Abstract: A plurality of electrostatic discharge protection devices are disclosed for use with semiconductor chip packages of a type having a top surface, a bottom surface, and disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface a plurality of lateral surface with extending therefrom a plurality of connector pins disposed thereon. The electrostatic discharge protection devices disclosed herein are heat sensitive in that they automatically withdraw from electrical contact with the connecting pins upon introduction of sufficient heat such as that of soldering. In addition, disclosed herein is a electrostatic discharge protection device for manual withdrawal should the electrostatic discharge protection be required after the soldering process has been terminated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying an image filter to an image signal where image data terms, corresponding to the image signal, are converted by means of an overlapping operation and a scaled forward orthogonal transformation to form frequency coefficient matrices, the image filter is converted by means of a descaled orthogonal transformation to form a descaled frequency filter matrix, and the frequency coefficient matrices are multiplied by the descaled frequency filter matrix to form filtered coefficient matrices for conversion into a filtered image signal by means of an inverse orthogonal transformation process.

Abstract: Dark-field imaging probes that employs photon tunneling to visualize and measure submicron features of scattering surfaces at full-field and in real-time or substantially real-time. Each probe is particularly useful for characterizing tiny surface features of reflecting or transmissive materials within the subnanometer to several micron range and is readily adaptable for portable use where it can be employed for characterizing large surfaces such as aircraft wings, fabrics, or papers, or the like. The probes comprise an lighting section for illuminating a surface with an evanescent field and a collecting section positioned with respect to the illuminated surface to channel radiant energy converted from the evanescent field by the process of scattering to unbound energy propagating away from the surface.

Abstract: A dark-field imaging system and method is disclosed that employs photon tunneling to measure the height of read/write heads at full-field and in substantially real-time as the head flies over a disk-shaped recording medium. The system comprises: an analog recording disk mounted for rotation about a central axis, an illumination section for providing an evanescent field at a surface of the disk where the evanescent field is selectively scattered in correlation to the proximity of the read/write head to the disk surface, and a collection section for transmitting the scattered evanescent field to an imaging section, which may be a vidicon, digital camera, or other photo detector device. Various embodiments are disclosed including the use of a bulk optic prismatic element, the forward aplantic element of a compound microscope objective, diffracting gratings, and optical waveguides. In each embodiment the collection section and illumination section may be completely optically, and thus physically, uncoupled.

Abstract: A dark-field imaging system and method is disclosed that employs photon tunneling to visualize and measure submicron features of reflecting or transmissive materials within the subnanometer-to-several-micron range. The system comprises an illumination section for providing an evanescent field, where the evenescent field is selectively scattered by the surface of the reflecting or transmissive material, and a collection section for transmitting the radiant energy produced by the evanescent field scattering to an imaging section, which may be a vidicon, digital camera, or other photo detector device. Various embodiments are disclosed including the use of a bulk optic prismatic element, the forward aplantic element of a compound microscope objective, diffracting gratings, and optical waveguides. In each embodiment the collection section and illumination section may be completely optically, and thus physically, uncoupled.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator assembly is disclosed which adapts a conventional photographic printer to generate photographic images from electronic image signal such as that created by an electronic still image camera. The spatial light modulator assembly comprises a spatial light modulator ("SLIM") which is connected to a computer for imprinting electronic image signal thereon where the electronic image signal is communicated from the computer. The SLM is secured within an adapter which is formed to fit in a negative carrier of the photographic printer such that an image imprinted on the SLM is positioned over a light source thereby projecting the image onto photographic paper held within the conventional photographic printer.

Abstract: A nut assembly intended for use with a lead screw in precision movement devices for compensating for harmonic error from the lead screw by utilizing one or more partial nuts which are opposed along an axis of the lead screw such that the partial nuts ride the lead screw independently. An averaging apparatus is used to hold the partial nuts such that as the partial nuts follow the harmonic error, the error is averaged through the averaging apparatus to compensate for the harmonic error allowing the resulting motion of the nuts to be substantially linear.

Abstract: Imaging and metrology devices employ controlled phase shifting and analysis of evanescent light to provide enhanced ability to image and/or resolve substantially subwavelength lateral features on a surface illuminated by the evanescent light. The light waves comprising the evanescent electromagnetic field are inhomogeneous in that their planes of equal phase are substantially perpendicular to the direction of propagation and to their planes of constant amplitude. The planes of equal phase are therefore normal to the surface to which the evanescent field is adjacent and to a sample surface illuminated by this field as well. By controlling the phase of the source of illumination and analyzing the output from the surface, either by phase analysis or phase to amplitude decoding, subwavelength lateral surface topography resolution is enhanced without sacrificing vertical resolution.

Abstract: An image encoding/decoding apparatus for performing transform coding by a method in which blocking artifacts are suppressed or eliminated is disclosed in which encoded data, transmitted by the encoding apparatus, is converted into received image data terms which are subsequently overlap transformed into frequency coefficients for modification by means of a filtering operation utilizing a quantization error matrix. The quantization error matrix can be derived from quantization error data generated in the encoding unit, or can be provided as a look-up table in the decoding unit. The modified frequency coefficients are converted into reduced-noise image data terms for reconstruction into a digital image.

Abstract: A miniaturized, frequency-doubled blue laser utilizing a pump source operating within a radiation band of 780 to 820 nm, such as a Ti:sapphire laser or other suitable optical pump, to pump a gain medium comprising a crystal of neodymium-doped yttrium orthoaluminate (Nd:YAlO.sub.3) and produce a fundamental radiation having a wavelength of approximately 930 nm, the fundamental radiation being subsequently frequency doubled by means of a nonlinear crystal, such as potassium niobate (KNbO.sub.3), to yield output radiation at a wavelength of 465 nm.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for converting an incoming array of light beams by interchanging the horizontal and vertical components of each beam, the apparatus having a series of grooves, one groove for each incoming beam, where each groove comprises two reflecting surfaces: a first reflecting surface operating to intercept the corresponding beam and reflect it to a second reflecting surface along a first path of travel, that is folded with respect to the incoming beam's direction of propagation, while rotating one of the beam's azimuths, and the second reflecting surface operating to intercept the beam reflected off the first surface and to direct it along a second path of travel, folded with respect to the first path of travel, while rotating the beam's other azimuth.

Abstract: A corner shelving structure comprising an upper surface, abutment surfaces, and a front face, adapted for use with an adhesive or with mechanical fasteners, and comprising a torsion member which is integral with the upper surface and extends between the front face and at least one abutment surface.

Abstract: An electrical socket is disclosed for interfacing between a printed circuit board having contact pads and an electronic module having external leads, such as an integrated circuit. The electrical socket includes a base frame, containing an opening generally conforming to the body shape and size of the electronic module, and a plurality of spaced, parallel conductive members, such as electrical wires, arrayed on a resilient strip coextensive with at least part of the surface of the opening. Each conductive member includes both a lead portion in adjacent parallel relationship with one of the electronic module external leads and a contact portion in electrical engagement with a contact pad, and may also include a retaining portion for securing the conductive member to the resilient strip. The electrical socket may include a cover, with thermal vent holes, to secure the electronic module within the base frame opening.

Abstract: Image coding methods and apparatus employing discrete cosine transforms for supressing and/or reducing blocking artifacts using a JPEG file format. The methods can be implemented on JPEG hardware slightly modified to provide access to discrete cosine transform coefficients. Filtering techniques by which an overlap procedure for implementing the inventive methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical fiber structure for use in gain applications which comprises a core, selectively doped with an active gain species, and an inner cladding surrounding the core, where the inner cladding serves the purpose of receiving multimode pump energy from an external power source, confining this energy, and transferring the energy into the core by means of repeated interactions between the energy and the active dopant within the core as the pump energy propagates along the length of the fiber structure. The cross-sectional shape of the inner cladding is in the form of a non-rectangular, convex polygon so that the propagating pump energy is induced to form an essentially uniform radiation field in which the various radiation modes comprising the pump energy are isotropically distributed.

Abstract: A high-power optical fiber device comprising a pump source of light-emitting facets, optical means for collimating and converging the array, an optical beam rotator for transforming the array by rotating individual light emissions, and an optical fiber structure having a core surrounded by an inner cladding for transferring pump energy into the core, the inner cladding having a cross-sectional shape in the form of a convex polygon.

Abstract: A diode-pumped monolithic laser is fabricated from a self-doubling host material co-doped with two ionic species, where one ionic dopant converts pump radiation to continuous radiation at a fundamental frequency and the other dopant acts as a saturable absorber to Q-switch the fundamental radiation which is then frequency doubled to produce pulsed high-intensity green light, the green light being either outputted or further frequency-doubled, into pulsed coherent UV radiation, by means of a non-linear crystal.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a novel index-guided laser or laser array by MOCVD in a single growth step. A ridge or a number of ridges are first fabricated by dry or wet etching on a GaAs wafer; and n-and p-type epitaxial layers including cladding layers and an active layer are then grown on the entire wafer surface, forming the laser structure. One or more current blocking layers are incorporated into an upper cladding layer which is grown after the active layer. Due to migration-enhanced dopant incorporation and dopant diffusion during the growth, the current blocking layer is rendered ineffective in the vicinity of the ridges, thus forming a laterally restricted current path for carrier injection. The laser is index-guided on the ridges. This laser structure is extremely simple to produce since it requires no further photolithographic masking steps after growth, only metallization.