Abstract: An infrared radiation detector includes an array of elementary imaging bolometric detectors, each of the elementary bolometric detectors being formed of a bolometric membrane including a film made of vanadium oxide VOx, having a resistivity in the range from 6 ohm·cm to 50 ohm·cm, said membrane being suspended above a substrate integrating a signal for reading out the signal generated by said elementary detectors and for sequentially addressing the elementary detectors.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photodetector in which a plurality of conductive stripes spaced apart from each other are bonded onto a two-dimensional semiconductor thin-film, and a pitch between adjacent conductive stripes is controlled to selectively adjust a plasmonic resonance wavelength zone, such that the photodetector has a high absorbance and a wide detection zone at the same time. Further, a manufacturing method thereof is disclosed. The photodetector includes a semiconductor thin-film; and a plurality of conductive stripes bonded onto the semiconductor thin-film and extending in a parallel manner to each other and spaced apart from each other.

Abstract: Provided are an infrared sensor and an infrared sensor device that are less susceptible to effects from the casing and lead wires, can be surface-mounted, and can measure the temperature of the object to be measured in a more accurate manner. This invention has: an insulating film; a first and a second heat sensitive element provided on the insulating film; a first and a second wiring film that are respectively connected to the heat sensitive elements; an infrared reflecting film; a terminal support body, arranged on the one face; and a plurality of mounting terminals provided to the terminal support body, wherein the mounting terminals have support convex parts protruding upward, the support convex parts are connected to the corresponding first and second wiring films, and the insulating film is supported such that a gap is provided between the terminal support body and the insulating film.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use, as a thin sensitive-material film for bolometric detection, of at least one material based on an alloy comprising at least one chalcogenide, said chalcogen element being chosen from sulfur, selenium, telluride and their mixtures, characterized in that said material furthermore contains a sufficient amount of carbon and/or boron to confer upon the material a temperature coefficient of resistivity value at 300° C. at least equal to 40% of the native value of the temperature coefficient of resistivity of said material at room temperature. The invention also relates to a bolometric device and its production process.

Abstract: Techniques for device isolation for III-V semiconductor substrates are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a III-V semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having an indium phosphide (InP)-ready layer; forming an iron (Fe)-doped InP layer on the InP-ready layer; forming an epitaxial III-V semiconductor material layer on the Fe-doped InP layer; and patterning the epitaxial III-V semiconductor material layer to form one or more active areas of the device. A III-V semiconductor device is also provided.

Abstract: An infra-red (IR) device comprising a dielectric membrane formed on a silicon substrate comprising an etched portion; and at least one patterned layer formed within or on the dielectric membrane for controlling IR emission or IR absorption of the IR device, wherein the at least one patterned layer comprises laterally spaced structures.

Abstract: A photoresistor includes a first electrode layer, a photosensitive material layer, and a second electrode layer. The first electrode layer, photosensitive material layer and second electrode layer are stacked with each other. The first electrode layer is located on a first surface of the photosensitive material layer. The second electrode layer is located on a second surface of the photosensitive material layer. The first surface and second surface of the photosensitive material layer are opposite to each other. The first electrode layer includes a carbon nanotube film structure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of changing characteristics of an electronic device, including the steps of: applying light to an electronic device through a plurality of media having different refractive indexes from each other, the electrical characteristics of the electronic device being changed depending on the amount of incident light; and changing an incident angle of light applied the electronic device to adjust the amount of incident light. There is provided a method of providing light incident angle dependency by a simple procedure of accumulating additional media in various electronic devices. In the method, the light incident angle selectivity of the electronic device can be maintained even when the inclination angle of the device is changed depending on the axis parallel to the incident direction of light even though the incident direction thereof is fixed.

Abstract: A four-terminal circuit element is described that includes a photonic core inside of the circuit element that uses a wide bandgap semiconductor material that exhibits photoconductivity and allows current flow through the material in response to the light that is incident on the wide bandgap material. The four-terminal circuit element can be configured based on various hardware structures using a single piece or multiple pieces or layers of a wide bandgap semiconductor material to achieve various designed electrical properties such as high switching voltages by using the photoconductive feature beyond the breakdown voltages of semiconductor devices or circuits operated based on electrical bias or control designs. The photonic core aspect of the four-terminal circuit element provides unique features that enable versatile circuit applications to either replace the semiconductor transistor-based circuit elements or semiconductor diode-based circuit elements.

Abstract: A photoresistor includes a first electrode layer, a photosensitive material layer, and a second electrode layer. The first electrode layer, photosensitive material layer and second electrode layer are stacked with each other. The first electrode layer is located on a first surface of the photosensitive material layer. The second electrode layer is located on a second surface of the photosensitive material layer. The first surface and second surface of the photosensitive material layer are opposite to each other. The first electrode layer includes a carbon nanotube film structure.

Abstract: A compact radiation-modulated transconductance varistor device having both a radiation source and a photoconductive wide bandgap semiconductor material (PWBSM) integrally formed on a substrate so that a single interface is formed between the radiation source and PWBSM for transmitting PWBSM activation radiation directly from the radiation source to the PWBSM.

Abstract: A system and method for producing modulated electrical signals. The system uses a variable resistor having a photoconductive wide bandgap semiconductor material construction whose conduction response to changes in amplitude of incident radiation is substantially linear throughout a non-saturation region to enable operation in non-avalanche mode. The system also includes a modulated radiation source, such as a modulated laser, for producing amplitude-modulated radiation with which to direct upon the variable resistor and modulate its conduction response. A voltage source and an output port, are both operably connected to the variable resistor so that an electrical signal may be produced at the output port by way of the variable resistor, either generated by activation of the variable resistor or propagating through the variable resistor. In this manner, the electrical signal is modulated by the variable resistor so as to have a waveform substantially similar to the amplitude-modulated radiation.

Abstract: A chalcogenide glass radiation sensor comprising a chalcogenide glass layer coupled to at least two electrodes and a metal source, and a method using the same are disclosed. The chalcogenide glass layer has a resistivity and the at least two electrodes are configured to facilitate the measurement of the resistivity of the chalcogenide glass layer. The coupling of the metal source and the chalcogenide glass layer is such that the resistivity of the chalcogenide glass layer changes upon exposure to ionizing radiation. The metal source is configured to be external to an electric field that may form between the at least two electrodes as the resistivity of the chalcogenide glass layer is measured.

Abstract: A polymer film 102 is formed on a substrate 101, a thermistor resistor 106 is formed on the polymer film 102, and a light reflecting film 104 is formed between the thermistor resistor 106 and the substrate 101. For this reason, if infrared rays or terahertz waves are incident from above, a part is absorbed by the thermistor resistor 106, and most transmits the polymer film 102 and is reflected by the light reflecting film 104. When the distance between the thermistor resistor 106 and the light reflecting film 104 is d, a light component having a wavelength expressed by d=l/4 and equal to or smaller than l resonates and changes to heat, and the temperature of the thermistor resistor 106 rises. A change in resistance with a rise in the temperature of the thermistor resistor 106 is detected, thereby detecting the intensity of an infrared ray or a terahertz wave.

Abstract: A voltage divider for high precision voltage measurement has one or more pair of potentiometers. The wipers of each pair of potentiometers are ganged so that the sum of their resistances relative to a first end of the respective potentiometer is a constant. An output potentiometer or a pair of resistors provide an output for measuring the output voltage. The resolution of the voltage divider is the product of the resolution of each potentiometer pair and the output potentiometer.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one multilayer wafer which includes a device layer adjacent to a barrier layer, and the device layer includes at least two photoconductive regions separated by an etched channel extending through the device layer. In some instances the apparatus may be an accelerometer having two photodiodes formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer with the photodiodes defined by one or more etched channels extending through the device layer of the SOI wafer. Also disclosed are methods for forming such an apparatus.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a the contact resistance (Rs) of the wiper of a sensor for a variable quantity, with a potentiometer (2), in which the position of the center tap (3) determines the value of the quantity, is improved in such a way that, first, when the sensor is used in an automatic control circuit, no control deviations occur and, second, the contact resistance of the wiper can be monitored with precision. This is achieved by the cyclic switching-on of a load (RLast), so that the contact resistance (Rs) of the wiper can be determined on the basis of the change in the voltage divider ratio.

Abstract: For manufacturing a housing for sensor elements, a pliable material is introduced into the environment of the sensor element (2) by an injection molding process. In a first process step, the sensor element is injection-encapsulated by a soft plastic component (1), and in a second process step a hard plastic component (5) is applied thereon, which forms the outer housing for the sensor element (2). The sensor element (2) is provided with at least two connection leads (11), which are at least partially encapsulated by the soft plastic component (1). A sensor manufactured according to the process, especially a temperature sensor, is provided with a measuring resistor as a sensor element (2) on a substrate with an electrically conducting surface and the resistance layer situated thereon. The measuring resistor is encased by the soft plastic component (1), which in turn is encapsulated in a hard plastic component serving as a housing.

Abstract: An optically controlled switch includes first and second electrodes, a channel extending between the electrodes, and a light source positioned to illuminate the channel. The light source produces a wavelength capable of changing the material's conductivity. The channel includes a photosensitive organic material and is configured to operate as a light controlled switch.

Abstract: Chemically amplified resist is produced on the basis of vinyl polymer having 3-oxo-4-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]otane-2-yl group expressed by general formula (1) where each of L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 and L6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atom and alkyl groups having the carbon number from 1 to 8, and the hydrogen atom and/or the alkyl group at L5 and L6 are replaced with alkylene groups having the carbon number from 1 to 10 and bonded to each other for forming a ring so that the resist exhibits high transparency to light equal to or less than 220 nm wavelength, large resistance against dry etching and good adhesion to substrates.

Abstract: An optical potentiometer comprised of a specialized circuit board and a movable reflector device capable of traveling left and right stably on the specialized circuit board. The movable reflector device has a reflecting mirror suitably disposed in alignment with a light wave transmitter on the specialized circuit board that enables the reflection of light waves emitted by the light wave transmitter to the area of a point detecting light wave receiver. The light waves are thereafter amplified and filtered to predetermined settings by an amplifier and a filter on the specialized circuit board and, furthermore, stored in an memory bank as reference values that facilitate a controller to calculate the actual distance traveled by the movable reflector device through a comparison of the predetermined settings with the standard excursion range in the controller, which then drives an digital variable resistor to output a resistance value that corresponds to the distance traveled.

Abstract: A structure for temperature sensors and infrared detectors. The structure is built-up on a substrate that includes a thermistor layer, wherein the resistance of the thermistor layer is temperature dependent. The substrate also includes an electric contact layer on both sides of the thermistor layer, and the resistance of the thermistor layer is measured between the contact layers. The thermistor layer includes a monocrystalline quantum well structure that includes alternating quantum well layers and barrier layers. One or more of the bandedge energy of the barrier layers, the quantum well layer doping level, the quantum well layer thickness, and the barrier layer thickness is adapted to obtain a temperature coefficient predetermined for the structure.

Abstract: A two level microbridge infrared thermal detector having an upper detector planar section (a) comprising a temperature responsive detector of an oxide of vanadium having a high TCR and a resistivity in the range of 20K ohms to 50K ohms per square sheet resistance, and (b) being supported above a lower section by leg portions of an oxide of vanadium having a resistivity of approximately 500 ohms per square sheet resistance.

Abstract: The inventive three-level infrared bolometer includes an active matrix level, a support level, a pair of post and a absorption level. The active matrix level includes a substrate having an integrated circuit, a pair of connecting terminal and a protective layer covering the substrate. The support level includes a pair of bridges, each of the bridges being provided with a conduction line formed on top thereof, wherein one end of the conduction line is electrically connected to the respective connecting terminal. The absorption level includes a serpentine bolometer element surrounded by an absorber, and an infrared absorber coating formed on the absorber and having a rough surface. Each of posts includes an electrical conduit surrounded by an insulating material and is placed between the absorption level and the bridge, in such a way that the serpentine bolometer element is electrically connected to the integrated circuit through the electrical conduit, the conduction line and the connecting terminal.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a thermal-type infrared sensor including a thermosensitive part, a bolometer material is formed as the thermosensitive part and is subjected to post-processing to control a temperature coefficient of resistance in the bolometer material. The bolometer material may be formed by titanium or vanadium.

Abstract: A three-level infrared bolometer including an active matrix level, a support level, posts and an absorption level. The active matrix level includes a substrate having an integrated circuit, connecting terminals and a protective layer covering the substrate. The support level includes bridges, each of the bridges being provided with a conduction line formed on top thereof, wherein one end of the conduction line is electrically connected to the respective connecting terminal. The absorption level includes an absorber, a bolometer element surrounded by the absorber, a titanium thin film on top of the absorber, and an infrared absorber coating made of silicon oxy-nitride and formed on top of the titanium thin film, the infrared absorber coating having multipores therein and a rough top surface as a result of the titanium film surface not providing enough nucleation sites for it to grow stably.

Abstract: A high responsivity thermochromic infrared detector which has an operating temperature that is established on the steepest part of the phase transition curve and is maintained there while the infrared detector is operated.

Abstract: A groove is formed on the surface of a silicon substrate by way of etching. A silicon device for a driver of a photosensitive element is formed on the surface of the substrate where the groove is not formed. With the groove, a super lattice structure of Si and Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x is buried to form a photosensing portion. The photosensing portion is formed with an avalanche photodiode or a PIN diode. The photosensing portion is formed to have no step with the surface of the substrate. On the other hand, SOI silicon oxide layer is provided on the back side of the substrate to form the structure of SOI substrate. BY this, a photo reflection layer of SiO.sub.2 layer is provided below the photosensing portion. Thus, a silicon type photosensing element and the silicon device for driver can be formed on a common chip simultaneously for reducing production cost and for improving sensitivity and photo converting efficiency of the photosensing element.

Abstract: A thin-film temperature sensor with a robust bridge structure and a stable electric characteristic, as well as a method of manufacture thereof, is provided. Over the substrate 1 with the cavity 13 are formed electrode layers 6 in a bridge shape, whose electrodes 6A, 6B are bonded with thermal sensitive resistor films 7, 8, which are then covered with a protective insulating film 9, a buffer film 10 and a glass layer 11 in that order. The protective insulating film 9 and the glass layer 11 extend over the substrate 1 to increase the mechanical strength of the infrared sensitive element A. The sandwich structure of the insulating films 5, 9 holding the thermal sensitive resistor films 7, 8 in between and the use of the buffer film 10 combine to prevent electrical characteristic variations, which would otherwise be caused by changes in composition of the thermal sensitive resistor films 7, 8 during the heat treatment process.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and method for making a polymer bolometer. The apparatus consists of a current supply and current receiving paths affixed to a substrate. Bridging the current supply paths and current receiving paths is an electrically conductive polymer. The polymer bolometer may be fabricated using conventional photolithographic techniques.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus includes a rubber-like elastic body interspersed with electroconductive particles, and means for applying a voltage to the rubber-like elastic body to obtain an ultrasonic wave reception signal from a change in electrical resistance of the elastic body. An ultrasonic wave transmission apparatus is mounted on a support member for transmitting an ultrasonic wave outward. The rubber-like elastic body interspersed with electroconductive particles is provided along an outer periphery of the support member, and a voltage is applied to the rubber-like elastic body to obtain an ultrasonic wave reception signal from a change in electrical resistance of the elastic body as a result of receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected from an obstacle.

Abstract: A variable control fader with provisions for outputting a fader start signal upon movement of the fader from a position corresponding to the faders maximum attainable resistance value. This fader start signal can be utilized to initiate the activation or deactivation of the operation, or function, of other devices such as, for example, tape recorders, cart machines, or outboard signal processing equipment.

Abstract: An ultra-high-speed photoconductive device is described which comprises a homoepitaxial semi-insulating III-V layer, or body, upon which ohmic/conductive contacts, or strips, separated by a small gap, are formed. The semi-insulating body, or layer, is produced by low temperature growth of III-V compounds by MBE. In a GaAs embodiment, the layer is grown under arsenic stable growth conditions, at a substrate temperature preferably in the range of 150.degree. to about 300.degree. C.

Abstract: A technique for trimming photoresistors to change relatively high tolerance parts to relatively low tolerance parts by blocking out a portion of the photoactive area, and the so-trimmed photoresistors. The blocking out can be performed by placing ink over the photo-active area. This ink placement step can be easily added in the photoresistor assembly line after the initial calibration location.

Abstract: A thermoelectric sensor element that is adapted to respond to thermal radiation is capable of manufacture into a sensor array on a single crystal semiconductor means, such as silicon. An anisotropically etched pit is provided under the sensing surface, and the pit generally corresponds to the geometry of the sensor element. The geometry is selected to be rectangular and falls along a selected orientation of the particular crystalline structure used for manufacture of the device to thereby allow for a high density of the sensor elements. The sensor elements are manufactured of two dissimilar metals in a sinuous pattern to provide the thermoelectric effect.

Abstract: A sensor element that is adapted to respond to radiation, and which is adapted to the manufacture of a sensor array is manufactured into a single crystal semiconductor means such as silicon. An anisotropically etched pit is provided under the sensing surface, and the pit generally corresponds to the geometry of the sensor element. The geometry is selected to be rectangular and falls along a selected orientation of the particular crystalline structure used for manufacture of the device to thereby allow a high density of sensor elements to provide an efficient array.

Abstract: A variable electroconductivity material characterized by being obtained by formulating (a) an electroconductivity variation imparting agent comprising a substance which is caused by light or heat energy to undergo structural change, reversibly or irreversibly, between nonionic and ionic structures and (b) a charge transport substance the electroconductivity of which is varied by said structural change of said electroconductivity variation imparting agent, and an information recording medium obtained by the use of this material has excellent memory stability, and also a light (heat) converting device having conversion characteristics can be obtained by the use of this material.

Abstract: A photoconductor which has an active layer including channels of ultrafine wire structures each having cross sectional lengths comparable to an electron de Broglie wavelength is provided. The photoconductor has a high gain and a considerably increased response speed. The electric current of the photoconductor may also be increased by introducing a superlattice structure.

Abstract: A variable electroconductivity material characterized by being obtaine by formulating (a) an electroconductivity variation imparting agent comprising a substance which is caused by light or heat energy to undergo structural change, reversibly or irreversibly, between nonionic and ionic structures and (b) a charge transport substance the electroconductivity of which is varied by said structural change of said electroconductivity variation imparting agent, and an information recording medium obtained by the use of this material has excellent memory stability, and also a light (heat) converting device having conversion characteristics can be obtained by the use of this material.

Abstract: An infrared detector includes a high resistance substrate, a compound semiconductor disposed on the substrate, a pair of electrodes disposed on the compound semiconductor, and a plurality of grooves in the compound semiconductor perpendicular to a current path between the electrodes, wherein the grooves have shallower than the thickness of the compound semiconductor.

Abstract: A photosensor array for use with an image processing apparatus has a plurality of photosensors disposed in an array. Each photosensor includes a substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the substrate and made of an amorphous silicon, and a pair of electrodes disposed on a surface of the photoconductive layer, the electrodes being spaced apart from each other by a certain distance partially defining a light receiving region of the photosensor. In the phososensor array, the photoconductive layer is constructed as of two or more laminated layers, and the lower layer positioned nearer to the substrate has a low content of oxygen.

Abstract: Apparatus for determinig when the gripper or hand of a robot arm, resiliently mounted on a robot arm body with a set of highly compliant springs, strikes or makes contact with an object that impedes or limits hand movement. The apparatus includes a light source, preferably mounted in a particular location on the robot arm hand and a light sensitive device cooperatively mounted in a particular location on the robot arm body, a device is capable of continuously generating hand-to-robot arm body relative position signals in response to the position of optically focused light from the light source impinging on the light sensitive device. Relative movement between the robot arm body and the robot hand normally resulting from contact between a motion impeding object and the robot hand causes the light sensitive device to generate a signal indicative of such object contact and/or extent of relative hand-to-robot arm body movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining when the hand of a robot arm, resiliently mounted on a robot arm body, strikes or makes contact with an object that impedes or limits its movement, employs an optical fiber in place of conventional light focusing optics to produce a compact and ruggedized robot arm member relative movement sensor. The apparatus includes a light source mounted in a particular location on the robot arm hand and a light sensitive device spaced from the light source and mounted in a particular location on the robot body, a device that is capable of continuously generating a hand-to-robot arm body relative position signal in response to the particular location of collimated light from the robot hand mounted light source that passes through a light collimating optical fiber and strikes the light sensitive surface of the light sensitive device.

Abstract: Optical and digital potentiometers and controllers. In one embodiment of the invention, a paddle slider is maintained within a housing along with a light source and sensor. The amount of light received by the sensor is a function of the position of the slider and, accordingly, a control signal output may be developed corresponding to the mechanical position of the slider. In other embodiments, light sources are caused to impinge on reflective surfaces which reflect the light through a film onto additional reflective surfaces which direct the light to a sensor. The film may be of varying optical density along the length thereof such that the amount of light received corresponds to the position of the slider, or the film may be digitally encoded such that separate light beams received by the sensor will correspond to a digital position of the slider. In another embodiment, a cylindrical digitally encoded film is rotated between a light source and sensor, thereby varying the output of the sensor.

Abstract: An image sensing device includes a plurality of photoelectric elements arranged in the form of a single array and divided into n number of blocks each of which includes m number of the photoelectric elements commonly connected at one end. In one form of the present invention, a single operational amplifier and m number of switching circuits are used to establish operational independency of the m.times.n photoelectric elements. In other forms, operational independecy of the m.times.n photoelectric elements is established by using an array of blocking diodes or operational amplifiers constructed in the form of IC, but all of the components of a driving or scanning circuit, including these blocking diodes or operational amplifiers, are so structured to be mounted on the same substrate which is remarkably compact in size. Also provided are various forms of photoelectric cells which are particularly suited to be incorporated into an image sensing device and methods for manufacturing the same.

Abstract: A probe for measuring the level of a liquid and its method of manufacture are disclosed. A conducting circuit whose resistivity depends on temperature comprises a track applied to a substrate in which is formed a window which leaves free an appreciable length of track, so that its behavior is not disturbed by the presence of the substrate. The conducting circuit is partially immersed in the liquid and the voltage at its terminals is measured when a constant current flows therethrough. The voltage measurement is representative of the level of the liquid.

Abstract: Photoconductors with channels that lie in the surface depleted region of a GaAs structure are described. These devices have nanoampere bias current, and exhibit photoconductive gain. In contrast to other photoconductors, their low frequency responsivity is of the same order as that in the GHz region, alleviating problems of equalization necessary in receiver applications. As well, these devices exhibit over 60 dB isolation as optoelectronic switches.

Abstract: Narrow-band electrical pulses which are delayed with respect to a first direct pulse produced are generated by a method in which space charges are pulsed in an electric field in a dielectric.

Abstract: A steerable microwave antenna array having directional characteristics, which includes at least two antenna elements spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, each antenna element defining a controllable directional radiation pattern of a selectable intensity, and having an axis of maximum radiation intensity, and wherein the directional characteristics are derived from the super-position of the radiation patterns, the axes subtending a predetermined angle therebetween, the wherein the improvement provides for feed means connected to each antenna element, each including a photo-conductive element for a selected frequency in the microwave region, so that, upon the photoelectric elements being impinged with a selected intensity of light, the directional characteristics are changed in dependence of at least the difference in the intensity of light impinging on the photo-conductive elements, respectively.

Abstract: A two-level IR detector imaging array of high fill-factor design. The upper microbridge detector level is spaced above and overlie the integrated circuit and bus lines on the substrate surface below.