Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a physical parameter of features on a substrate by illuminating the substrate with an incident light covering an incident wavelength range ??, e.g., from 190 nm to 1000 nm, where the substrate is at least semi-transparent. A response light received from the substrate and the feature is measured to obtain a response spectrum of the response light. Further, a complex-valued response due to the feature and the substrate is computed and both the response spectrum and the complex-valued response are used in determining the physical parameter. The response light is reflected light, transmitted light or a combination of the two. The complex-valued response typically includes a complex reflectance amplitude, a complex transmittance amplitude or both. The apparatus and method take into account the effects of vertical and lateral coherence length and are well suited for examining adjacent features.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor can be shaped using ion beam irradiation and/or implantation through a mask introduced between a MR structure and an ion source. The mask covers selected portions of the MR structure to define the track width of the sensor. Ion irradiation and/or implantation reduces the magnetoresistance of the unmasked portions while leaving the masked portion substantially unaltered. The mask can be a photoresist mask, an electron beam resist mask, or a stencil mask. Alternatively the mask may be part of a projection ion beam system. Track width resolution is determined at the mask production step. The edges of the sensor can be defined by a highly collimated ion beam producing an extremely straight transition edge, which reduces sensor noise and improves sensor track width control. Improved hard bias layers that directly abut the sensor may be used to achieve a suitable stability. A variety of longitudinal bias schemes are compatible with ion beam patterning.

Abstract: A method for embedding fiber optic sensors in a high melting temperature metal structure produces embedded sensors that are uniformly and closely bonded with the metal and do not slip upon metal expansion and contraction. The structure is built in layers onto the sensor. On top of a first thin sputter-coated metallic layer, approximately 1-3 ?m thick, is electroplated a second thin layer, approximately 0.25-2 mm thick. Finally, a metal structure is built around the thin metallic layers by laser cladding, casting, welding, or other method.

Abstract: A Thulium-doped silica fiber normally has its strongest gain at 1.9 microns and thus is not suitable for communication use. By engineering a W-profile or depressed cladding fiber with an appropriate index profile having a fundamental mode cut-off between 1.9 microns and the shorter wavelength of desired operation, an optical amplifier based on the W-profile Thulium-doped silica fiber operates at wavelengths shorter than conventional amplifiers, just above what is currently called the Erbium L-band. In a preferred embodiment, the cut-off wavelength is at or near 1.7 ?m, eliminating longer wavelengths from the fiber. Amplifiers engineered according to the principles and techniques of the present invention can operate in the wavelength range between about 1.6 to 1.8 microns, which is particularly useful for telecommunications.

Abstract: A flywheel for use as an energy storage device is made of hoops of different fiber composite layers, the radial thickness of each hoop and the physical properties of the fiber composite in each loop being chosen by a computer modeling optimization procedure to maximize total energy of storage while minimizing radial stress.

Abstract: A multipath mitigation method consists of locating a multipath-invariant (MPI) point of an ideal autocorrelation function and measuring the distance between the MPI point and DLL. The same MPI point is located in a received correlation function, and the distance between the point and the DLL, now affected by multipath, is measured. The difference between the ideal distance and the actual distance is the code tracking error resulting from multipath. The error is subtracted from the computed pseudorange or used to control the DLL. The method can be used to reduce the effects of all types of tracking error sources, such as signal transmission failure or code noise.

Abstract: A method of generating intender leads in a distributed computer system includes the steps of identifying purchase indicators and extracting prospect identifiers from the purchase indicators. Purchase indicators are pieces of data that represent a potential future purchase by a prospect. For example, an online classified advertisement selling an automobile is a purchase indicator for a potential future purchase of a new car by the old car seller. The prospect identifier, such as a telephone number or email address, uniquely identifies the prospect likely to make the future purchase. Preferably, the method also contains the steps of obtaining full contact information for the prospect from a profile database, applying a predictive model to the prospects to select intender leads, and transferring the intender leads to an interested party, such as a direct marketing service or sales force.

Abstract: The present invention provides a miniature gas turbine engine for power generation. The engine has a highly integrated unitary rotor shaft where turbine, compressor and shaft are made in one piece in one fabrication process. The turbine and compressor are positioned back to back on the shaft in an overhung configuration, allowing the front bearings to be located in the cold zone of the engine. Preferably, the Mold SDM fabrication technique is utilized to make the unitary rotor shaft in one monolithic part out of ceramics such as silicon nitride, eliminating the need for post process assembly while strengthening the integrity, reliability, and performance of the unitary rotor shaft. Integrated with a permanent magnet in the unitary rotor shaft, the miniature gas turbine engine can generate electric power of 1 kW or less. Additionally, the axial length of the miniature gas turbine engine is about 100 mm or less.

Abstract: The invention provides microfabricated silicon substrates and devices having extremely small apertures (termed “nanoapertures”) and methods for producing such nanoapertures. The devices have a nanoaperture (which may have a diameter ranging from about a few millimeters to as small as a few nm) across a substrate effective to connect two regions separated by the substrate. The devices are suitable for the formation of lipid bilayer membranes across the apertures, and for use in devices such as biosensors. Substrates and devices may include multiple nanoapertures, which may each support a lipid bilayer membrane, allowing fault tolerant devices such as fault-tolerant biosensors, and allowing devices able to sense more than one target molecule.

Abstract: A water-cooled auxiliary condenser device 200 receives refrigerant from an external refrigeration system 210 just downstream from its air-cooled condenser 110. The refrigerant passes through a water-cooled condenser 250, and the refrigerant state is sensed by a temperature or pressure sensor 226. If the sensed state of the refrigerant rises above a first threshold, the flow of water through the water-cooled condenser 250 is increased, e.g., turned ON, using a controllable water valve 234. When the sensed state of the refrigerant drops below a second threshold, the water flow through the water-cooled condenser 250 is decreased, e.g., turned OFF. The refrigerant returns to the refrigeration system just upstream from its liquid receiver 120. In the event that air-cooled condenser 110 fails, device 200 automatically activates the water-cooled condenser 250 to maintain safe refrigeration temperatures in the appliance. When not required, device 200 remains passive and does not use any water or electric.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for protein structure alignment. More particularly, the present invention provides a method for identification, classification and prediction of protein structures. The present invention involves two key ingredients. First, an energy or cost function formulation of the problem simultaneously in terms of binary (Potts) assignment variables and real-valued atomic coordinates. Second, a minimization of the energy or cost function by an iterative method, where in each iteration (1) a mean field method is employed for the assignment variables and (2) exact rotation and/or translation of atomic coordinates is performed, weighted with the corresponding assignment variables.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for determining a wavelength of an optical signal by determining a coarse wavelength response and a fine wavelength response. The coarse wavelength response is achieved by utilizing an optical filter. A suitable detector detects the wavelength-dependent response and conveys the determined coarse wavelength response to the processing logic. The fine wavelength response is achieved by utilizing an interferometer that is capable of generating an interference pattern. Two detectors are disposed in the interference pattern at a quadrature separation from each other and detect the intensity responses at their respective locations. The intensity responses are conveyed to a unit that determines the fine wavelength response. Finally, the processing logic determines the wavelength utilizing the determined coarse wavelength response and the determined fine wavelength response.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for printing (2-7) multilayer electronic components, and circuits on a surface (2), where at least one of the layers is formed by a redox reaction (6) occurring in a deposited solution (4, 5). Electronic components may comprise semiconductors such as in transistors or diode, or metal oxide or electrolyte such as in batteries or fuel cells, or are capacitors, inductors, and resistors. Preferably, the oxidizer of the redox reaction is a strong oxidizer, and the reducer is a strong reducer (3). Reactions are preferably sufficiently exothermic that they can be initiated (6), rather than driven to completion, by microwave or other suitable energy sources, and may yield substantially pure metal or metal oxide layers. The solution being deposited (5) may have either high concentrations of particulates, such as 60-80 wt. % of dry weight, or low concentrations of particulates, such as ?5 wt. % or ?2 wt. %.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for a new class of micro-machined electromechanical devices that make use of vibrating membranes. The electromechanical devices include two or more electrodes which are positioned with a membrane. A gap exists between the membrane and each electrode which may vary for each electrode. In general, one electrode is used as an input electrode which receives an electrical signal that causes vibration of the membrane. The vibration of the membrane is then coupled to a receiving or an output electrode. A DC bias voltage is applied to the electrodes to set or modify a width of a gap in the electromechanical device. The electromechanical device could be designed as a transformer, a capacitor, a resonator or a filter. In addition, the device includes a control voltage to dynamically change the coupling between the input electrode and the output electrode(s).

Abstract: A source that employs an Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) for generating light in an S-band of wavelengths. The EDFA uses a fiber having a core with a core cross section surrounded by a depressed cladding with a depressed cladding cross section and a secondary cladding with a secondary cladding cross section. A pump source is provided for pumping the Erbium contained in the core of the fiber to a high relative inversion D, such that the Erbium exhibits positive gains in the S-band and high gains in a long wavelength band longer than the S-band. The core cross-section, the depressed cladding cross-section, and the refractive indices no, n1, and n2 are selected to produce losses at least comparable to the high gains in the long wavelength band and losses substantially smaller than the positive gains in the S-band.

Abstract: Color balancing algorithms for digital image processing require an accurate estimate of the physical properties of the ambient scene illuminant, particularly its spectral power distribution. An active imaging method and apparatus estimate these properties by emitting modulated light with a known spectral power distribution into a region of a scene. Backscattered light is detected and demodulated to separate output representing active emitter light from output representing ambient illuminant light. Using the emitter-related detector output and the known emitter spectral power distribution, the surface spectral reflectance function of the illuminated scene region can be computed. Subsequently, the spectral power distribution of the ambient scene illuminant can be computed from the surface reflectance function and the illuminant-related output of the detector. The estimated spectral power distribution can be used in standard color balancing algorithms for digital or film images.

Abstract: Embodied in a reflectance system capable of providing high resolution, repeatable, efficient, and accurate reflectance measurements of a silicon or silicon-oxide wafer at all wavelengths, the present invention, including an inventive and useful software tool with user interface, provides a solution to monitor non-destructively low dose ion implantation without potentially suffering from undesirable annealing effect. The computer-implemented method disclosed herein determines a reflectance change index that correlates to the ion dose. The reflectance change index is determined based on an absolute value of reflectance changes over the entire measured spectra. The reflectance changes are determined based on non-implanted and implanted reflectance measurements of the wafer respectively obtained at each of the wavelengths.

Abstract: A Saturable Reflector apparatus comprises a substrate having a first and second surfaces, and a reflector having a saturable absorber layer, attached to the first surface. At least one of the first and second surfaces has been modified to enhance an etalon effect of the substrate due to interference of light reflecting from the first and second surfaces. Either or both of the surfaces may be modified, for example, by polishing or coating. The apparatus may also include means for adjusting an optical thickness of the substrate to tune the etalon effect. Such means may comprise a temperature control element, such as a heater, coupled to a temperature controller. The inventive apparatus may be incorporated into a mode-locked laser. The etalon tuning optimizes a relation between temporal and frequency domains of radiation incident on the saturable reflector.

Abstract: A suspended resist bridge suitable for lithographically patterning MR sensors having trackwidths narrower than 0.2 micron is fabricated using the method of the present invention. First, PMGI is spun onto a substrate to form a first thin resist layer. Next, PMMA is spun onto the first resist layer to form a second resist layer. The PMMA layer is exposed to an electron beam to pattern the trackwidth of the MR sensors. E-beam exposed PMMA is then developed in an IPA solution. The resist structure is then placed in a basic solution for dissolving PMGI, which results in a fully undercut resist bridge that is used for patterning the MR sensors.

Abstract: A sputtered silicon layer and a low temperature fabrication method thereof, is introduced. The sputtered silicon layer is sputtered with predetermined sputtering criteria resulting in a predetermined pre-annealing configuration. The sputtering criteria include sputtering power, ambient sputtering pressure, choice of sacrificial layer and etchant. The initially sputtered layer is transformed during a low temperature annealing process into a post-annealing state. A released structure is micro-machined from the sputtered layer in its post-annealed state. The low temperature annealing leaves pre-fabricated integrated aluminum-metalized circuitry unaffected. Optional conductive sputtered co-layers reduce resistivity and may be used to further tune strain and strain gradient.