Abstract: A plurality of monocrystalline silicon seeds is disposed on an insulator layer which is disposed on a substantially flat major surface of a silicon wafer. A first monocrystalline silicon deposit of first conductivity type is formed on a first silicon seed and a second monocrystalline silicon deposit, of similar configuration, is formed on a second silicon seed. The first and second deposits are then covered with insulator layers and a third monocrystalline deposit is formed on a third silicon seed. The third deposit has a top surface height substantially equal to or less than that of the top surfaces of the first and second deposits. An insulator layer is then formed on the top surface of the third deposit and first and second monocrystalline islands are formed on this insulator layer. Complementary bipolar transistors are formed in the first and second monocrystalline silicon deposits and PMOS and NMOS transistors are formed in the first and second islands on the third insulator layer.

Abstract: Indicia are formed in a sapphire substrate by ion implantation with a sufficient amount of silicon ions to establish a contrast with the remainder of the substrate. The implant is annealed at 1050.degree. to 1200.degree. C. under an oxygen or inert atmosphere. The implants are stable to repeated heatings to elevated temperature. The implants are further beneficial in that they do not introduce a source of contamination into the substrate.

Abstract: A bending device has a slot defined by facing side walls which taper from a reference plane in a direction to widen the slot proportionately with the slot depth to form two opposed facing bending edges. The angle the side walls taper from the reference plane is significant wherein each angle is within a range defined by a minimum value to assure the edges penetrate and sever the tab at its extremities and a maximum value to insure the tab is not completely severed during bending.

Abstract: A load lock chamber is secured to a Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometer in communication with the spectrometer chamber. A valve separates the two chambers. A specimen manipulator transfers a specimen attached to a transfer member to a specimen support in the spectrometer chamber. The transfer member is releasably attached to the manipulator and to the specimen support for simplifying transfer of the specimen. The vacuum of the spectrometer is always maintained by evacuating the load lock chamber before transfer of the specimen in and out of the spectrometer chamber.

Abstract: A phase-locked laser array comprises a substrate with two spaced-apart pluralities of channels extending towards different reflecting surfaces of the array. The axes of symmetry of the channels of one plurality are offset from the axes of symmetry of the channels of the second plurality. Coupling of light propagating in the optical waveguides over one plurality of channels into the waveguides over the second plurality of channels induces a zero phase difference between the laser oscillations of adjacent channels.

Abstract: A pair of fingers are operated by air cylinders at different rates in accordance with a given wiring function. In one function, one finger engages, supports and aligns an IDT at low pressure prior to insertion of the wire by the other finger at high pressure. The opening and closing of the fingers is also at high pressure. The closing of the fingers captivates the wire in alignment therewith as the tool travels from terminal to terminal. The wire is severed from the last terminal in the wiring sequence by an air operated knife. The tool is adapted to be connected to a robotic arm.

Abstract: A jaw is secured to a stem member having a T-shaped slot through which a pair of spaced pins pass. When the jaw and member are displaced from a clamp position to a neutral position, one of the pins is aligned with the T portion of the slot and the other pin is seated at one end of the main slot. The member tilts automatically to a retracted state in response to a spring force in a given direction. When the member is rotated from the retracted state to the neutral position the same spring force slides the jaw into the clamp position. A resilient projection on the stem member automatically engages a workpiece when the member reaches the neutral position to locate the workpiece prior to clamping.

Abstract: A first measuring contact is displaced along a gauge distance measuring axis to measure the distance to a second reference contact. Both contacts pivot about axes that lie on the gauge measuring axis and on the respective contact surfaces. When the contacts abut, the pivot axes are coextensive. Both contacts can engage a contoured wall regardless its angle to the gauge measuring axis and accurately measure the wall thickness along the gauge measuring axis.

Abstract: A semiconductor body with an improved passivating layer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the body is a device comprising a semiconductor material having regions of opposite conductivity types which form a semiconductor junction therebetween which extends to a surface of the device. The passivating layer, comprising silicon oxynitride having a refractive index between about 1.55 and 1.75 and a substantial hydrogen content, overlies the surface at the junction.Also disclosed is a method for fabricating such a device wherein the vapor deposition of the passivating layer is carried out at low temperatures from an ambient having a ratio of silicon-containing to oxygen- and nitrogen-containing precursors of between about 1:1.67 and 1:5.

Abstract: An elongated body contains a central threaded bore in communication with opposite body ends. A plurality of transverse threaded bores of the same thread size are formed in the body at spaced locations along the longitudinal axis of the body in communication with the threaded bore. Set screws mate with the central and transverse bores for sealing those bores at selected locations to form the body into one or more manifold chambers. Fluid fittings mate with the central and transverse bores for selectively coupling the so formed chambers to one or more external fluid systems.

Abstract: The fabrication of a layer of a III-V semiconductor material by vapor phase epitaxy is improved by precoating the walls of the deposition chamber in a suitable apparatus with the desired material. The coating of the deposition chamber is continued until the material being deposited is depth-uniform and of the same composition as the desired layer. Material then deposited on the substrate is free of depth compositional gradient. In a further improvement, the walls of the deposition chamber of the apparatus are roughened, thus providing nucleation sites for the growing coating and substantially reducing the time required to precoat the walls of the deposition chamber.

Abstract: A predictive coding signal communication arrangement includes, at the transmitter, a subtractor for subtracting delayed predicted signals from current input signals to produce difference signals. Predicted signals are generated by adding the difference signals to the delayed predicted signals, and delay of the predicted signals produces the delayed predicted signals. The difference signals are also applied to a coder for Huffman coding, run-length coding, or the like, and then to a rate buffer for reducing data rate variability. In order to prevent overflow of the rate buffer, a control signal is generated which represents the level to which the rate buffer is filled. The control signal is used to control the data rate reduction or decimation of the current input signals. The decimation of the current input signal produces a data rate disparity, which is corrected by a similar decimation of the delayed predicted signal, and an inverse interpolation or data rate increase of the current predicted signal.

Abstract: A system for manipulating articles, such as irregular mailpieces in the U.S. Postal Service mail processing system, receives an agglomeration of parcels into a first subsystem where the parcels are separated and are passed to a second subsystem where each parcel is manipulated until its addressee label is directed upward. The first subsystem includes a plurality of individually rotatable cylindrical rollers which form a support surface for the parcels. The rollers produce translation of a parcel by cooperative motion or separation of parts of a pile of parcels by differential motion. The second subsystem includes a high-friction, flexible conveyor belt which in a first mode supports a parcel and in a second mode forms a downward loop in which a parcel can be rotated and inverted. The parcels in both subsystems are manipulated by a five-axis robotic arm which is responsive to a machine vision system measuring the position and physical characteristics of each parcel.

Abstract: A method for depositing monocrystalline silicon at a uniform rate onto a plurality of unequally sized monocrystalline nucleation sites comprises initially providing a substrate having an apertured oxide mask on a major surface thereof. The oxide mask includes a plurality of apertures each of which exposes a nucleation site on the substrate surface. The substrate is then exposed to a mixture of dichlorosilane and hydrogen chloride at 850.degree. C. and a pressure less than approximately 50 torr, for a predetermined time. This yields a monocrystalline silicon island extending from each nucleation site. Each of the islands has a substantially flat profile across the major surface thereof and all islands are equal in thickness.

Abstract: A tuning capacitor arrangement for a microwave circuit including, on a substrate, first and second conductors to be capacitively joined. The tuning capacitor arrangement includes first and second capacitors each having connective tabs terminating on the substrate in the space between the first and second conductors. One or more connective pieces electrically connect one or more tabs to the conductors to determine the total capacitance between the first and second conductors.

Abstract: A source of a beam of ions includes in a housing a cathode filament, an anode spaced from the cathode and housing an ion emission opening therethrough and an intermediate electrode between the cathode and anode and having an opening therethrough in alignment with the opening in the anode. An inlet opening extends through the housing into the space between the anode and the intermediate electrode to admit a flow of the gas to be ionized into the housing. An outlet opening is through the housing adjacent the cathode and a pump is connected to the outlet opening. In the operation of the ion source a flow of pure ionizing gas is provided through the housing and over the cathode. Some of the gas is ionized to generate the desired ions and the rest of the gas is drawn out of the housing to remove impurities generated at the cathode and thereby increase the lifetime of the cathode.

Abstract: A fast switch-off circuit for a conductivity modulated field effect transistor (COMFET) avoids the flow of destructive latch-up currents. A reduced-amplitude switch-off current is applied to the gate electrode of the COMFET during the initial portion of switch-off. When the source-to-drain voltage (V.sub.DS) of the COMFET has become larger than the range of low V.sub.DS voltage in which latch-up can occur for an increased-amplitude switch-off current being applied to the gate electrode of the COMFET, that increased-amplitude switch-off current is applied to the gate electrode of the COMFET.

Abstract: CCD imagers with a novel replicated-line-imager architecture are abutted to form an extended line sensor. The sensor is preceded by optics having a slit aperture and having an optical beam splitter or astigmatic lens for projecting multiple line images through an optical color-discriminating stripe filter to the CCD imagers. A very high resolution camera suitable for use in a satellite, for example, is thus provided. The replicated-line architecture of the imager comprises an area-array CCD, successive rows of which are illuminated by replications of the same line segment, as transmitted by respective color filter stripes. The charge packets formed by accumulation of photoresponsive charge in the area-array CCD are read out row by row. Each successive row of charge packets is then converted from parallel to serial format in a CCD line register and its amplitude sensed to generate a line of output signal.

Abstract: Integrated circuitry including at least one electrically erasable electrically programmable latch circuit. The contents of each latch circuit can be altered by applying programming voltages to the same terminals of the integrated circuitry that are used for other functions during times of normal operation. Each latch circuit provides localized memory for controlling the configuration of the integrated circuitry during times of normal operation, rather than depending upon memory external to the integrated circuitry for controlling the configuration of the integrated circuitry.

Abstract: An infrared charge-coupled-device (IR-CCD) imager uses an array of Schottky-barrier diodes (SBD's) as photosensing elements and uses a charge-coupled-device (CCD) for arranging charge samples supplied in parallel from the array of SBD's into a succession of serially supplied output signal samples. Its sensitivity to infrared (IR) is improved by placing bias charges on the Schottky barrier diodes. Bias charges are transported to the Schottky barrier diodes by a CCD also used for charge sample read-out.