Abstract: A low-noise active pixel circuit is disclosed that efficiently suppresses reset (kTC) noise by using a compact preamplifier consisting of a photodetector and only four MOSFETs of identical polarity, in conjunction with ancillary circuits located on an imager's periphery. The supporting circuits help the simplified pixel circuit to synchronously acquire (i.e., take a snapshot) an image across an imaging array, read the signal with low noise, and efficiently reset the pixel with low noise.

Abstract: An ultra-low noise, high gain interface pixel amplifier is provided with capability for single-photon readout of standard photodetectors at high electrical bandwidths for diverse spectral bandpass from the x-ray to long IR bands. The detector charge modulates a source follower whose output is double sampled to remove correlated noise by a compact stage that also provides optimum level shift for subsequent amplification of the full signal excursion. The level-shifted signal finally drives a compact amplifier that generates a robust end-to-end transimpedance. Single-photon readout of photodetectors at high electrical bandwidths in small pixel areas is thereby facilitated.

Abstract: A low-noise active pixel circuit is disclosed that efficiently suppresses reset (kTC) noise by using a compact preamplifier consisting of a photodetector and only three transistors of identical polarity, in conjunction with ancillary circuits located on an imager's periphery. The use of only three transistors with a tapered reset signal allows the optical area to be increased, while still providing a low-noise imager.

Abstract: A self-adjusting adaptive input circuit with minimal excess noise and a linear charge-handling capacity exceeding 109 electrons to enable high-quality imaging at long wavelength infrared backgrounds and video frame rates is disclosed. An integration capacitor stores a charge produced from a photodetector. A self-adjusting current source skims a current during integration on the integration capacitor. The gate voltage of a skimming transistor is set via a programming transistor in order to set the skim level.

Abstract: The present invention provides co-doped zinc oxide to flat panel, light emissive display devices and vacuum microelectronic devices to improve their efficiency and lifetime. This material has a low growth temperature and is compatible with metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) processing technology. It is tranparent, chemically stable and has a low work function, which result in many advantages when being used as the cathode for the aforementioned devices. In one embodiment of the emissive display device, an organic light diode (OLED) display has a high work function metal anode, such as platinum (Pt), gold (Au) or nickel (Ni) and a low work function co-doped zinc oxide cathode. Because of the energy level alignment provided by these two materials, the potential energy barriers to injection of electrons from the cathode and holes from the anode into the organic emissive medium are minimized so the display device operates more efficiently.

Abstract: An ultra-low noise, high-gain interface pixel amplifier is provided with capability for single-photon readout of known photodetectors at high electrical bandwidths for diverse spectral bandpass from the x-ray to long IR bands. The detector charge modulates a source follower whose output is double sampled to remove correlated noise by a compact stage that also facilitates low-noise gain adjustment for a second gain stage of programmable amplification. Single-photon readout of photodetectors at high electrical bandwidths in small pixel areas is thereby facilitated.

Abstract: An O-plate compensator is manufactured by dissolving a polyimide polymer material incorporating a plurality of bulky side-chain groups in a first solvent to form a first solution, applying the first solution to a substrate, evaporating the first solvent to form an alignment layer, buffing the alignment layer, dissolving a polymerizable liquid crystal material in a second solvent to form a second solution, applying the second solution to the alignment layer, evaporating the second solvent to form a thin film of polymerizable liquid crystal material (with a nematic phase, an alignment-layer interface having a liquid crystal pretilt angle of between approximately 25 and 65 degrees, and an air interface), adjusting the temperature of the thin film to obtain a uniform specified orientation of a director of the thin film, and polymerizing the thin film with ultraviolet radiation to achieve a liquid crystal pretilt angle of between approximately 25 and 65 degrees at the air interface.

Abstract: An adaptive amplifier circuit with minimal excess noise and a linear charge-handling capacity exceeding 109 electrons to enable high-quality imaging at long wavelength infrared backgrounds and video frame rates with enhanced dynamic range is disclosed. An integration capacitor stores a charge produced from a photodetector. An adaptive skimming circuit skims off excess charge during integration of the charge on the integration capacitor. A switched-capacitor low pass filter provides enhanced dynamic range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel zinc oxide thin film having hydrogen (H) and gallium (Ga) dopants. Advantageously, the activation temperature is low. The co-doped zinc oxide is highly conductive, transparent, chemically stable, easily deposited on a variety of substrates, including flexible or plastic substrates, and is well suited for electrical or optical applications. By co-doping with two impurities, both sides of the zinc oxide lattice contribute to the film conductivity resulting in high electron concentration and high mobility. The co-doped zinc oxide thin film has an increased Fermi level and a reduced work function that is less than 3 eV. The co-doped zinc oxide is crystal clear and transparent even when grown at relatively low processing temperatures. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a novel low-temperature activation indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film comprising tin oxide co-doped with indium (In) and hydrogen is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a micro electromechanical (MEM) isolator in which an input signal induces an output signal by means of electrically insulating mechanical motion. The MEM isolator device comprises a dielectric moveable platform suspended above a substrate by flexible beams. A drive and a control capacitor each have one electrode supported by the platform and one electrode supported by the substrate. Coupling between electrical and mechanical energies is achieved by providing an input signal to the drive capacitor to induce platform motion. When the input signal is fed to the drive capacitor, it actuates electrostatic motion of the platform resulting in a change in the value of the control capacitance. The change in the control capacitance is converted via a simple electronics circuit into an output that mirrors the input but is electrically isolated therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus and method monitors the condition of a bearing/shaft assembly by forming diagnostics based on spectral analysis of assembly's vibration. Baseline parameters are determined by a microprocessor analysis of the vibration spectra, comparing actual peaks to the peaks predicted by a model. The microprocessor estimates rotation rate and preferably number of rolling elements by attempting to fit the model to the actual vibrational spectrum, by varying the assumptions. Baseline profiles are formed from one or more selected tones and preferably also harmonics thereof, to characterize the bearing/shaft assembly. The baseline profiles and parameters are compared against later acquired vibrational characteristics, and the comparison is used to diagnose bearing and/or shaft conditions.

Abstract: A trench insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) comprises a number of trench-IGBT structures interdigitated with bipolar transistor (BJT) structures in a drift layer, with trench gates separating the structures. Shallow P regions span the bottom corners of respective trench gates to protect the trench oxide from high peak electric fields encountered when the device is reverse-biased. Because no inversion channels form across the BJT mesas in response to a gate voltage, base drive and thus the device's saturation current level is reduced and a robust short-circuit SOA is provided. The ratio of IGBT structures to BJT structures is adjusted as needed to obtain a desired saturation current level and short-circuit SOA.

Abstract: A high power unipolar FET switch has an N− drift layer; a layer of metal contacts the drift layer via an ohmic contact to provide a drain connection for the FET. Each switch cell has a pair of trenches recessed into the drift layer and separated by a mesa region. Oxide layers line the walls and bottom of each trench, which are each filled with a conductive material; the conductive material in each trench is connected together to provide a gate connection for the FET. A shallow P region extends from the bottom of each trench into the drift layer and around the trench corners. A layer of metal contacts the mesa region via an ohmic contact to provide a source connection for the FET. The structure preferably operates as a “normally-off” device, with the potentials created by the work function difference between the conductive material and the N− mesa region completely depleting the mesa region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel zinc oxide thin film having hydrogen (H) and gallium (Ga) dopants. Advantageously, the activation temperature is low. The co-doped zinc oxide is highly conductive, transparent, chemically stable, easily deposited on a variety of substrates, including flexible or plastic substrates, and is well suited for electrical or optical applications. By co-doping with two impurities, both sides of the zinc oxide lattice contribute to the film conductivity resulting in high electron concentration and high mobility. The co-doped zinc oxide thin film has an increased Fermi level and a reduced work function that is less than 3 eV. The co-doped zinc oxide is crystal clear and transparent even when grown at relatively low processing temperatures. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a novel low-temperature activation indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film comprising tin oxide co-doped with indium (In) and hydrogen is disclosed.

Abstract: A packetization method and packet structure improve the robustness of a bitstream generated when a still image is decomposed with a wavelet transform. The wavelet coefficients of one “texture unit” are scanned and coded in accordance with a chosen scanning method to produce a bitstream. The bitstreams for an integral number of texture units are assembled into a packet, each of which includes a packet header. Each packet header includes a resynchronization marker to enable a decoder to resynchronize with the bitstream if synchronization is lost, and an index number which absolutely identifies one of the texture units in the packet to enable a decoder to associate following packets with their correct position in the wavelet transform domain. The header information enables a channel error to be localized to a particular packet, preventing the effects of the error from propagating beyond packet boundaries. The invention is applicable to the pending MPEG-4 and JPEG-2000 image compression standards.

Abstract: The present invention relates to micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and more specifically to a process for manufacturing MEMS devices having at least one suspended structural element. The present invention seeks to provide an improved method for manufacture of MEMS devices having improved safety and increased yield and throughput compared to conventional EDP immersion process techniques. MEMS devices are made using a modified dissolution process that removes, in a selective etch step, inactive silicon to release an active silicon device from a sacrificial substrate. The present invention uses a selective etchant in conjunction with a commercial spray acid processing tool to provide a dissolution process with improved throughput, improved repeatable and uniform etch rates and reduction in the number of processing steps and chemical containment for improved safety.

Abstract: The invention displays computer graphics in combination with imagery of real objects, while maintaining apparent alignment notwithstanding any changes of viewpoint of an imaging device relative to the real object. A computer executed control loop recognizes features in the image and finds a corresponding position and orientation of a CAD model by projecting the CAD representation onto a “virtual camera” and “moving” the virtual camera to track the relative motion of the real imaging device, according to an efficient “visual servoing” algorithm. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, computing tasks are divided between an “image processing host” and one or more “display hosts” which communicate over a channel. Bandwidth is conserved by performing image registration locally at the display host(s) using the “visual servoing” algorithm.

Abstract: An apparatus and method monitors the condition of a bearing/shaft assembly by forming diagnostics based on spectral analysis of assembly's vibration. Baseline parameters are determined by a microprocessor analysis of the vibration spectra, comparing actual peaks to the peaks predicted by a model. The microprocessor estimates rotation rate and preferably number of rolling elements by attempting to fit the model to the actual vibrational spectrum, by varying the assumptions. Baseline profiles are formed from one or more selected tones and preferably also harmonics thereof, to characterize the bearing/shaft assembly. The baseline profiles and parameters are compared against later acquired vibrational characteristics, and the comparison is used to diagnose bearing and/or shaft conditions.

Abstract: A phased array antenna phase shifter having one or more serially connected stages, the stages allowing a transmission signal to pass through to a radiating element. Each of the stages have three or more delay lines for imparting a different respective delay on the transmission signal and a network of switches to select which of the delay lines within the stage will carry the transmission signal. As the signal is passed through each of the stages, the signal will experience the cumulative delays from the stages of the phase shifter. The delay lines in each stage comprise delay lines of different respective lengths, a delay is imparted on the transmission signal as it passed along the length of the selected delay line. The network of switches comprises micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) switches.

Abstract: A phased array antenna system and method employs a phase delay network to provide a scan angle control signal to respective mixers, with phase delays that correspond to the lengths of delay lines between antenna elements. The mixers are connected in circuit with their respective antenna elements so that the scan angle is controlled by the frequency of the scan control signal, independent of the operating signal frequency for the antenna elements. The system can be tailored for either beam transmission or reception, and is applicable to both single and dual delay network versions as well as multi-dimensional arrays.