Abstract: A superluminescent diode has one end coupled to a DBR having a grating and the other end has a reflective coating. A broadlight spectrum is emitted for reduced speckle interference and phase noise when used in applications such as a gyroscope. The diode can be of the "P side down" type for good heat dissipation during continuous wave operation. Two gratings can be used in order to reduce beam divergence.

Abstract: A surface emitting grating is coupled to an optical amplifier and has grating elements tilted non-normal relative to the amplifier optical axis. The angle of tilt in one embodiment is such that the grating reflections are refracted out of the amplifier region. The amplifier may have a tilted light receiving end serving as an input port in a second embodiment to cause internal reflections from the grating to be reflected to an amplifier boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle to cause the reflections to pass out of the amplifier region. In the latter embodiment, the grating tilt angle is minimized to reduce the surface emission beam angle tilt from the normal to a relatively small angle.

Abstract: A circuit in accordance with the invention has a complementary pair of a MISFET and a COMFET with their drains connected together. This allows fabrication on a single substrate for greater reliability and reduced cost. The circuit can be used in a full or one half "H-bridge" configuration for controlling current through a load such as a motor.

Abstract: A compact memory has a plurality of memory cells that are serially coupled. The plurality of cells are capacitively coupled to a substrate and directly coupled to switching circuits at both of its ends, which can disconnect the plurality of cells from a bit line at one end and a ground bus at the other end. An inhibit operation comprises precharging an array of pluralities of cells and the discharging of a selected plurality of cells. A WRITE operation comprises turning ON non-selected cells and then applying a programming voltage to a selected cell.

Abstract: A two-stage gas distribution nozzle for a muffle furnace includes an inner pipe with spaced apertures for feeding gas at spaced intervals to an outer pipe enclosing the inner pipe. The outer pipe includes spaced apertures facing in a direction such that the jets of gas from the inner pipe impinge on a wall of the outer pipe opposite the outer pipe apertures. The gas in the outer pipe is at lower pressure than the gas in the inner pipe and is more uniformly distributed along the length of the outer pipe to provide more uniform flow to the ambient atmosphere in the muffle.

Abstract: A multilayer interconnect and method of forming the same between first and second overlying conductive strips separated by an insulating layer having an aperture therethrough. The improvement wherein at least one edge of the first strip is aligned with an overlying edge of the second strip. The interconnect is formed by depositing the second strip on the insulating layer such that it at least partially overlaps the aperture and extends beyond an edge of the first strip. The second strip and first strip are then partially removed such that at least one edge of the first and second conductive strips are aligned.

Abstract: The quality of incomplete data Non-Destructive Evaluation and Computed Tomography images is improved by incorporating a priori information into the image reconstruction and image processing to supplement the available data. The a priori information is provided by electronic models of the part derived from a solid modeler, physics of the inspection process, and outputs of touch and other sensors. Methods of improving limited-angle X-ray CT images are given. Calculated projection data in the missing angular range is provided by calculating x-ray path lengths through a solid model of the part, and x-ray attenuation from known physical parameters of the part and source. The measured and calculated projection data are combined to reconstruct the CT image. In an iterative reconstruction approach, precise boundary information from a model and calculated attenuation are information to improve the limited angle image.

Abstract: A photoconductive detector comprises a substrate layer of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type substantially transparent of light at the wavelength to be detected and doped sufficiently to provide ohmic contact to the photoconductive active region overlying said substrate layer. The active region comprises a body of undoped semiconductor material absorptive of light at the wavelength to be detected, having first and second major surfaces. The substrate layer serves as a first ohmic contact for the entire first major surface of the active region and a metal or metal alloy serves as a second ohmic contact overlying the entire second major surface of said active region.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring machine tool operations provides a multi-level tool break alarm and uses information from multiple sensors of different types. Signal processing and pattern recognition logic techniques are applied to a cutting process high frequency vibration signal to detect major tool breaks requiring prompt stoppage of the cut. False alarm resistant detection of minor tool breaks, for which the response may not be an immediate stop of the cutting process, is obtained with information from a low frequency vibration sensor, an axis drive current sensor, or an axis velocity sensor. A minor tool break alarm is generated when signal transients in both a high frequency and low frequency channel signal are in close time coincidence, and a major alarm when the high frequency channel transient is followed by a persisting mean vibration level shift.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising an island of semiconductor material disposed on an insulating substrate is disclosed. A MOS transistor is formed in the semiconductor material, but the gate electrode does not extend over any sidewall of the silicon island. In order to electrically isolate the source and drain regions in the areas of the silicon island not subtended by the gate electrode, a pair of diodes in series is used to eliminate the shorting paths.

Abstract: A broadband 25 to 50 MHz spherically focused ultrasonic transducer is placed on the tip of a catheter such that ultrasonic images of arteries and plaque are produced by introducing the catheter into arteries of patients. The high frequency transducer has thin piezoelectric polymer film as the transducing element and is adhered to a depression in the reduced cross section catheter tip. A coaxial cable in the catheter connects the transducer to an external signal source and a display for the received signals. The diagnosis and characterization of arterial disease is most often coupled with a therapeutic technique such as balloon angioplasty.

Abstract: A circuit in accordance with the invention has a complementary pair of a MISFET and a COMFET with their drains connected together. This allows fabrication on a single substrate for greater reliability and reduced cost. The circuit can be used in a full or one half "H-bridge" configuration for controlling current through a load such as a motor.

Abstract: A memory cell structure has a thin insulating oxide barrier layer between an insulating body, such as sapphire, and a conducting layer, such as polysilicon, to prevent photoconduction between the body and the layer. Upper and lower conducting layers form a capacitor with a source and a drain in the lower layer and a gate in the upper layer to isolate the sensitive gate from a substrate during photoconduction. These features help the cell resist a radiation-induced logic state change.

Abstract: Multiple light detection channels are introduced into a flying spot optical triangulation ranging system to increase the speed of acquiring range values. A laser beam is rapidly swept across a surface by a beam deflector. Each fiber optic channel can receive light only from a different point along a line at the intersection of the swept beam with the surface. The receiver channels are duplicated and separate detectors generate signal pulses at times that are a function of range to the surface. These are processed in parallel to calculate N range values per beam sweep, where N is the number of channels.

Abstract: A laser gain medium has a diamond coating in order to strengthen it and reduce parasitic oscillations. The medium can be a slab with chamfered corners with the coating on the edge faces and the corners, or a rod with the coating going all the way around it to eliminate stress corrosion and provide a compressive stress. The medium can be Nd:YAG and the coating can have a parasitic absorbing dopant. In a laser, the length of the coating preferably is the same as the length of the medium. For the slab, siderails can be used with a length slightly shorter than that of the coating.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of making the device in which portions of the device may be completed prior to forming the detector region. The device comprises a substrate, a first insulating layer over the substrate, a first level semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer over the semiconductor layer, a metallic contact extending through the second insulating layer and a third insulating layer overlying the contact. A detector region is spaced apart from the contact. The method comprises the steps of forming a first insulating layer over the substrate, forming a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer, forming a contact through the second insulating layer, forming a third insulating layer over the contact and forming an opening through the first, second and third insulating layers and forming a detector region in the opening.

Abstract: Surface emitting lasers are laterally aligned and coupled together and also have their light output signals combined. This results in greater phase and frequency coherency and narrower and reduced amplitude sidelobes. Preferably, not more than two lasers are longitudinally aligned along the same axis for still greater coherency compared with adding the light output signals of more than two longitudinally aligned lasers. The lasers can be of the DH-LOC type or of the QW type.

Abstract: A mask of insulating material is formed on the major surface of a semiconductor wafer, the mask including apertures to the wafer surface. A layer of monocrystalline silicon is then formed through the apertures and over the mask. The silicon within each aperture is next replaced with an insulating plug and epitaxial silicon is grown from the remaining portions of the monocrystalline silicon layer so as to form a continuous monocrystalline silicon sheet overlying the mask and plug.

Abstract: An amplifying apparatus has a plurality of series coupled laser diodes that impedance match a signal source impedance and which are optically coupled to at least one PIN diode that impedance matches a load impedance. A high DC voltage is applied to the PIN diode so that gain is obtained and signal power is applied to the load. A plurality of parallel coupled PIN diodes can be used or a series-parallel combination.

Abstract: A light emitting device which has a substrate and a cavity region overlying the substrate. The cavity region has a grating region overlying exposed portions of the surface formed of a first grating region having a first period and a second grating region having a period different from the first region. On other portions of the cavity region an active region overlies the cavity layer and a capping layer overlies the active region. The device is monitored by forming a surface emitting device with first and second gratings with the gratings having different periods. Current is applied to the device such that radiation is emitted from the grating and the output is detected from the second grating such that the current to the device is adjusted based on the output of the second grating.