Abstract: A substrate based package design for semiconductor chips is disclosed which reduces ground loop inductance. The design includes a substrate having a metal layer providing electrical interconnections. The metal layer includes a first conductive area adapted to provide an electrical ground, and a second conductive area adapted to provide an electrical connection to a power supply voltage. The first conductive area has a plurality of first conductive finger extensions providing electrical connections to vias for the electrical ground, and the second conductive area has a plurality of second conductive finger extensions providing electrical connections to vias for the power supply voltage. The first finger extensions and the second finger extensions are interlaced with each other. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an internal conductive ring for ground is provided, with a concentric outer conductive ring for power supply connections.

Abstract: A novel skate platform wheel truck and wheel design which permits reconfiguration of the wheels and truck to incorporate two, three, four, or more wheels per truck with the wheels incorporating novel designs which provide stability and control configurable to the skill of the user.

Abstract: A portable crowd control barrier for use in sporting or entertainment events having lightweight body members formed of a resiliently deformable material and each defining an interior chamber and having slots formed in endwalls thereof to receive wooden studs such that the introduction of liquid into the interior chambers deforms the body members, clamping the walls of the slots against the studs and locking the system in place.

Abstract: A decorative vase or urn having a high fidelity audio speaker mounted within on a composite ring attached to the inside of the vase by a flexible adhesive to permit dampening of vibrations produced between the speaker and the rigid side of the vase. A plurality of openings are formed in the vase to permit distribution of the audio sound, the total area of the openings having a relation to the surface area of the speaker cone of 36% or greater.

Abstract: A dental hygiene kit comprises handle and toothbrush sections which may be separated for storing the brush in a compact relation with the handle. The handle includes an internal cavity for storing included dentifrice, a dental pick and dental floss. A removable cover containing air holes is provided to cover the brush bristles for sanitation purposes.

Abstract: An improved handle for attaching to and supporting a wafer carrier is described in which robotic fixtures of the wafer carrier are utilized. The locking mechanism of the handle engages the robotic fixtures and then a configuration of flanges and shaped voids attaches to the robotic fixtures in a manner which is secure, even at elevated temperatures common to semiconductor manufacturing processes. Manipulation of the handle conveniently detaches the locking mechanism.

Abstract: A self-aligned, sloped contact, through BPSG and thick TEOS (at least 200 nm but preferably 300-500 nm or more). Sloping is achieved through exploitation of BPSG and TEOS etch characteristics, to independently form concave and convex sidewalls, respectively. Self-alignment is obtained through thick conformal TEOS, along a sidewall of an underlying structure such as a transistor gate, directing contact formation away from the structure. TEOS etch is timed, allowing simultaneous formation of contacts to substrate and gates without overetching gates.

Abstract: An apparatus used to HF gas etch a plurality of integrated circuit wafers within an etch chamber, followed by a de-ionized water cascade rinse in the chamber. On completion of the rinse and removal of the wafer carriers, the apparatus, housing, and supply conduits are purged with an inert gas to prepare the apparatus for a next batch of wafer carriers. The apparatus includes process-control means for automatically controlling each step of the process.

Abstract: A DRAM fabrication process is disclosed for constructing a reduced resistance digit-line. The digit-line is so constructed as to maintain low resistance as it crosses the gaps between word-lines. By bridging gaps having a dimension less than or falling below a calculated critical gap spacing, and following the contours of gaps having a dimension greater or falling above that critical gap dimension, the digit-line resistance can be minimized.

Abstract: A reciprocating staging fixture, to precisely stage an integrated circuit component in a lead tinning system. The staging fixture exactly positions components by capturing it on three sides. The fixture also retracts completely out of the way of overhead component grippers, which allows the use of a more positive gripping configuration.

Abstract: A slant record/helical scan playback certifier for high speed magnetic tape certification including a signal generator for producing test data, a slant record head for recording the test data onto magnetic tape, a plurality of helical scan playback head for reproducing and transmitting the test data recorded in the magnetic tape, an error detector and error counter for detecting and counting the test data errors found on the magnetic tape and an error collection reporting system for collecting and reporting the test data errors found in the magnetic tape. Further disclosed are a preamplifier and an amplifier for amplification of the test data transmitted by the helical scan playback head.

Abstract: A discrete fourier transform direction finding apparatus for performing a direction finding function on signals received through two antennae separated by a known distance. The outputs of the respective antennae are connected to first and second receiver channels which convert the received signals down to baseband and provide orthogonal I and Q channel outputs. A common local oscillator is used to maintain phase coherency between the channels and AGC signals are provided to maintain identical delays in the receiver RF paths. The processed signals from each receiver channel are than fed into a respective charge coupled device Chirp-Z transform (discrete fourier transform) circuit to produce real and imaginary components of the received signals. These signals are then converted to digital form and are used by subsequent circuitry to determine the angle of arrival of the received signal.

Abstract: A microwave frequency synthesizer which simultaneously provides increased frequency coverage, reduced channel spacings and improved settling times with a single phase-locked-loop. A VCO and a parametric divider enables a wide frequency coverage to be used in a phase-locked-loop. The fast hopping capability is primarily derived from the wide loop bandwidth which, in turns, is permitted by using a high reference frequency. The small channel spacings are created by using a 90.degree. phase shifter installed in the feedback path of the phase-locked-loop. The 90.degree. phase shifter permits channel spacings as small as 1/4 the reference frequency value.

Abstract: A system is described for using the modulation of the phase of a RF carrier as means of transmitting information. The RF input is split into four quadrature components each of which is passed through individual amplitude control attenuators and then summed in a combiner to create the required phase-controlled RF signal. The resultant signal is then amplified in an RF signal amplifier chain as required to achieve the desired output level. The RF output level is sampled and routed back to an in-phase splitter the output of which is compared to the corresponding individual quadrature components of the unmodulated RF signal to generate a signal which is compared with a processor generated modulation reference signal in a control loop amplifier and the resulting error signal is applied to the individual attenuators to adjust the output amplitude of each quadrature component. The quadrature components are then combined to obtain the desired phase-modulated RF output signal.

Abstract: A method for establishing and maintaining a nodal network in a communication system is described using a network connectivity matrix at each node of the network. The network connectivity matrix has a plurality of channels each corresponding to a node of the network and storing nodal information about the connectivity status of the node in the network. Each channel (row) of the network connectivity matrix at each node includes a first field for storing data indicating whether a usable line-of-sight (LOS) transmission path exists between the node and each other node of the network, a second field for storing data indicating when the row was last revised, a third field for storing the identification of the most recent transmission received by the node and a fourth field for storing data indicating a quality of the transmission path between the node and each node within LOS of the node.

Abstract: A method for predicting and monitoring the takeoff performance of an aircraft uses information from one or more previous takeoffs of the aircraft to generate a prediction of the takeoff performance for the current takeoff. In the preferred embodiment, a takeoff profile for the current takeoff is generated and includes information about predetermined characteristics of the aircraft and information about ambient conditions at an airport from which the takeoff is being monitored. Expected performance data for the current takeoff is then generated from the takeoff profile and used to select a set of actual performance data previously stored from the one or more previous takeoffs. A selected "best fit" actual performance data set is then displayed in an appropriate fashion. Upon takeoff, a set of monitored performance data is generated as a function of one or more of sensed takeoff parameters.

Abstract: A passive load mitigation system for supporting transducers on a body moving through a fluid stream is described. According to the invention, a streamlined aerodynamic surface for supporting the transducers is attached to the body via a pivot axis. The axis supports the surface in a torsionally unrestrained manner in at least one rotational degree of freedom about the pivot axis. Therefore, as the body moves through the fluid stream, the surface remains substantially parallel to the plane of the stream. Aerodynamic stability is ensured by forming the surface with substantially trapezoidal or parallelogram shaped sidewalls and by mounting the surface on the pivot axis such that the surface's aerodynamic center is located downstream of the pivot axis. Flutter is prevented or substantially reduced by increasing the surface's bending stiffness or by incorporating ballast weights on a tip pod attached to a portion of the surface.

Abstract: A direct drive servo valve includes a valve housing having a cylindrical bore and a valve spool mounted for movement in the bore for controlling fluid flow through said valve housing. The valve spool has a drive well located in the spool transverse of its longitudinal axis. A motor secured to the valve housing includes a rotor which is rotated in response to a drive signal applied to stator windings of the motor. A shaft attached to the rotor for rotation therewith includes a substantially spherical drive tip, the spherical tip positioned eccentrically to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and being close fitted into the drive well. In operation, as the shaft rotates through a given angular rotation, the spherical tip rotates in a circular path to provide linear displacement and rotational motion to the valve spool.

Abstract: A polarization twister for twisting the polarization of a wide angle incident electromagnetic wave is described. Specifically, the polarization twister includes a reflector for reflecting the wide angle incident electromagnetic wave, a dielectric substrate having a longitudinal axis, a spacer bonded on a first side thereof to the dielectric substrate and on a second side thereof to the reflector, and an array of meanderline conductive strips etched on the dielectric substrate. Each meanderline conductive strip has an axis extending at a 45.degree. angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the dielectric substrate. In operation, the meanderline conductive strips serve to advance the phase of a parallel component of an incident E-field vector, and delay the phase of the perpendicular component thereof. Accordingly, the reflected field has its polarization twisted 90.degree. from the incident polarization.

Abstract: The back emf voltage of a motor is extracted from the applied motor voltage and motor current by means of a control system including a back emf sensor, an adaptive motor resistance circuit, and a position integrator. In the back emf sensor a corrected motor resistance signal, iR, a motor inductance signal, L di/dt, and applied motor voltage, V.sub.m, are input to a summing junction. The summing junction subtracts the motor resistance signal and the motor inductance signal from the applied motor voltage to compute the back emf voltage. To correct for variations in motor resistance, the adaptive motor resistance circuits demodulates and integrates the back emf voltage from the summing junction and the motor position signal input to the system. By integrating the back emf voltage from the back emf sensor in the position integrator a motor position output is obtained as a signal for servo position loop closure.