Abstract: A raffle ticket dispenser which incorporates a holder for a continuous strip of tickets which readily dispenses a single ticket or multiple tickets. The free end of the continuous strip of tickets is fed through an opening in the holder which has a ticket locator that maintains the first ticket in the strip readily available, and provides an edge to facilitate the removal of a single ticket or multiple tickets. In addition storage compartments are attached to the ticket holder to store items associated with the sale of the tickets. This makes a convenient, portable device which is easily moved from place to place and, also, keeps all necessary items together.

Abstract: Oxides of tantalum and niobium are selectively etched using patterned silicon oxide deposited by a low-temperature chemical vapor deposition as a mask and a sulfate flux to selectively remove exposed portions of the tantalum or niobium oxide substrate.

Abstract: A proton-exchange method of forming optical waveguides within a lithium-based optical substrate is disclosed which utilizes sulfuric acid as the proton source. The substrate is masked to expose the areas desired to be transformed into waveguiding regions and immersed in a heated sulfuric acid bath for a period of time sufficient to provide the exchange between the protons in the acid and the lithium in the substrate. The presence of the protons in the substrate results in increasing the extraordinary refractive index .DELTA.n.sub.e in the unmasked area so that optical guiding may be accomplished. Upon removal of the substrate from the sulfuric acid bath, the substrate must be annealed so as to drive the protons to a depth sufficient to provide effective guiding.

Abstract: A method of improving device performance of optical devices formed in optical substrates is disclosed. The method requires that the optical substrate material, for example, lithium niobate, be pre-annealed to form a surface layer with a known congruent composition before diffusing the waveguide material into the substrate. It has been determined that the composition of optical substrates can vary from boule-to-boule, or even along the length of a given boule. These variations affect the diffusion rate of the waveguide material and result in varying mode sizes (both width and depth of the mode). By pre-annealing all material, the diffusion rate will remain relatively constant, regardless of the particular boule. The pre-annealing can be accomplished either by pre-equilibrating the lithium niobate in a vapor-phase equilibrating crucible containing pre-reacted lithium niobate cullet with the desired composition, or pre-equilibrating the lithium niobate to the Li.sub.2 O-rich phase boundary in a two-phase (LiNbO.

Abstract: A process is described for producing optical integrated circuits on lithium niobate substrates in which the composition of the lithium niobate substrates is adjusted by a powder bed equilibration procedure. This procedure involved exposure of the lithium niobate crystals to a powder bed in a crucible during a heat treatment. A similar procedure is used during production of optical integrated circuits to maintain the desired Li/Nb composition in the substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating ferrite material which results in high permeability and/or fast thruputs. Binder systems are employed such that the components burn out completely and sequentially during sintering and result in the proper grain size and surface properties for high permeability in the ferrite material. In particular, the binder system comprises polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and methyl cellulose.