Abstract: Premature equipment failure of susceptors used during plasma processing of semiconductor wafers is avoided by making the holes, characteristic of susceptors, such that the hole diameter is less that the susceptor thickness. In one embodiment, the susceptor includes a pattern of support struts which permits the planar top plate of the susceptor to be made quite thin and yet permits the diameter-to-thickness requirement to be met by aligning the pattern of holes with the pattern of support struts and having the holes penetrate the struts.

Abstract: The cavity of a laser diode is made longer than that which would be dictated by consideration of maximizing the efficiency of the diode. The lateral divergence of the emitted light beam is decreased as the cavity length increases. The lower lateral divergence enables the emitted light beam being focused to produce a greater depth of field for coupling into an optical fiber. In another case, when the fiber size is fixed, lower lateral divergence enables the emitted light beam to being fed into a lower numerical aperture fiber, or enables the beam divergence after fiber to be lower.

Abstract: A slurry recycling system for a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes an annular-shaped wafer polishing platen which rotates about a non-rotating center core. A slurry dispensing system housed in the center core directs a slurry mist radially into the path of a moving wafer. The recycling system is positioned at the periphery of the platen and is controlled by an end point monitoring and control system which uniquely provides instantaneous wafer removal rate data to regulate a slurry recycling valve.

Abstract: Electrical equipment such as a personal computer includes a plurality of internal components which require different voltages including low voltages of about five volts for operation. The different voltages are supplied by an internal power supply, with a voltage regulator, which is itself connected to an appropriately-transformed high voltage supply typically from an in-the-wall source. Peripherals such as a FAX/modem, CD ROM, or tape recorder are powered by cables plugged into mating sockets in the face of the computer housing. The sockets, in turn, are connected to the appropriate outputs of the internal power supply to obtain appropriate voltage power directly from the host computer in the absence of a transformed connection to a house supply. A switch is provided at each of the sockets to vary the voltage there.

Abstract: A multi-mode apparatus for capturing light patterns emitted or absorbed by a planar sample, such as an electropheresis gel, is made possible by a unique tray and sample holder system which positions a sample at a pre-determined focal plane of the solid state camera integral to the apparatus. Each sample is fixed in a sample holder specific to the mode of labeling of the sample. The tray is configured to retain each sample holder at a different elevation with respect to the side walls of the tray for proper placement of the sample at the focal plane. The tray side walls are adapted to position a sample holder at the proper elevation depending on the sampling mode and illumination technique selected. The sample holder includes a combination of transparent, translucent, or opaque plates designed to allow illumination and imaging of the sample for the particular labeling method employed.

Abstract: An optical lens system includes a multi-element lens designed to maximize light collection efficiency and transmission but accepting a sufficiently high level of distortion to forego the system from imaging light patterns at each of a set of wavelengths at which the patterns are being emitted from a planar source simultaneously. The system also illustratively includes a cooled CCD camera with a dewar and filter assembly which is movable along the optic axis of the system to specified positions for selecting a particular wavelength at which an image is in focus so that the light pattern (image) at each different wavelength can be captured at a different time. A CCD camera is used to capture the image and the camera controller includes software to reduce the amount of distortion introduced by the lens.

Abstract: Electrical equipment such as a personal computer includes a plurality of internal components which require different voltages including low voltages of about five volts for operation. The different voltages are supplied by an internal power supply, with a voltage regulator, which is itself connected to an appropriately transformed high voltage supply typically from an in-the-wall source. Peripherals such as a FAX/modem, CD ROM, or tape recorder are powered by special connectors in the face of the computer housing and connected to the appropriate outputs of the internal power supply to obtain low voltage power directly from the host computer in the absence of a transformed connection to a house supply.

Abstract: Laser diode bars with a plurality of light emitting facets have the light from those facets coupled into corresponding fibers of a fiber optic bundle via a microlens having a superconic cross section. An improvement in energy coupling of the typically less than 85 percent to up to 95 percent is achieved.

Abstract: An ion milling technique for forming non-planar features on a semiconductor wafer into relatively planar features for further layer deposition replaces the conventional polishing technique currently in use. The technique employs a first ion gun directing a beam normal to the wafer surface and operative to impact the features uniformly to exaggerate the hills of the feature into steep peaks and to form the valleys therebetween into shallow valleys. The technique also employs a second ion gun directed normal to the steep slopes of the peaks and aimed at a portion of the radius of the wafer while the wafer is rotated. The second beam takes advantage of the fact that the peaks mill at a rate twice as fast as the shallow valleys and the first ion beam operates to magnify the aspect ratio between the peaks and the valleys to ensure that the different rates of milling actually occurs when the second ion beam is brought into play.

Abstract: A laser diode structure includes a metallic gasket which is sandwiched between the laser diode submount and the backside electrode in the absence of solder interfaces. The gasket has mirror image, shallow recesses in the surfaces thereof with each surface having the general shape of a wing. The recesses are formed into sealed coolant conduits when the several layers are bonded together into an integrated structure. The narrow end of each recess communicates with an aperture through the adjacent layer to provide inlet and outlet ports for the coolant. The gasket has an aperture therethrough at the wide ends of the recesses for the coolant to circulate. The gasket can be formed from a single layer or from two layers each with a single recess.

Abstract: A device for the tilt-free movement of one solid body with respect to a reference body is achieved by fixing first and second plates, illustratively with large central apertures, in spaced-apart parallel planes with cylindrical flexure tubes sandwich therebetween. Each of the flexure tubes includes an upstanding piezoelectric or electro-strictive cylinder therewithin. The flexure tubes are aligned radially from the common central axis of the plates and are conveniently at 120 degree angles with respect to one another to achieve symmetry. The piezoelectric cylinders are responsive to like voltage signals to expand or contract in a manner to expand or contract the diameter of the flexure tube to produce the desired tilt-free movement of one plate with respect to the other. The flexure tubes, although small, are very strong due to the cylindrical geometry and yet, are responsive to relatively low signal levels for producing the requisite expansion and contraction.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus, in accordance with the princples of this invention, includes an annular-shaped platen rotatable about a non-rotating center core having a diameter smaller than the width of the annular-shaped platen. The center core is the source of slurry which permits convenient dispensing of slurry. The apparatus includes a bridge which extends from the center core to the rigid table in which the apparatus is housed. The bridge is a convenient support for apparatus for pad rejuvenation and for sensing and correcting wafer attitude and characteristics as well as slurry properties on a real time basis for improving wafer uniformity and local surface planarity.

Abstract: A flat panel image sensor is provided by combining the photoconductive imaging electrode of a vidicon with a two dimensional array of cold cathode field emitters commonly used for flat panel Field Emission Display (FED) systems. The FED operates normally to emit electrons which are accelerated in prior art displays towards a luminescent phosphor to generate light output proportional to the cathode emission. Rather than accelerating towards a phosphor, electrons, in accordance with the principles of this invention, are accelerated towards a photoconductor layer to replace charge removed from the layer by an incident radiation pattern directed at the photoconductor layer through a layer of transparant, electrically-conducting material which serves as a radiation window. A large area, low cost, small, flat panel sensor is realized.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the luminous intensity distribution of an automotive head light employs a curved mirror and a curved screen. A solid state camera is used to obtain a pattern of the head light output from the screen. The system requires a relatively small black box into which the head light output is directed. A beam splitter may be employed to relax the constraints on the positioning of the various components within the box. The setting of the test lamp to first and to second preset lateral angular positions at each of which a pattern is captured and the combining of the two patterns permits the use of components which are practical. The use of a linear CCD array permits economies to be obtained by rotating the test lamp or the linear array over a sequence of angular positions and by constructing a composite pattern from the patterns so generated.

Abstract: An assembly of simple, like laser diode submounts or laser diode bars lend themselves to volume manufacturing techniques. Individual diodes, or diode bars are supported on electrically-insulating submounts which have electrically-isolated metallizations applied thereto for mounting on a single insulating plate and to one another in a stack and for mounting to a common heat sink.

Abstract: A sensor for providing an indication of the movement of one component of a system with respect to another includes a plurality of discrete electrodes and a common electrode affixed to the non-moving component along the axis of movement of the moving component and a pointer affixed to the moving component also along the axis of movement. As the moving component moves, it positions the pointer at consecutive ones of the plurality of discrete electrodes forming a capacitor structure with each in succession. When interrogated, the capacitor provides a signal indicative of the position of the moving component. The sensor is useful for indicating linear movement, angular displacement and pressure, strain and temperature when adapted to structures which indicate such parameters as a function of displacement. Alternative structures include "Bar Codes" with a laser as a pointer and magnetic stripes with a magnetic read head as the pointer.

Abstract: A reduced, lateral mode laser diode is fabricated using a self-aligning process which produces a well controlled weakly index-guided waveguide with strong current confinement. The structure includes ion implants for controlling current injection into the active region from the top of the ridge. The number of modes may be reduced to unity, resulting in a single lateral mode laser. A laser diode array is fabricated in the same way.

Abstract: Interleaved patterns of oppositely-poled regions are formed in a piezoelectric film by a technique in which an unpoled film is positioned between the pairs of an electromechanical apparatus with a pattern of like-poled electrodes movable into juxtaposition with the surfaces of the film which already includes on its surfaces the complementary (oppositely-poled) pattern of electrodes. In a second embodiment, a piezoelectric film is threaded about two drums with complimentary electrode patterns imbedded in the drum surfaces. The two patterns interleave with one another and are held at opposite potentials to impose the requisite poling pattern as a film wrapped about the drums moves in consecutive, but opposite directions. In a third embodiment, a piezoelectric film is positioned between two printed circuit boards which have complementary patterns of electrodes.

Abstract: A novel write/read head for magnetic stripe card readers includes a magnetostrictive read element in a structure which permits the close spacing between read and write heads required of insertion type value card apparatus yet provides magnetic isolation of the read head from the write field generated at the gap of the write head. The use of a second magnetostrictive element in the read head permits the implementation of a security system which precludes the possibility of altering or counterfeiting the cards. Accordingly, high denomination value cards can be issued with a relatively high degree of confidence and that magnetic stripe cards, in general, can be issued with that same degree of confidence.

Abstract: A tubular shroud defines the field of view of a passive infrared sensor placed above the desired stopping point for a vehicle in a garage. As the vehicle enters the field of view, a warning signal is activated. A second sensor, with a field-defining shroud, placed in the path of an oncoming vehicle may be used to activate the first sensor ensuring that the warning signal is produced only in response to the arrival of a vehicle at the desired position rather than in response to the movement of a person or an animal.