Abstract: In visual display devices such as LCD devices with backlight illumination, the backlight typically consumes most of device battery power. In the interest of displaying a given pixel pattern at a minimized backlight level, the pattern can be transformed while maintaining image quality, with a transform determined from pixel luminance statistics. Aside from, or in addition to being used for such minimizing, a transform also can be used for image enhancement, for a displayed image better to meet a visual perception quality. In either case, the transform preferably is constrained for enforcing one or several display attributes. In a network setting, the technique can be implemented in distributed fashion, so that subtasks of the technique are performed by different, interconnected processors such as server, client and proxy processors.

Abstract: In visual display devices such as LCD devices with backlight illumination, the backlight typically consumes most of device battery power. In the interest of displaying a given pixel pattern at a minimized backlight level, the pattern can be transformed while maintaining image quality, with a transform determined from pixel luminance statistics. Aside from, or in addition to such minimizing, a transform also can be used for image enhancement, for a displayed image better to meet a visual perception quality. In either case, the transform preferably is constrained for enforcing one or several display attributes.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices have device regions in which semiconductor properties such as spreading resistivity and its profile are significant. In making a p-type device region on a semiconductor wafer, an initial semiconductor device region is defined by a buried region, and an initial spreading resistivity profile is developed by annealing. After annealing, semiconductor device properties can be enhanced by removing a surface sub-region of the initial device region, and can be further improved by epitaxially growing thereon a monocrystalline film as an improved channel layer for FET devices. Such properties are relevant in MOS as well as bipolar devices.

Abstract: Given two video sequences, a composite video sequence can be generated which includes visual elements from each of the given sequences, suitably synchronized and represented in a chosen focal plane. For example, given two video sequences with each showing a different contestant individually racing the same down-hill course, the composite sequence can include elements from each of the given sequences to show the contestants as if racing simultaneously. A composite video sequence can be made also by similarly combining a video sequence with an audio sequence.

Abstract: For annotating a digital image with information from a digital map, features which are visible from a viewer position are extracted from the map. The extracted features are matched with corresponding features in the image, and feature annotations are transferred from the map to the image to obtain an integrated view. The technique facilitates the annotation of photographs, and it can be included in navigation and simulation systems.

Abstract: Radiation-induced effects discovered in layered structures of conductor and semiconductor materials are utilized in radiation-sensitive devices such as, e.g., highly linear as well as highly nonlinear position sensors. Such devices includes a structure of alternating layers of conductor and semiconductor materials, and electrical contacts are provided between which a radiation-induced voltage appears. Among suitable layer materials are silicon and titanium, and resulting devices are sensitive to electromagnetic as well as to particle radiation.

Abstract: Ultrasonic surface examination, of interest in a variety of manufacturing and maintenance situations, is facilitated by a method which involves localized sensing of a surface wave by optical-fiber interferometry. The method is particularly applicable for examination of surfaces in confined spaces and wherever line-of-sight examination is difficult.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation is modulated in response to an electrical signal which produces a variable electric field in a semiconductor .delta.-doped structure. A resulting device has a desirably broad wavelength range in which light intensity can be modulated, large contrast ratio between transparent and opaque states, small operating voltage, and high-speed capability as desirable in optical communications applications.

Abstract: Contacts comprising nickel and a glass-forming additive have electrical contact properties which render them suitable as replacements for gold contacts; disclosed contacts have low contact resistance even after prolonged exposure to an oxidizing ambient. The glass-forming additive is one or several of the elements boron, silicon, germanium, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth, and contacts are readily formed, e.g., as layers on substrates. A crystallographically disordered structure is produced in a contact surface layer at least upon exposure to an oxidizing ambient; alternatively, such desired structure can be produced by ion bombardment and even in the absence of glass-forming additives.

Abstract: An electrical interconnection medium is made as a composite of electrically conducting, magnetic particles in a nonconductive matrix material. Particles are magnetically aligned into a network which extends in at least two dimensions as, e.g., in a sheet or layer medium. A layer medium may further include additional, larger conductive particles which may be magnetically aligned into columns extending the thickness of the medium; typically, in this case, the medium serves as an anisotropically conductive medium in the direction of the columns, with slight in-plane conductivity imparted by the network aiding the dissipation of electrostatic charge.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package uses an encapsulant frame which prevents the encapsulant used to seal the integrated circuit chip from the ambient atmosphere from flowing to unwanted areas and to permit the encapsulant to be deposited with a controllable depth.

Abstract: In the interest of ease of manufacture, hybrid lasers of distributed-Bragg-reflector type are preferred for use as light sources in optical communications. Such lasers are made to operate away from mode instabilities by adjusting a laser parameter such as, e.g., laser temperature, thereby assuring highly error-free transmission. Alternatively, by suitable design of the Bragg reflector it is possible to render mode instability of negligible influence on error rate.

Abstract: Real space hot electron transfer devices using hot electron transfer between two conducting channels are described.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated resonant-tunneling device having multiple negative-resistance regions, and having essentially equal current peaks in such regions, is useful as a highly compact element, e.g., in apparatus designed for ternary logic operations, frequency multiplication, waveform scrambling, memory operation, parity-bit generation, and coaxial-line driving. The device can be made by layer deposition on a substrate and includes a resonant-tunneling structure between contacts such that side-by-side first and third contacts are on one side, and a second contact is on the opposite side of the resonant-tunneling structure.

Abstract: In the manufacture of optical devices such as, e.g., optical communications assemblies and optical gyroscopes, low-loss substrate-supported optical waveguides are desired. Such waveguides can be obtained by patterning a layer of deposited waveguide material and, in the interest of minimizing loss as may be due to processing-induced surface roughness, waveguides as patterned preferably undergo a heat treatment which results in surface smoothing and in rounding of the waveguide cross section. Furthermore, in the interest of avoiding re-entrant corners between substrate and waveguide, a wetting layer may be applied to the waveguide prior to heat treatment.

Abstract: When high-vacuum methods are used in the manufacture of miniaturized devices such as, e.g., semiconductor integrated-circuit devices, device layers on a substrate are preferably patterned without breaking of the vacuum. Preferred patterning involves deposition of a semiconductor mask layer, generation of the pattern in the mask layer by ion deflected-beam writing, and transfer of the pattern by dry etching. When the mask layer is an epitaxial layer, further epitaxial layer deposition after patterning may proceed without removal of remaining mask layer material.

Abstract: A narrow-bandwidth, high-speed infrared radiation detector is based on tunneling of photo-excited electrons out of quantum wells. Infrared radiation incident on a superlattice of doped quantum wells gives rise to intersubband resonance radiation which excites electrons from the ground state into an excited state. A photocurrent results from excited electrons tunneling out of quantum wells. Conveniently, Group III-V materials can be used in device manufacture. Preferably, quantum well potential barriers are shaped so as to facilitate resonant tunneling of photocurrents as compared with dark current. Preferred device operation is at elevated bias voltage, giving rise to enhancement of photocurrent by a quantum-well-avalanche effect.

Abstract: The longitudinal electro-optic effect is used with an external probe to make voltage measurements on electrical conductors.

Abstract: Single GaAs quantum well or single GaAs active layer or single reverse interface structures with Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x As barrier layers have improved qualities when one or more narrow bandgap GaAs getter-smoothing layers, which are thin, are grown and are incorporated in the barrier layer before and in close proximity to the active layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated resonant-tunneling device having multiple negative-resistance regions, and having essentially equal current peaks in such regions, is useful as a highly compact element, e.g., in apparatus designed for ternary logic operations, frequency multiplication, waveform scrambling, memory operation, parity-bit generation, and coaxial-line driving. The device can be made by layer deposition on a substrate and includes a resonant-tunneling structure between contacts such that side-by-side first and third contacts are on one side, and a second contact is on the opposite side of the resonant-tunneling structure. Disclosed further are (two-terminal) resonant-tunneling diodes as incorporated in memory devices, e.g., in lieu of 2-transistsor flip-flops; room-temperature device operation; and devices comprising an essentially undoped accelerator region between an emitter contact and a resonant-tunneling structure.