Abstract: There is provided a first reservoir containing a liquid solution including a molecule to be characterized and a second reservoir for containing a liquid solution including a molecule that has been characterized. A solid state support structure is provided including an aperture having a molecular entrance providing a fluidic connection to the first reservoir and a molecular exit providing a fluidic connection to the second reservoir. First and second electron transport probes are each disposed on the support structure with a surface abutting a perimeter of the aperture. At least one of the probes comprises a fullerene structure, e.g., a carbon nanotube. A voltage source is connected between the probes to apply a voltage bias across the aperture. An electrical current monitor is connected between the probes for monitoring changes in electron transport between the probes corresponding to translocation of a molecule through the aperture.

Abstract: A carbon nanotube device in accordance with the invention includes a support structure including an aperture extending from a front surface to a back surface of the structure. At least one carbon nanotube extends across the aperture and is accessible through the aperture from both the front surface and the back surface of the support structure.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for forming a patterned material layer on a structure, by condensing a vapor to a solid condensate layer on a surface of the structure and then localized removal of selected regions of the condensate layer by directing a beam of energy at the selected regions. The structure can then be processed, with at least a portion of the patterned solid condensate layer on the structure surface, and then the solid condensate layer removed. Further there can be stimulated localized reaction between the solid condensate layer and the structure by directing a beam of energy at at least one selected region of the condensate layer.

Abstract: The invention provides an acoustic actuator, including an acoustic stress wave generator and an actuation material operatively positioned relative to the acoustic stress wave generator for delivery of acoustic stress waves from the generator to the actuation material.

Abstract: The invention provides techniques for drawing fibers that include conducting, semiconducting, and insulating materials in intimate contact and prescribed geometries. The resulting fiber exhibits engineered electrical and optical functionalities along extended fiber lengths. The invention provides corresponding processes for producing such fibers, including assembling a fiber preform of a plurality of distinct materials, e.g., of conducting, semiconducting, and insulating materials, and drawing the preform into a fiber.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical fiber photodetector including a photoconductive element, such as a semiconducting element, having a fiber length. The semiconducting element is characterized as a non-composite material in at least one fiber direction. At least one pair of conducting electrodes is in contact with the semiconducting element along the fiber length, and an insulator is provided along the fiber length. An optical resonator can be disposed along the fiber length and along a path of illumination to the semiconducting element. The resonator is dimensioned to substantially reflect all illumination wavelengths except for a prescribed range of wavelengths transmitted to the semiconducting element. The fiber photodetector can be arranged in a photodetecting fiber grid, photodetecting fiber fabric, or other configuration for detecting incident illumination.

Abstract: A solid state nanopore device including two or more materials and a method for fabricating the same. The device includes a solid state insulating membrane having an exposed surface, a conductive material disposed on at least a portion of the exposed surface of the solid state membrane, and a nanopore penetrating an area of the conductive material and at least a portion of the solid state membrane. During fabrication a conductive material is applied on a portion of a solid state membrane surface, and a nanopore of a first diameter is formed. When the surface is exposed to an ion beam, material from the membrane and conductive material flows to reduce the diameter of the nanopore. A method for evaluating a polymer molecule using the solid state nanopore device is also described. The device is contacted with the polymer molecule and the molecule is passed through the nanopore, allowing each monomer of the polymer molecule to be monitored.

Abstract: The invention provides a carbon nanotube field effect transistor including a nanotube having a length suspended between source and drain electrodes. A gate dielectric material coaxially coats the suspended nanotube length and at least a portion of the source and drain electrodes. A gate metal layer coaxially coats the gate dielectric material along the suspended nanotube length and overlaps a portion of the source and drain electrodes, and is separated from those electrode portions by the gate dielectric material. The nanotube field effect transistor is fabricated by coating substantially the full suspended nanotube length and a portion of the source and drain electrodes with a gate dielectric material. Then the gate dielectric material along the suspended nanotube length and at least a portion of the gate dielectric material on the source and drain electrodes are coated with a gate metal layer.

Abstract: A magnetic actuator is provided including a magnetic field-actuated material and a plurality of interconnected electrically conducting coils, each coil including a number of wire turns arranged relative to at least one other coil to produce at the magnetic field-actuated material, by superposition, a magnetic field that is substantially oriented in one of a plurality of selectable discrete directions. An actuator drive circuit is connected to the coils in a circuit configuration that reverses a direction of electrical current flow through at least one of the coils to reorient the magnetic field from a first selected direction to a second selected direction of the plurality of selectable discrete directions.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an electrically conducting charge transfer channel is formed in a semiconductor substrate and an electrically insulating layer is formed on a surface of the substrate; a layer of gate electrode material is formed on the insulating layer. On the gate material layer is formed a first patterned masking layer having apertures that expose regions of the underlying gate material layer that are to form gate electrodes, and the first-pattern-exposed regions of the gate material layer are electrically doped. In addition, on the gate material layer is formed a second patterned masking layer having apertures that expose regions of the underlying gate material layer that are to form gaps between gate electrodes, and the second-pattern-exposed regions of the gate material layer are etched.

Abstract: For controlling a physical dimension of a solid state structural feature, a solid state structure is provided, having a surface and having a structural feature. The structure is exposed to a first periodic flux of ions having a first exposure duty cycle characterized by a first ion exposure duration and a first nonexposure duration for the first duty cycle, and then at a second periodic flux of ions having a second exposure duty cycle characterized by a second ion exposure duration and a second nonexposure duration that is greater than the first nonexposure duration, for the second duty cycle, to cause transport, within the structure including the structure surface, of material of the structure to the structural feature in response to the ion flux exposure to change at least one physical dimension of the feature substantially by locally adding material of the structure to the feature.

Abstract: A charge-coupled device imager including an array of super pixels disposed in a semiconductor substrate having a surface that is accessible to incident illumination. For each super pixel there is provided a plurality of subpixels which each correspond to one in the sequence of image frames. Each subpixel includes a doped photogenerated charge collection channel region opposite the illumination-accessible substrate surface, a charge collection channel region control electrode, doped charge drain regions adjacent to the channel region, a charge drain region control electrode, and a doped charge collection control region. To each subpixel are provided channel region and drain region control voltage connections, for independent collection and storage of photogenerated charge from the substrate at the charge collection channel region of a selected subpixel during one in the sequence of image frames and for drainage of photogenerated charge from the substrate to a drain region.

Abstract: Provided is a method of fabrication of a blooming control structure for an imager. The structure is produced in a semiconductor substrate in which is configured an electrical charge collection region. The electrical charge collection region is configured to accumulate electrical charge that is photogenerated in the substrate, up to a characteristic charge collection capacity. A blooming drain region is configured in the substrate laterally spaced from the charge collection region. The blooming drain region includes an extended path of a conductivity type and level that are selected for conducting charge in excess of the characteristic charge collection capacity away from the charge collection region. A blooming barrier region is configured in the substrate to be adjacent to and laterally spacing the charge collection and blooming drain regions by a blooming barrier width. This barrier width corresponds to an acute blooming barrier impurity implantation angle with the substrate.

Abstract: A turbopump including a rotor having a first face and a second face and being characterized by a rotor axial height between the first and second rotor faces and by a rotor diameter. A rotor housing includes bearing surfaces for supporting rotation of the rotor, includes turbine inlet and turbine outlet ports and pump inlet and pump outlet ports, and includes pump and turbine fluid sealing surfaces. A plurality of turbine blades of a turbine blade axial height, and a plurality of pump blades of a pump blade axial height, are disposed on a face of the rotor. The turbine blades and pump blades can be together disposed on the rotor first face. Further or alternatively, a turbopump axial height including rotor bearings, turbine blade and pump blade axial height, and rotor axial height, can be less than rotor diameter.

Abstract: The imager system of the invention, provided in a semiconductor substrate, includes a plurality of photosensitive, charge integrating pixels that are arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array for capturing illumination of a scene to be imaged. Each pixel includes a photogenerated charge accumulation region of the semiconductor substrate and a sense node at which an electrical signal, indicative of pixel charge accumulation, can be measured without discharging the accumulation region. Pixel access control circuitry is connected to pixel array rows and columns to deliver pixel access signals generated by the access control circuitry for independently accessing a selected pixel in the array. An input interface circuit is connected to accept a dynamic range specification input for the array pixels.

Abstract: A bistable structure provided by the invention is characterized as including a deflection element that has mechanically constrained end points and a compliant span between the end points that is substantially free to deflect between two stable positions when a force is applied at a point along the span. The deflection element span is provided, as-fabricated, curved in one of the two stable positions and in a mechanically unstressed condition along the length of the span. The as-fabricated curve of the deflection element span includes a curve maxima at a point along the span length that is at least about ¼ of the span length from the end points of the span. The deflection element span is constrained to substantially prohibit development of a second bending mode that is characteristic for the span as the element deflects between the two stable positions.

Abstract: A solid state structure having a surface is provided and exposed to a flux, F, of incident ions under conditions that are selected based on: ∂ ∂ t ⁢ C ⁡ ( r , t ) = F ⁢   ⁢ Y 1 + D ⁢ ∇ 2 ⁢ C - C τ trap - F ⁢   ⁢ C ⁢   ⁢ &sigm

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor array has rows and columns of active pixels. In addition, there are one or more column lines each cooperating with the active pixels in the respective columns. Each active pixel has an output connected to a column line. Each active pixel includes a photodiode that produces a signal proportional to incident light intensity. The proportional signal is applied to the active pixel output if the column select and row select are appropriately set. In addition, each active pixel has a reset transistor for resetting the active pixel. Each reset transistor has a gate and first and second terminals. A reset voltage is applied to the gate of each reset transistor to cause a reset. The CMOS image sensor array also has one or more amplifiers. Each amplifier has a first input connected to a different column line. Each amplifier provides a negative feedback output to the first node of each reset transistor of the active pixels for the respective cooperating column line.

Abstract: The invention provides HF vapor process conditions that can be precisely controlled with a high degree of reproducibility for a wide range of starting wafer conditions. These HF vapor processes for, e.g., etching oxide on a semiconductor substrate, cleaning a contaminant on a semiconductor substrate, removing etch residue from a metal structure on a semiconductor substrate, and cleaning a metal contact region of a semiconductor substrate. In the HF vapor process, a semiconductor substrate having oxide, a contaminant, metal etch residue, or a contact region to be processed is exposed to hydrofluoric acid vapor and water vapor in a process chamber held at temperature and pressure conditions that are controlled to form on the substrate no more than a sub-monolayer of etch reactants and products produced by the vapor as the substrate is processed by the vapor.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrostatically-controllable diffraction grating including a plurality of electrically isolated and stationary electrodes disposed on a substrate. At least one row of a plurality of interconnected actuation elements is provided, with each actuation element suspended, by a corresponding mechanically constrained support region, over the substrate by a vertical actuation gap and including a conducting actuation region connected to the corresponding support region and disposed in a selected correspondence with at least one substrate electrode. A mirror element is provided, for at least one actuation element in at least one row of actuation elements, including an optically reflecting upper surface, and being vertically suspended over a corresponding actuation element by a mechanically constrained mirror support region that is connected to the corresponding actuation element and that defines a vertical mirror gap.