" (TFE AF) layer. The device comprising: a substrate; a TFE AF 44 layer on top of the substrate; and a semiconductor layer 42 on top of the TFE AF 44 layer. The device may be an electronic or optoelectronic device. The semiconductor layer may be a metal or other substance.

Abstract: This invention has enabled a new, simple nanoporous dielectric fabrication method. In general, this invention uses a polyol, such as glycerol, as a solvent. This new method allows both bulk and thin film aerogels to be made without supercritical drying, freeze drying, or a surface modification step before drying. Prior art aerogels have required at least one of these steps to prevent substantial pore collapse during drying. Thus, this invention allows production of nanoporous dielectrics at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, without a separate surface modification step. Although not required to prevent substantial densification, this new method does not exclude the use of supercritical drying or surface modification steps prior to drying. In general, this new method is compatible with most prior art aerogel techniques. Although this new method allows fabrication of aerogels without substantial pore collapse during drying, there may be some permanent shrinkage during aging and/or drying.

Abstract: A power semiconductor device is shown to comprise a source region (24) and a drain region (26) disposed in a semiconductor substrate (10). A channel region (30) is disposed inwardly from a gate oxide layer (18) and a gate conductor (20). The device comprises a composite drift region (38) is formed of an n-type region (12) and a gallium arsenide region (36).

Abstract: Heteroepitaxy of lattice-mismatched semiconductor materials such as GaAs on silicon is accomplished by first growing GaAs (104) on silicon (102), then growing a lattice matched cap of Al.sub.z Ga.sub.1-z,As (106), next annealing out defects with the Al.sub.z Ga.sub.1-z As cap (106) limiting desorption of gallium, lastly growing further GaAs (110) directly on the cap. The lattice matched cap is also used as an implant anneal cap.

Abstract: A hybrid thermal imaging system (20, 120) often includes a focal plane array (30, 130), a thermal isolation structure (50, 150) and an integrated circuit substrate (60, 160). The focal plane array (30, 130) includes thermal sensitive elements (42, 142) formed from a pyroelectric film layer (82), such as barium strontium titanate (BST). One side of the thermal sensitive elements (42, 142) may be coupled to a contact pad (62, 162) disposed on the integrated circuit substrate (60, 160) through a mesa strip conductor (56, 150) of the thermal isolation structure (50, 150). The other side of the thermal sensitive elements (42, 142) may be coupled to an electrode (36, 136). The various components of the focal plane array (30, 130) may be fabricated from multiple heterogeneous layers (74, 34, 36, 82, 84) formed on a carrier substrate (70).

Abstract: This invention has enabled a new, simple nanoporous dielectric fabrication method. In general, this invention uses a glycol, such as ethylene glycol, as a solvent. This new method allows both bulk and thin film aerogels to be made without supercritical drying, freeze drying, or a surface modification step before drying. Prior art aerogels have required at least one of these steps to prevent substantial pore collapse during drying. Thus, this invention allows production of nanoporous dielectrics at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, without a separate surface modification step. Although not required to prevent substantial densification, this new method does not exclude the use of supercritical drying or surface modification steps prior to drying. In general, this new method is compatible with most prior art aerogel techniques. Although this new method allows fabrication of aerogels without substantial pore collapse during drying, there may be some permanent shrinkage during aging and/or drying.

Abstract: A Karaoke system scoring method and system (10) is provided based on detecting, for example, frame energy (19 or 19') of the Karaoke singer and the frame energy of the original artist (29 or 29'). The frame energy is quantized (41 and 43) and compared (45) and based on the comparison a score (37) is generated and displayed (15).

Abstract: This is a system and method of in-situ coating, baking and curing of dielectric material. The system may include: dispensing apparatus for dispensing spin-on material; a lamp module 50; a window 54 connected to the lamp module 50; an environmental control chamber 56 connected to the window 54; an access gate 60 for wafers 58 in the environmental control chamber 56; a spin chuck 62 inside the environmental control chamber 56; and an exhaust pipe 64 connected to the environmental control chamber 56. The lamp module 50 may contains infra red and ultra violet lamps. In addition, the coating chamber may process dielectric material such as spin-on glass, silicon dioxide and various other spin-on material.