Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor package and the package comprising the steps of providing a base having a plurality of cavities therein, forming a plurality of sets of spaced apart first apertures extending entirely through the base, each of the sets of spaced apart first apertures surrounding one of the cavities, forming a plurality of sets of second apertures extending partially through the base, each of the second apertures of a set being interconnected with a pair of adjacent ones of the first apertures from one of the sets to form a continuous groove extending partially through the base and surrounding one of the cavities and then causing the second apertures to extend entirely through the base to form individual packages associated with each of the cavities. The base is a cast base and the first and second apertures are preferably cast into said base.

Abstract: A thermal core (10) including aluminum layer (12) held between two molybdenum layers (14) for dissipating heat from a plurality of chip carriers (22). Core (10) has the ability to withstand excessive vibrational loads while being lightweight. Bonding molybdenum/aluminum/molybdenum layers (12, 14) creates a core (10) having an increased stiffness factor which surpasses military vibrational requirements. Additionally, due to the low density of porous aluminum layer (12), weight limitations set forth by the military can also be met.

Abstract: A lock detection circuit for a phase lock loop circuit having a phase lock loop circuit, generally a series circuit of a detector, a filter and a VCO with a PLL input terminal and an output terminal. A test circuit is coupled to the phase lock loop and includes a signal generator responsive to the presence of an input signal on the input terminal to inject a test signal into the phase lock loop. The signal generator is preferably a low frequency oscillator wherein the term "low" is defined to mean any frequency from a few hertz up to gigahertz and generally a few kilohertz, as long as this frequency is at least about an order of magnitude less than the frequencies to be encountered at the RF input to the PLL. The signal generated by the signal generator is compared with the signal injected into the phase lock loop which is generally injected ahead of the loop filter.

Abstract: A current interrupt mechanism for electrochemical cells is disclosed. A thermally activated current interrupt mechanism is integrated into an end cap assembly for an electrochemical cell. The thermally responsive mechanism preferably includes a free floating bimetallic disk which deforms when exposed to elevated temperature causing a break in an electrical pathway within the end cap assembly. This prevents current from flowing through the cell and effectively shuts down an operating cell. Alternatively, the thermally responsive mechanism may include a meltable mass of material which melts when exposed to elevated temperature to break an electrical pathway within the end cap assembly. The end cap assembly may also include integrated therein a pressure responsive current interrupt mechanism.

Abstract: A method of forming a z-axis interface with a device having a first electrically conductive pad thereon wherein a layer of resilient electrically insulating material, capable of being made rigid, preferably a thermoplastic polymer or a b-stage thermosetting polymer, is formed over the first pad. A via is then formed in the electrically insulating material extending to the first pad. A layer of electrically conductive material, preferably gold, is then formed on the sidewalls extending to the pad and out of the via. A second electrically conductive pad is then applied under pressure to the electrically conductive material extending out of the via to deform the electrically conductive material into the resilient electrically insulating material. The electrically insulating material is then caused to become rigid.

Abstract: A capacitive fluid pressure transducer is shown formed of a monolithic ceramic body (10) having a cavity located between a diaphragm portion (12) and a base portion (14). Opposed capacitor plates (22, 24) are disposed on opposed surfaces of the diaphragm portion and the base portion. The capacitor plates (22, 24) are formed of palladium oxide/silver having a ratio selected to create a fluid pressure level in the cavity as a result of oxygen evolution incident to the reduction of palladium oxide during the sintering cycle to offset the tendency of the diaphragm to bow inwardly due to shrinkage mismatch of the metal and ceramic materials.

Abstract: A structure, preferably a radome (1) which comprises a honeycomb (11) of ceramic cloth in the form of fused woven fibers bonded with a matrix to provide a ceramic fiber composite. The fibers are quartz and the matrix is a silica matrix. A cloth (13) is impregated with polysiloxane so that the cloth is 65% by weight quartz and 35% by weight polysiloxane. One or more layers of the quartz cloth (13) are disposed over both open ends of the honeycomb, the total thickness of the layers on each side of the honeycomb being 0.06 inches. A layer of a paint (15) of polysiloxane containing titanium dioxide is optionally placed over the outermost layer of the resin impregnated quartz cloth. The radome is fabricated by initially providing the honeycomb, placing the resin-impregnated cloth thereover and then heating so that some of the resin penetrates into the honeycomb and some of the resin also pyrolyzes to form holes in the resin-impregnated cloth layers.

Abstract: An electric switch system (10) for use with a motor vehicle transmission has a movable contact assembly (22) mounted on the detent lever (12) linked to the manual valve assembly and a stationary contact assembly (18) mounted in an open housing (16) disposed over one face surface of the detent lever and in facing relation therewith. The housing has a plurality of L-shaped attachment projections (24a, 24b, 24c) each with a leg (24d, 24e, 24f) which, when the switch system is assembled, extends over the opposite face surface (12c) of the detent lever. A locking projection (24g) of the housing is received in a cut-out (12g) of the detent lever when the attachment projections are out of alignment with the detent lever and has a leg (24h) which extends over the opposite face surface (12c) of the detent lever when the housing (16) is rotated relative to the detent lever so that the attachment projections are in alignment with the detent lever.

Abstract: A solid state power controller for switching power on and off to an electrical load which also serves as a circuit protection device protecting the load and/or the wire connected between the load output terminal of the controller and ground from thermal damage due to current overload is shown. When a current overload exists the controller interrupts current to the load in a time inversely proportional to the square of the magnitude of the overload as shown in a trip time vs load current curve. The controller also limits the load current to a selected maximum level by controlling the drain-source resistance of power MOSFETs used for switching the power. A secondary interrupt is provided in the event that the junction temperature of the MOSFETs has risen a selected maximum level. A thermal memory feature is included for both interrupt signals. The controller is controlled by a single on/off input line and provides both a status and trip output line to indicate its state.

Abstract: A gas fired furnace system (10) has a controller (14) controlling the supply of gas through a gas valve (12) and air for combustion by means of an induced air draft fan (28), ignition of the gas by means of ignitor (22), the delivery of heated air from a heat exchanger (20) by means of an air blower (34) in response to signals from a thermostat (42). A selected constant flow of air for combustion is provided by controlling the speed of the motor driving the induced motor fan (28) despite changes which may occur in back pressure. Induced draft fan motor parameters proportional to motor torque and motor speed are read on an ongoing basis and inputted to controller (14) which computes a desired voltage and compares that with referenced data stored in the controller memory and makes corrections to the speed of the induced draft fan motor to maintain the constant air flow.

Abstract: A socket for removably mounting an electric part such as an IC package (30) has a cover (14) which when pushed down from a raised at rest position causes a drive shaft (26) fixed to the cover (14) to move down rotating a first lever (36) and actuating a second lever (38). Upon such rotation a latch (48) moves to a receded position which is obliquely above a plurality of contact elements (28) and, at the same time, vertically movable arms (50) rise to a selected vertical position from a cavity (52). The IC package (30) is then received on the vertically movable arms (50).

Abstract: An optical dome or window formed of a composition which is transmissive to infrared frequencies in the range of from about 1 micron to about 14 microns and which is relatively opaque to substantially all frequencies above about 14 microns consisting essentially of a compound taken from the class consisting of group III-V compounds doped with an element taken from the class consisting of shallow donors and having less than about 1.times.10.sup.7 atoms/cc impurities and having less than about 1.times.10.sup.15 parts carbon. The shallow donors are Se, Te and S, preferably Se, with the Se concentration from 5.times.10.sup.15 atoms/cc to 2.times.10.sup.16 atoms/cc. The group III-V compound is preferably GaAs or GaP.

Abstract: An electro-optic system 10 is described which comprises an infrared sensor 12 and a processing unit 14 protected by a protective infrared transmissive window 16. The window 16 comprises a substrate layer 18 which may comprise gallium arsenide, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide or germanium. A protective layer 22 of gallium phosphide is formed outwardly from the substrate layer 18. An anti-reflective coating 20 is formed inwardly from substrate layer 18 and an outward anti-reflective coating 26 is formed outwardly from protective layer 22. The incorporation of protective layer 22 allows for excellent impact and wear resistance without interfering with the optical characteristics of the protective window 16.

Abstract: A normally open pressure responsive electrical switch is shown having upper and lower body members with a combination terminal and disc seat member sandwiched therebetween. An electrically conductive snap acting disc is disposed on the disc seat and is adapted to snap through a centrally disposed aperture in the terminal into electrical engagement with an electrical contact disposed on a terminal mounted in the lower body member. The upper body member has a bore extending therethrough and slidably mounts a pressure converter adapted to convert pressure from a pressure source to a force and apply the force to the disc. A flexible membrane is disposed over the bore with an O-ring received on an O-ring seat adjacent the bore in the upper body member. A wall extending around the seal seat is deformed to capture the O-ring at its seat.

Abstract: A method of improving the responsivity of a pyroelectric device including providing a pyroelectric element of less than maximum theoretical density having holes therein extending to a surface of the element and having contaminants at the surface (22), cleaning the contaminants from the surface and metallizing the surface prior to contaminant reformation on the surface. The pyroelectric element is preferably a ferroelectric element and preferably barium strontium titanate. The step of cleaning can be by oxygen plasma, acid etch or a combination thereof. When the combination of cleaning steps is used, the step of cleaning comprises etching the surface and then oxygen cleaning the surface.

Abstract: A fuel heater for heating liquid fuel under pressure for use in an injector system-injection engine includes a pill 5 made of material with positive temperature coefficient (PTC) with a heatsink member 6, 7 covering both the top and bottom surface of the pill. At least one narrow, preferably spiral-shaped groove 15, 16 extends on either side of the PTC pill, either in the PTC material or in the heatsink material, or in both materials to carry fuel supplied under pressure. The fuel flows into the groove at one side of the pill from a central region of the pill towards the edge of the pill, and then into the groove at the other side of the pill from the edge towards the central region while being heated by the pill. The narrow groove restricts the flow of fuel to keep it under pressure while being heated which then, in turn, provides for the fuel to abruptly convert from a liquid to a gaseous state upon exiting the injector system.

Abstract: A socket having a structure which is suitable for electrical connection with ball-shaped lead terminals of an IC package is shown. When a cover (12) is pushed down, a latch (70) moves away, a slide plate (40) slides toward the positive side in an X direction through levers (52) and (50) and movable shaft (58) and both arms of each contact maker (30) open. Each lead terminal (solder ball) (32a) of the BGA package (32) is freely inserted between both arms of a respective contact maker (30) when in the open state. When cover (12) rises to its highest position, slide plate (40) slides in the reverse direction by the spring force of a compression coil spring, thereby returning to the its original position and both arms of each contact (32) engage each lead terminal (32a) in such a way as to hold it from opposite sides with a result that an electrical connection based on compressive engagement is obtained between each contact element (30) and each respective terminal (32a).

Abstract: A socket for mounting an electrical part such as an IC chip 60 in a freely detachable manner in which the electrical part 60 has a plurality of connective terminal parts of a prescribed pitch, has socket terminals 50 fixed in the socket 10 and a plurality of electroconductive parts 34 positioned on an insulating substrate 32. Each of the electroconductive parts 34 has first and second contact areas (34a, 34b) areas with the first contact area 34a having the same pitch as the pitch between the connective terminal parts BP. The insulating substrate 32 is held by a spring biased support member to provide for reliable contacting with the electrical part 60. The first contact area 34a of the electroconductive parts 34 provides electrical connection with one of the connective terminal parts BP of the electrical part 60 and the second contact part 34b provides electrical connection with one of the socket terminals 50 thereby providing reliable electrical connections between the electrical part 60 and the socket.

Abstract: A substantial portion of the material at the pn junction (27) of the photodiode (37, 41) having an implanted region extending to a surface thereof is selectively removed (39), leaving a very small junction region (35, 43) with the remainder of the p-type (23) and n-type (25) material of each photodiode being spaced apart or electrically isolated at what was originally the junction. In the ion implanted n-type on p-type approach, the majority of the signal is created in the implanted n-type region while the majority of the noise is generated in the p-type region. By selectively removing p-type material, n-type material or both from the pn junction of the diode or otherwise electrically isolating most of the p-type and n-type regions from each other at the pn junction and thereby minimizing the pn junction area, noise is greatly reduced without affecting the signal response of the photodiode.

Abstract: A socket has a base (10) that is to be fixed on a printed wiring substrate (not shown in the drawings) and a cover (12), in the shape of a square frame, that is reciprocably movable in the vertical direction relative to base (10). An adaptor (20) is fixed to the center of base (10) by means of bolts (22) and an elevator carrier (24) is mounted on adaptor (20) in such a manner as to move among first, second and third vertically disposed positions in dependence upon movement of the cover (12). A large number of contact elements (26) are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the lead terminal pattern of an IC package for loading in the socket. Above each contact row, there is provided a linkage mechanism (32, 36) including a laterally extending bar (36a) movable toward and away from contact elements (26) in dependence upon the vertical movement of the cover (12).