Abstract: A precise, high speed CMOS track (sample)/hold circuit uses a first circuit leg including four Schottky barrier diodes configured to form a Wheatstone bridge, a second leg with a single n-channel MOS transistor, an essentially constant current source having MOS transistors, a capacitor for holding output signal, and reverse biasing circuitry having MOS transistors for selectively reverse biasing the four diodes. An analog input signal is applied to the cathode of the first diode and to the anode of the second diode. An output signal of the same magnitude and polarity as the input signal is generated at an output terminal (the cathode of the third diode and the anode of the fourth diode) of the circuit when current flows through the first circuit leg.

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: A CCD imager has a line-transfer register the contents of which are transferred at pixel scan rate, one or two lines at a time, through a side-loaded CCD shift register forward clocked at a multiple of pixel scan rate, to an electrometer. Forward clocking the CCD shift register at higher rate than pixel scan rate reduces the differential delay between the various points of side-loading the CCD shift register, so line selection artifacts are confined to the line retrace interval. Line selection artifacts are then suppressed by normal line-retrace-interval blanking.

Abstract: Diagonally disposed line-selection artifacts appear in the video signal from a CCD imager using a line-transfer register, owing to differential delay in a side-loaded CCD shift register used for transferring charge packets from the image sensing array to the charge sensing output stage. The extent of these line-selection artifacts is shortened in the direction of line scan by spatial multiplexing, so they occur entirely within line retrace intervals. The line-selection artifacts are then suppressed by normal line retrace blanking.

Abstract: A line-transfer charge-coupled-device (CCD) imager has an image register from which lines of charge packets representing image samples are removed via a plurality of charge funnels. Each charge funnel is a CCD transmission line, wide enough at its input port to connect across the parallelled output ports of a plurality of the parallelled charge transfer channels in the image register of the line-transfer CCD imager, and narrower at its output port which connects to a charge sensing stage. Power for clocking the plurality of charge funnels is conserved when, in accordance with the invention, each of the charge funnels is dynamically clocked for time intervals when charge packets descriptive of image samples are transferred through the charge funnel. The charge funnels receive static clocking voltages at other times.

Abstract: An imager includes an imaging device and an lenticular array mounted on the imaging device. The imaging device includes a substrate of a semiconductor material having a pair of opposed major surfaces and an array of detectors at one of the major surfaces. The lenticular array includes a substrate having a pair of major surfaces and an array of lenses at one of the major surfaces. The lenticular array is mounted on the detector device with the other major surface of the lenticular array substrate being in closely spaced relation to the other major surface of the detector device substrate. Between the two opposed major surfaces of the two substrates is a bonding cement which extends only around the detector array. Dispersed within the bonding cement are hard spacer particles which are engaged by the opposed major surfaces of the two substrates to space the substrates apart.

Abstract: A lenticular array which is a body having a flat surface and an opposed surface with a plurality of convex lenses thereon is aligned with a substrate having a pattern therein by placing the lenticular array over the substrate with the flat surface facing the substrate. Radiant energy is directed through the substrate and the lenticular array to project the patterns onto the lens surface of the lenticular array. The lenticular array is moved with respect to the substrate until the images of the patterns are aligned on the surfaces of the lenses.