Abstract: A first terminal of a device-under-measurement (DUM) is connected to the input of a buffer amplifier having its output applied to the inverting input of an operational amplifier through a resistor having the value "aR". A resistor having a value "R" is connected between the inverting input and ground. A second terminal of the DUM is connected to the input of a buffer amplifier having its output connected to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier through a resistor having the value "ar". The non-inverting input is also connected to the output of a signal generator through a resistor having the value "r". The second terminal is also connected to ground through a load. An oscilloscope is connected across the outputs of the buffer amplifiers, and a computer controls the signal generator in response to a signal from the oscilloscope.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated circuit capacitor having a dielectric layer comprising BST with excess B-site material, such as titanium, added. A polyoxyalkylated metal liquid precursor solution is prepared comprising a stock solution of BST of greater then 99.999% purity blended with excess B-site material such as titanium such that the titanium is in the range of 0-100 mol %. A xylene exchange is then performed to adjust the viscosity of the solution for spin-on application to a substrate. The precursor is spun on a first electrode, dried at 400.degree. C. for 2 minutes, then annealed at 650.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. for about an hour to form a layer of BST with excess titanium. A second electrode is deposited, patterned, and annealed at between 650.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. for about 30 minutes. The resultant capacitor exhibits an enlarged dielectric constant with only a small increase in leakage current.

Abstract: A bidirectional cable network having a signal distribution system that prevents undesirable energy in the bidirectional cable network's return path from adversely effecting the entire network. The signal distribution system a first signal transmitted in a forward path direction over the bidirectional communication path from a headend to a plurality of remote points. Signals transmitted in a return path direction are time division multiplexed on a series of cyclically reoccurring time slots where at least one of the cyclically reoccurring time slots is assigned to each of the plurality of remote points.

Abstract: An integrated circuit memory, MMIC, or other device including a dielectric comprising lead-tin zirconium-titanium oxide (PSZT). The proportion of tin ranges from 30% to 50% of the total amount of tin, zirconium and titanium. The dielectric is formed by applying a first liquid precursor having 10% excess lead to a substrate and heating it to form a first PSZT thin film, applying a second liquid precursor having 5% excess lead to the first thin film and heating to form a second thin film, then applying the first liquid precursor and heating to form a third thin film, and annealing the three thin films together to form a PSZT dielectric layer.

Abstract: Metal alkoxycarboxylate-based liquid precursor solutions are used to form electronic devices (100) that include mixed layered superlattice materials (112) of a type having discrete oxygen octahedral layers (124) and (128) collated with a superlattice-generator layer (116). The precursor solutions include a plurality of metal moieties in effective amounts for yielding the layered superlattice materials. These metal moieties are mixed to include an A/B portion capable of forming an A/B layer (124), a perovskite-like AB layer portion capable of forming a perovskite-like AB octahedral layer (128), and a superlattice-generator portion capable of forming the superlattice-generator layer (116). The precursors are deposited in liquid form upon a substrate and annealed to provide the layered superlattice materials.

Abstract: A compact disk identification system (50) utilizes a destructible adhesive sticker (20, 202, 204, 206) to identify the owner of a compact disk (40). The sticker includes a top layer (22) that is marked with printed indicia (26) providing ownership information. The top layer is backed by an adhesive face (34) covered with an adhesive providing an adhesive strength exceeding the tear strength of the top layer. The top layer is affixed to the compact disk using a base plate (52) and a pestle (54) having a central cylinder (62). A very close tolerance between the cylinder, the disk, the top layer, and the pestle provides a substantially perfect central alignment of the top layer on the disk. The stickers are also used in conjunction with a computer program (P300) providing data storage management function.

Abstract: A photosensitive liquid solution is used to make thin films for use in integrated circuits. The photosensitive liquid solution contains a photo initiator, and solvent, and a mixture of metals bonded to free-radical-susceptible monomers. The metals are mixed in amounts corresponding to the desired stoichiometry of a metal oxide thin film that derives from the. The photosensitive liquid solution is applied to a substrate, soft baked, and exposed to ultraviolet radiation under a photo mask. The ultraviolet radiation patterns the soft-baked film through a free radical polymerization chain reaction. A solvent etch is used to remove the unpolymerized portion of the polymerized film. The remaining thin film pattern is annealed to provide a patterned metal oxide film.

Abstract: A power supply system includes a power distribution circuit (21) and a power converter circuit (22), an input power control circuit (24), a power utilization circuit (26) and a utilization control circuit (28). The power distribution circuit includes some limitation in delivering power to the power converter circuit. The input power control circuit initiates and controls the start-up of the power conversion circuit. The power utilization circuit and the utilization control circuit include a first storage capacitor (96), a first load (98), and a second capacitor (112). A voltage comparator (104) monitors voltage across the second capacitor to determine when the second capacitor is fully charged. A gate (126) receives signals from the voltage comparator and status logic to cause a switch (102) closure when the second capacitor is fully charged. The closing of the switch connects a second load (100) in parallel with the first load.

Abstract: A metal organic liquid precursor solution includes metal organic complexes dispersed in an ester solvent. The ester solvent has medium length carbon chains to prevent the precipitation of strongly electropositive metals in solution. A liquid precursor solution is used to make thin film metal oxides of uniform thickness and consistent quality.

Abstract: A method for selecting records from a displayed database table by generating an SQL SELECT command for filtering the displayed records in accordance with cell values highlighted by user input. A presently selected set of records from a desired table (generally referred to as a record set or record source) are displayed on the user's display screen. The user selects particular values in cells (an intersection of a row and a column of the displayed table) by highlighting the values using the pointer device or keyboard of the computer system. Methods of the present invention then generate an SQL select (filter) command to selectively retrieve those records from the displayed records which match the user's highlighted values.

Abstract: Thin film ferroelectric materials for use in integrated memory circuits, such as FERAMS and the like, contain strontium bismuth niobium tantalate having an empirical formula SrBi.sub.2+E (Nb.sub.X Ta.sub.2-X)O.sub.9+3E/2, wherein E is a number representing an excess amount of bismuth ranging from zero to 2; and X is a number representing an excess amount of niobium ranging from 0.01 to 0.9. The thin films demonstrate an exceptional resistance to polarization imprinting when challenged with unidirectional voltage pulses.

Abstract: A radiometer system detects naturally occurring atmospheric microwave radiation in three bands at approximately 20, 30, and 90 GHz. Signals representing radiation intensity at each of these bands is converted into a brightness temperature and used as a system input to a processing system that yields system outputs including the atmospheric ice water path, liquid water path, and water vapor content. A parameterized radiative transfer model is used to quantify radiation emanating from the atmosphere. The applied signal processing technique provides measurement of the total ice column in the atmosphere, and simultaneously provides accurate measurement of water vapor and liquid water. A calibration technique enhances the accuracy of ice detection measurements by correcting for the effects of absorptive atmospheric components, such as water vapor and liquid water.

Abstract: A status monitoring system for a computer network including obtaining, concurrently displaying, and dynamically updating, the operational state of a plurality of nodes in a computer network. The operational state for each node is displayed concurrently in an expandable hierarchical display having a dynamically updatable operational state icon corresponding to each node in the network. The operational state icon is characteristic of a traffic light and can be used in combination with superimposed status indicators.

Abstract: A precursor liquid comprising silicon in a xylenes solvent is prepared, a substrate is placed within a vacuum deposition chamber, the precursor liquid is misted, and the mist is flowed into the deposition chamber while maintaining the chamber at ambient temperature to deposit a layer of the precursor liquid on the substrate. The liquid is dried, baked, and annealed to form a thin film of silicon dioxide or silicon glass on the substrate. Then an integrated circuit is completed to include at least a portion of the silicon dioxide or silicon glass layer as an insulator for an electronic device in the integrated circuit.

Abstract: This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user's interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media.

Abstract: This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user's interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media.

Abstract: A resonant optical cavity having a laser medium therein is positioned within a specific environment, such as a process and/or harsh environment, and a sensing region, also within the resonant optical cavity, receives light whereby particles at the sensing region affect, as by scattering, light at the sensing region. The affected light is optically collected within the specific environment and optically coupled to a processor outside the specific environment where an output is provided that is indicative of particles detected at the sensing region, including small particles having a size at least as small as about 0.05 to 10 microns. With a solid state laser medium utilized within the resonant optical cavity, the solid state laser medium is pumped by an actuator, such as a semiconductor diode laser, providing a light output that is optically coupled to the solid state laser medium.

Abstract: A charge storage device, such as an integrated circuit memory, including a dielectric comprising a barium-strontium-niobium oxide. A liquid precursor including the metals barium, strontium, and niobium is prepared and applied to a platinum electrode. The precursor is baked and annealed to form a dielectric having the formula Ba.sub.x Sr.sub.y Nb.sub.z O.sub.30, where x=1.3 to 3.5, y=1.5 to 3.7, and z=10. A top platinum electrode is then formed to provide a memory cell capacitor. Optimum results to date have been obtained with Ba.sub.2 Sr.sub.3 Nb.sub.10 O.sub.30, which yields a memory cell dielectric with dielectric constant over 1000 and a leakage current of less than 10.sup.-5 amperes per square centimeter for voltages up to 5 volts.